Released on the 16th of February 2023, the Ukraine postal service (Ukrposhta) has created a stamp that uses an image by Banksy accompanied by the words FCK PTN! to mark one year since the start of the war in Ukraine.
In the image, which first appeared and was confirmed by the artist in November 2022, we see a young boy hurling a grown man to the floor in a judo fight. This David and Goliath-esque battle references the Russian autocrat’s supposed ability (black belt) in the martial art. Last year, World Taekwondo the governing body of another martial art practised by the leader striped him of his honourary black belt citing its motto of "Peace is More Precious than Triumph," and condemned the Russian military action in Ukraine, saying the "brutal attacks on innocent lives" violated the sport's values of respect and tolerance.
In the stamp, Cyrllic lettering spells out FCK PTN! And can be found in the bottom left corner. The artwork, originally drawn by Banksy on the wall of a destroyed house in Borodyanka, was part of a wider flurry of the artist which saw him visit the war-struck country and produced a number of murals against the invasion.
Ukrposhta director general Igor Smelyanskyimsaid, "We believe that the Ukrainian postage stamp 'FCK PTN!' will also become prophetic”.
"When our team was working on the design of the stamp for the anniversary of the full-scale war with Russia, we wanted the drawing to reflect the feelings of all Ukrainians - the desire to defeat the enemy and finally put him "on the ground," he told Dezeen.
"Banksy's drawing, which the artist left on the ruins of the building in Borodyanka, speaks not only of the world's support for Ukraine but also of faith in our victory," said Smelyanskyi.
"At the very beginning of the great war, we issued the stamp 'Russian warship, go!' and in the last days of the first year of the war – 'FCK PTN!,'" he added. "Given that Ukrposhta's stamps are prophetic, the choice was unquestionable.
The first stamp sheets were unveiled at the main post office in Kyiv. Each stamp can be used to send a letter weighing up to 50 grams within the country.
In total, Ukrposhta has released 250,000 sheets of six stamps. An envelope, postcard, folder, frame and hoodie have also been released in conjunction with the stamp. A percentage of each sale will be donated to educational institutions affected by the war.
For further details and to buy Banksy artworks, or discover Banksy prints for sale contact Andipa via sales@andipa.com or call +44 (0)20 7581 1244. To purchase the stamps visit https://postmark.ukrposhta.ua/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2197&config_language=en-gb