Since May 18, 2023, Georgian- (1,2,3,4,5,6) and Russian-language (1,2,3) Facebook accounts have been disseminating the claim that Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gifted the Pope an icon of the Virgin Mary, where the typical spot of baby Jesus is blacked out. Some of the posts claimed that, according to the Italian press, the painting is a parody of the icon of the Virgin Mary and is, therefore, offensive.
The information about Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s gift to the Pope is being disseminated without context. One of the two gifts of the President of Ukraine was the work of the Ukrainian artist Oleksii Revika called “The Loss, 2022-58”, on which a black figure is depicted in place of Jesus in the hands of the Virgin Mary, representing the children who died in the war.
The President of Ukraine met Pope Francis on May 13, 2023, within the framework of his visit to Italy. During the 40-minute meeting, the parties talked about the importance of continuing humanitarian aid. Later, Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Italian press that the conversation also touched on the thousands of Ukrainian children illegally transported to Russia, and the President of Ukraine called on the Pope to condemn the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
Part of the meeting also entailed the exchange of gifts. According to press reports, the Pope gifted Zelenskyy a bronze sculpture of an olive branch, which is a symbol of peace, as well the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together penned by the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Ahzar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, as well as a book on the Statio Orbis of 27 March 2020.
In response, the President of Ukraine gave two gifts to the Pope, the first of which was a painting by Ukrainian artist Oleksii Revika, entitled “Loss, 2022-58”, on which a black figure is depicted instead of baby Jesus in the hands of the Virgin Mary, which symbolically refers to the children who died in the war. The second composition, called “Unburnt”, it belongs to Yuri Vakulenko and represents the Virgin Mary depicted on the armour plate. The gifts are clearly visible in the footage of Vatican News, AFP and VOA.
AFP News Agency
About the Sources:
Facebook accounts Levan Tavdishvili, Strizhaki Lia, and Fantina Fantina (as well as related accounts La Zi and Liberastebis Riskhva) regularly spread anti-Western and anti-Ukrainian disinformation and conspiracy theories.
Another Facebook user, Besarion Sharashidze, has been disseminating disinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines since 2020.
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