A portrait of Zemfira on a mural on the façade of the house where the singer lived as a child has been painted over in pink in Ufa. This happened after the pro-government movement Call of the People appealed for the image to be removed. The activists suggested replacing the singer with a “patriot” or a Hero of Russia. It is not known whether the mural was removed in full.
What changed on the façade
The mural appeared in 2021 on a house associated with Zemfira’s childhood. The artwork was made up of several elements: the singer’s portrait was placed on the body of a guitar, with a girl on a swing and lines from the song “Sunday” nearby.
Reports about the paint job refer specifically to the portrait and pink paint. There is no confirmation that the entire composition has disappeared or that a new image has already been created over it. It is therefore not yet possible to say that the mural was completely removed or replaced with another painting.
The Call of the People complaint
In August, activists from the public movement Call of the People sent an appeal to the administration of the head of Bashkortostan. They demanded that the artwork be removed, saying that an image of Zemfira, who in their view uses “anti-Russian rhetoric,” was inappropriate during wartime.
Instead of the singer’s portrait, the activists suggested depicting a “patriot” or a Hero of Russia. This was a proposal from members of the public, not an announcement of a decision: available information does not confirm that the administration backed a specific replacement or chose a new figure for the façade.
Who could decide the mural’s fate
After the August appeal, the administration told the activists that only the homeowners could change the artwork. As the response indicated, the decision had to be made at a general meeting of the property owners, not unilaterally by officials or complainants.
It is not known whether such a meeting took place. Nor is there any information on how many owners took part or supported changing the mural. The sequence of events between the appeal and the paint job is therefore known only in broad outline: a complaint was submitted, the administration clarified the owners’ role, and the portrait was then covered with paint.
What remains unclear
The case concerns a specific façade in Ufa and an image created in 2021, but leaves the question of procedure unanswered. No minutes of a general meeting, tally of votes in favor of the change, or decision by the owners explaining the grounds for altering the wall have been published.
It is also unknown whether the pink paint covered only Zemfira’s portrait or other parts of the composition—the guitar, the girl on the swing, and lines from the song “Sunday.” Until further details emerge, all that can be stated with certainty is that the portrait was painted over, activists filed a complaint, and no confirmed details are available about a decision by the homeowners.
Bottom line: The portrait of Zemfira on the façade of her childhood home was painted over after an appeal by Call of the People, but the fate of the entire mural and the homeowners’ decision remain unknown.
Sources
- meduza.io — “In Ufa, after a complaint from pro-government activists”
- unn.ua — “In Russia, a Zemfira mural was painted over on the house where she”
- svoboda.org — “Radio Liberty”
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