Putin Gallops Into The Ironworks

Our latest recycled metal sculpture depicts the infamous Russian president, Vladimir Putin, shirtless while astride his mighty steed. In his hand he has a firm grasp of a rainbow ‘Peace’ flag, the symbol of LGBTQ+ social movements. 

Here at the Ironworks, we always want to open communication for political discussions. We have created this powerful sculpture to highlight the lack of progression in Russian society, along with Putin’s prevention of peace.

Often described as a megalomaniac, Russian President Vladimir Putin prioritises victory over peace in his ongoing war against Ukraine. Putin suppresses Russia from becoming a liberal society, and remains in an old fashioned mindset. If Russia does not become more progressive, it will likely face a number of both social and economic challenges.

In 2022, Putin signed a bill that expands an earlier ban on what is referred to as LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in Russia, making it illegal for anyone to promote same-sex relationships or suggest that non-heterosexual orientations are “normal.”

Under the new law, it will be banned across the internet, media, books, audiovisual services, cinema, and advertising. 

This year, Russia was ranked 49th out of 49 European countries for LGBTQ+ inclusion by watchdog ILGA-Europe.

While we are a sculpture park, we have always made it clear that we are not interested in creating innate art. We do not shy away from speaking up, and are passionate about creating opportunities to open conversations about difficult topics.