A sculpture of Vladimir Putin riding a miniature tank popped up in New York's Central Park — and was quickly targeted by kids
- A bright red sculpture of Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in Central Park this week.
- Kids quickly embraced the installation, covering it with sand and aiming their water guns at it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was spotted riding a tiny tank in New York's Central Park this week and was swiftly swarmed by kids — or at least, a statue of him was.
The Putin sculpture was created by French artist James Colomina and placed in a playground inside the Manhattan park, according to the artist's Instagram.
The bright red sculpture shows the Russian leader seated atop a miniature military tank in an almost childlike squat.
"This sculpture aims at denouncing the absurdity of war and at highlighting children's courage when faced with violent, catastrophic situations triggered by others," Colomina wrote alongside photos of his work.
The artist is known for bright red sculptures that often pop up unannounced in public places. Additional photos show identical Putin sculptures in Paris and Spain.
Photos of the sculpture in New York showed kids quickly embracing their new playmate by covering him with sand and aiming their water guns at him.
The Manhattan installation comes nearly six months since Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and as the fighting continues, especially in the eastern part of the country.
It's unclear if the sculptures have been brought to the attention of Putin, who goes to great lengths to curate a public perception of himself as strong and manly: The Russian leader's famous photoshoots have featured him shirtless on horseback and posing majestically in the outdoors.
