Tank Man for a New Era

With a nod to the so-called "Tank Man" of the Tiananmen Square protests, this artist likens the iconic 1989 demonstrations for democracy that took place in China with what he sees as a similar struggle for greater freedom in Ukraine. Representing the revived Soviet juggernaut is a caricature of Russian president Vladimir Putin, his nose twisted into a gun pointing directly at an unarmed Euromaidan protestor.

The date at which the cartoon was drawn would also suggest that the elongated nose symbolises Putin's persistent denials of the presence of Russian forces in Crimea, claims that were later proven to have been false.

In any case, Putin is clearly not portrayed in a positive light, whilst Ukraine is depicted as the tenacious "little guy," standing alone against an overwhelming force. The blatant heroism associated with his figure may strike the wrong note with conservatives who regard the Independence Square protests as the work of radicals.

Personally, I believe that the relation of the events in Ukraine to the larger archetype of historical pro-democracy struggles is effective in communicating the artist's viewpoint and message, and a technique that subtly demonises Putin and his agenda in Eastern Europe.

The message of the illustration is weakened by a certain degree of ambiguity in the identity of the protestor and the setting of the standoff. Viewers may wonder if the civilian represents the new Ukrainian government as a whole or specifically the Euromaidan protestors, or if the road represents the Crimean peninsula. Perhaps labels would have helped make the message more explicit.

Image taken from:

Davey, Andy (DaveyCartoons). “my cartoon about #Putin in #ukraine references Tiananmen 1989 #ukrainewebchat #crimea.” 5 March 2014, 9:18 p.m. Tweet.