Georgian-language and Russian-language Facebook accounts are promoting a photograph of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The photograph has a caption: “Up in the West.” According to some of the Facebook accounts, the photograph was taken in Belgrade during a rally held in support of Russia. In fact, the aforementioned photograph has been changed with the aim of discrediting President Zelenskyy.
In fact, the original photograph (link 1, link 2, link 3 and link 4), which features former German Chancellor Angela Merkel instead of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was in fact taken in 2003 during the famous Rosenmontag Carnival in Dusseldorf. Generally, such types of carnivals are very popular across Germany. The marches are often politicised and participants resort to sharp political satire using caricature figures of different politicians. The 2003 carnival featured a caricature figure of Angel Merkel (with a US flag in her hands) and the US Uncle Sam symbol, entitled “Merkel in the USA.” The author of the sculpture is Jacques Tilly.
Source: West German newspaper
Source: wikimedia
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