In Russia, a child painted cartoon characters on a playground. Authorities threatened the child and their parents with criminal charges.
The city administration in Bolokhovo, a town in Russia’s Tula region, has filed a police complaint after someone painted the Smeshariki characters onto the rubber surface of a children’s playground. The administration reported the complaint on its official page.
Local officials said the drawing “constitutes damage to municipal property, regardless of its artistic value,” and threatened the artist with criminal charges for intentional damage to property and vandalism.
The administration attached surveillance footage to its complaint. “The identity of the offender has been established,” the statement said. The drawing appears to have been made by a child, since the statement addressed “the artist and his parents”:
Until the official review is complete, you have the opportunity to voluntarily remedy the aftermath by restoring the surface to its original condition. This will be regarded as a mitigating circumstance and may affect the severity of the penalty.
Bolokhovo Mayor Maria Chuikina said the playground was renovated under a state program subject to strict oversight. She said the Smeshariki characters were painted in durable paint that utility crews were unable to remove.
Residents criticized the authorities in the comments on the administration’s post.
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