New Mural for Ukrainian Refugee After Controversy

Providence, Rhode Island’s Mayor, Brett Smiley, recently pressured a local gay bar to take down a mural honoring Irina Zalutka, a Ukrainian refugee murdered last year in North Carolina. In response, the artist has relocated the mural to a different establishment.

Ian Gaudreau, the mural painter, started his work last Friday at Opa the Phoenician, a Lebanese restaurant in the Federal Hill area of Providence.

This change comes after significant public discussion about the mural’s original site. Despite the artwork’s intent to celebrate the life of a 23-year-old woman taken too soon, Mayor Smiley labeled it “divisive,” leading to its removal.

Zalutka was killed in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack on August 22, 2025, by DeCarlos DeJuan Brown Jr., a man with a lengthy criminal history. Witnesses reported that Brown yelled, “I got that white girl!” during the incident.

In light of this tragedy, François Karam, the Lebanese restaurant’s co-owner, an immigrant himself, chose to display the mural in honor of Zalutka. He expressed that it is important to acknowledge shared experiences among refugees, regardless of their origins.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re from Ukraine or Lebanon; we should foster more love among each other,” Karam noted, sharing a personal connection to Zalutka’s story.

In the aftermath of Zalutka’s murder, some prominent figures, including Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe and Tesla’s Elon Musk, pledged financial support for memorials across major U.S. cities to commemorate her legacy.

Furthermore, former President Donald Trump highlighted Brown’s numerous releases under cashless bail, attributing this to what he called “de-crime” policies initiated by Democrats. Trump also honored Zalutka’s mother as a distinguished guest at his 2026 State of the Union address.

Gaudreau launched a petition to save the original mural, which garnered over 13,000 verified signatures. He remarked that he was considering bringing the tribute to Boston and is actively documenting the new mural’s progress, expressing excitement about the move.

The new site is conveniently situated less than a mile from where the mural was initially painted. Gaudreau commented on the importance of honoring Zalutka’s dreams and struggles as an immigrant.

“[Iryna] was once an immigrant chasing the American dream,” Gaudreau remarked, emphasizing the mural’s significance in the context of shared immigrant struggles.

Expressing gratitude, Gaudreau acknowledged the positive experience of painting, despite the recent controversy, noting the pleasant weather during his work.