A Rhode Island mayor has branded the mural of a slain Ukrainian refugee “divisive” and called for it to be removed.

Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death while riding a train in North Carolina last August, having fled the Russia war on her country in 2022.

Tech CEO Elon Musk and influencer Andrew Tate both said they would provide funding for artworks paying tribute to the 23 year-old, one of which is painted on the side of a LGBTQ+ bar named The Dark Lady in Providence.

But Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has hit out at the intentions of those who funded the mural.

“The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence,” Smiley said in a statement obtained by ABC 3340.

“I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.”

Back in September 2025, Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe had written on X that he was “offering $500k in $10k grants to paint murals of the face of Iryna Zarutska in prominent US city locations.”

“I will contribute $1 million,” Musk replied on X.

Tate added, “Matched. 1M.”

Artist Ian Gaudreau, who painted the mutual, criticized calls to remove the painting on Instagram.

“As the artist I’m very saddened to hear that the mayor is calling for the art work to be removed before I was allowed to finish speaking,” he wrote. “I would like everyone to know that the artwork is meant to combat the idea of it being used for a political agenda.

“I want the Mural to humanize Iryna.”

Gaudreau also told NBC 10 that “everybody was pretty moved by the way that she was just so publicly murdered.”

“Just the fear in her eyes and the fact that nobody came to hold her hand while she took her last breaths was just pretty horrific,” he added.

Speaking to the network, Gaudreau also addressed reports on the funding of the mural.

“The mural was funded by a nonprofit organization that was mostly funded by Elon Musk, that is a fact,” he said. He did not comment on Tate’s reported involvement.

Zarutska was killed at East/West Boulevard station while riding the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte.

Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr, who has been accused of carrying out the killing, was arrested upon exiting the train. He has been charged with first-degree murder.

Zarutska’s killing garnered national attention and led to the passing of Iryna’s Law in North Carolina, which aimed to tighten measures related to pretrial release and mental health evaluations for defendants.

Zarutska’s mother, Anna, was invited to President Trump’s State of the Union address in February, where the commander-in-chief recounted the refugee’s final moments.

The team behind The Dark Lady confirmed in a statement on Instagram that the mural to Zarutska will be removed.

“We heard you PVD,” the statement read. “We are deeply and sincerely sorry for everything that has taken place over the past week.

“After reflecting and learning, we have made the decision to discontinue this project and will move forward with removal as soon as possible.

“We remain committed to fostering unity, safety, and care for all members of our community, and we will continue to listen, learn and act with those values at the forefront.”