A series of photographs of provocative modern art from different parts of Europe are being shared on social media, accompanied by the claim that they are “monuments to the mother” and an embodiment of European values. Some publications compare the sculptures to a monument of motherhood in the Russian city of Tyumen, emphasising the contrast in concepts and aesthetics.

The works of modern art are described in the following terms:

Look at the difference. In the first photo is a monument to the mother in Europe, in the second one – a monument to the mother in Russia.

And a monument to the… mother according to the value system they are persistently trying to impose on us.

Here is the difference between eastern and western culture… – and there is no chance you will ever agree with the values promoted by the West, not now and not in a million years.

Do you still want to send your children to study there?

In reality, none of the sculptures by Western artists in the photos is a monument to the mother. They have been deliberately selected for their provocative nature and the claim that they are monuments isolates them from their context as works of art. The comparison to the Russian sculpture of the mother of three in Tyumen is an attempt to position Russia as guardian of family traditions and morals. It is part of a wider narrative promoted by pro-Russian media and profiles in the Bulgarian information space, which presents Russia as a champion of traditional values and the West as a morally depraved enemy of the family.

And Life Is Over There, the Hague

The bronze sculpture by Femmy Otten is on a busy street in downtown Hague. It is a figure with tree arms and physical features of both sexes. On its head is a small seated creature with an animal head reminiscent of Egyptian art. The work was unveiled in its current spot in 2017 and is part of a large collection of sculptures placed in public spaces around the city by the art centre Stroom den Haag.

According to its description on the art centre’s webs