The statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most symbolic landmarks of Copenhagen, Denmark, was vandalized last night. The cornerstone under the statue was painted with white, blue and red colors representing the Russian flag. A bronze statue of the heroine of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s famous novel has been painted in the three colors of the Russian flag, Agence France-Presse reported.
Copenhagen police told AFP that “a case of vandalism has been registered” after they arrived this morning, and that “investigations have been launched locally to follow up on any clues”.
The report noted that this clearly meant supporting Moscow’s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists were shocked by this and took pictures of the statue which had been vandalized this morning.
The 175 kilogram statue of the Little Mermaid is the work of sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen.
The statue has been vandalized several times over the years, including the theft of its head in 1964 and 1998, and the severed arm in 1984. In 2003, the base was blown free with dynamite and fell into the bay.
It has also been vilified and spray-painted many times, most recently in 2020 when it was graffitied with the words “racist fish”. A police spokesman said it was still unclear who vandalized the statue this time, Reuters reported.
Denmark joined the ranks of Western powers to speak out against Moscow following Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine last year.
Responsible editor: Yu Weining
