The statue of the Little Mermaid, one of the most symbolic landmarks in 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 writer 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 after their arrival this morning, “a case of sabotage has been registered” and “investigations have been launched locally to follow up on any clues”.
The report pointed out that this clearly means supporting Moscow’s position in the Ukraine war.
Some tourists were puzzled by this and took pictures of the vandalized statue this morning.
The 175-kilogram Little Mermaid statue is the work of sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by the Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
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 bottom was blown loose with dynamite and fell into the bay.
It has also been vilified and splashed with paint 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 in speaking out against Moscow following Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine last year.
Responsible editor: Yu Weining
