Vandalism targets statues in downtown Kuopio, Finland

The statues in downtown Kuopio have been targeted by vandalism over the summer. Minna Canth’s statue in Maljalahden and Alexander Pushkin’s statue at Valkeisenlampi have been defaced multiple times with spray-painted swastikas and tags. The first instances of vandalism were reported at the beginning of June-July, with the latest occurring on the last weekend of July. Earlier in the spring, the statues also suffered from thefts.

Juhani Toivanen, the chief curator of Kuopio Art Museum, suspects that the same individual is behind both sets of vandalism based on the style of the graffiti. A police report has been filed, and an investigation is underway. Similar graffiti has also appeared on buildings near the main health center, with these incidents reported to the police as well. Toivanen believes there is a chance that the vandal was captured on surveillance cameras located near the health center.

The costs for cleaning the vandalism have already amounted to thousands of euros. Toivanen mentioned that the cleanup, which took several hours, is ongoing, with museum staff participating in the efforts. The base of Pushkin’s statue is made of high-gloss granite, and while much of the graffiti has been removed, the gold lettering has been damaged and will require re-gilding. The base of Minna Canth’s statue needed to be cleaned with soda blasting after initial attempts failed due to its rough granite surface.

Toivanen stated that the statue bases will be covered starting Friday to prevent further vandalism, although the Minna Canth statue itself will remain uncovered. Pushkin’s statue has been removed for maintenance and has been particularly vulnerable due to its lower placement.