Paris Museum Removes Putin Wax Statue After It Kept Being Defaced
The Grevin Museum in Paris has removed a wax figure of Russian president Vladimir Putin after it was damaged by visitors dismayed over the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Today it is no longer possible to present a character like him [Putin]… For the first time in the museum’s history we are withdrawing a statue because of historical events currently underway,” said museum director Yves Delhommeau on the France Bleu radio network.
According to Sky News, Delhommeau revealed that Putin’s wax statue had become “disheveled” after it was vandalized over the weekend, leading to the museum’s unusual decision to remove it from the exhibit.
“Given what has happened, we and our staff do not want to have to fix his hair and appearance everyday,” he remarked.
AFP noted the same wax figurine had been previously damaged in June 2014, when it was toppled over and a wooden stake driven through the middle of the statue.
Going forward, the museum is considering enacting a statue of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy instead, as per Insider.
“Maybe President Zelenskyy will take his place… he has become a hero for having resisted and for not fleeing his country,” said Delhommeau.
“He could perfectly well take his place among the great men of history and today,” he added.
The Paris Grevin Museum removed the wax figure of Vladimir Putin in protest against his invasion of Ukraine & after it was damaged by visitors over the weekend.
— Tibor M. Kalman 🇺🇦🕊 (@kalmantibs) March 2, 2022
The museum is considering replacing it with a statue of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.✅#SlavaUkraini â¤ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¦ðŸ•Šï¸ pic.twitter.com/SIPjGqta10
[via Sky News and Insider, cover image via Igor Dolgov | Dreamstime.com]
