Havis Amanda will be protected on Saturday 12 June, in response to a possible celebration regarding the European Football Championships. Climbing Havis Amanda is forbidden. The bronze statue, over 100 years old, is fragile. Fences will be erected around the statue on Saturday. There will also be security at the statue.
The Havis Amanda sculpture, located in Helsinki's Market Square, is one of Helsinki's best-known symbols and, at the same time, a gathering place for those celebrating sporting success. The Havis Amanda sculpture is the property of Helsinki residents and is part of the collection of the Helsinki Art Museum. Under the Museums Act, the City of Helsinki has a duty to preserve art for posterity. Climbing the sculpture is prohibited and its thin frame cannot withstand climbing. It is both a question of protecting Havis Amanda and of the safety of the partygoers, who are at real risk of an accident.
”We wish Finland every success in the games. A joint celebration is a wonderful thing. However, climbing the statue is prohibited. There is a risk that our common property could be irreparably damaged. Damage to the sculpture will result to a claim for compensation”, says Tommi Laitio, Executive Director of the Culture and Leisure Division.
Ville Vallgren: Havis Amanda, 1908. Photo: HAM/Yehia Eweis