Melania Trump Statue Vanishes in Slovenia

13 hours ago 7

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

The bronze sculpture, erected near Ms. Trump’s hometown in eastern Slovenia, was chopped off at the feet and stolen, the police said.

Bronze stumps stand on a tree trunk in a green field near a river under a cloudy blue sky.
The disappearance of a statue of Melania Trump near her hometown, Sevnica, Slovenia, has prompted a police investigation.Credit...Matej Leskovsek/The New York Times

Lynsey ChutelMatej Leskovsek

By Lynsey Chutel and Matej Leskovsek

Matej Leskovsek reported from Sevnica, Slovenia, the hometown he shares with the first lady, and Lynsey Chutel reported from London.

May 16, 2025Updated 5:41 p.m. ET

Where is Melania Trump?

No, not the rarely seen first lady, but the statue made in her likeness that watched over her nearby hometown, Sevnica, Slovenia.

The life-size bronze statue, 15 minutes outside Sevnica, disappeared from its perch this week. The theft was reported on Tuesday, the police said. But it’s not clear when, exactly, it was taken, Alenka Drenik, a spokeswoman for the police, said by phone on Friday.

“Police are still assessing the theft, and an investigation is still ongoing,” Ms. Drenik added.

Residents of Sevnica have their suspicions. Some in the town of about 5,000 people in eastern Slovenia say it could have been an act of vandalism; others say it was probably melted down for cash. None of the people interviewed thought, however, that the statue’s disappearance had been in any way political.

“Melania is rarely seen in the spotlight or anywhere else, and even when she does do something, it’s so bizarre, so I don’t even want to think about her that much,” said Igor Pavkovic, who has lived in Sevnica all his life and recalled laughing when he first saw the statue.

The expressionless sculpture, its arm raised in a tight wave, never quite captured the heart of Sevnica’s residents. Originally made of wood, it was hacked from a linden tree and unveiled in 2019 by an artist who used a chain saw to create a very, very rough likeness of the first lady.

Image

Ms. Trump left Sevnica in 1985 and has not been spotted in town since.Credit...Matej Leskovsek/The New York Times

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.


Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Read Entire Article
Olahraga Sehat| | | |