Newsroom
The well-known potato statue in the village of Xylofagou will require about €2,000 in repairs after being knocked down by severe winds over the weekend.
According to the president of the Xylofagou Community Council, Giorgos Ioulianos, the structure’s creator, Panagiotis Angelis, collected the damaged statue on Monday and transported it to his workshop in Nicosia to begin restoration work. The sculpture broke into two pieces when it fell from its base during the storm.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported when the landmark collapsed.
Local officials estimate that the repairs will take until the end of the month. As part of the restoration, engineers and technicians are considering improvements to the statue’s foundation so it can better withstand extreme weather. Machinist Iakovos Chiratos has been consulted to help design a stronger support structure capable of resisting winds of more than 10 Beaufort.
Ioulianos stressed that the existing base had been safe, but the unusually strong winds that struck the area were powerful enough to topple the statue.
Over the weekend, heavy rain and strong gusts battered the region. According to the Facebook page “The Big Potato Cyprus,” the harsh weather conditions on Saturday and Sunday caused the statue to fall from its stand, leaving the giant potato lying on the ground until it could be removed for repairs.
