How the Little Mermaid was taken to Shanghai.

Denmark. The birthplace of the Vikings, the country with the highest GDP per capita and the highest prices. One of the countries where human life is precious, a country that represents the pinnacle of human civilization. This territory is populated by Danes. Not only that, of course, but Denmark has rather strict immigration laws. Stricter than neighboring Sweden or Norway, for example. The Danes, whose relaxed lifestyle perplexes even the Swedes, settle here.

So, a few years ago, these people took their symbol—the little Little Mermaid, who had been seeing ships off for almost a hundred years—stone, tail, and all, and took it to Shanghai—a big, noisy, hot Chinese city. What prose! What a disappointment! At first, they said they would replace it with a copy, "made by Chinese master carvers," or a copy "from the private collection of the heirs of the sculptor Edward Eriksen." But then they simply installed a screen showing the Little Mermaid online, as she sat in a pool of seawater specially brought from Shanghai at Expo 2010. CopenhagenNew technologies have destroyed poetry.

That time, the Danes' intuition failed them. Tourists arriving in Copenhagen saw a screen instead of the century-old symbol of the Danish capital and felt cheated. If there had been a replica instead of the original, it would have been a simple deception. As it was, it was deception in a perverted, high-tech form. Of course, it returned in the fall, perhaps in November. But how many travelers from March to November felt a sense of resentment? For the first time since its creation, the symbol of the Viking homeland left its native Copenhagen for the most "promising" country in the world today. A reflection of the "tectonic shifts" in the modern world order. Grovelling before the East. Something is wrong in the Danish kingdom...

"The organizers intended the Little Mermaid's voyage to reflect the desire of ordinary Danes and Danish businesspeople for closer ties with China." So there you have it, and they couldn't care less about tourists. On April Fool's Day, the wise and cheerful city administration erected a skeleton of the Little Mermaid, kindly provided by the Copenhagen Museum of Natural History, on a stone. In the same pose, the same size, everything is very lifelike.

It's hard for us to understand the Danes. I always get the feeling they know something very important, but they exchange glances and don't tell us, because it's pointless anyway. Why pointless? I don't know. If I did, I'd figure out what they're hiding and tell everyone right away.

Copenhagen is the Scandinavian Paris.

If you want to get a feel for an unfamiliar city in a relatively short time, it's best not to arrive by car. It distracts you from this goal and focuses your attention elsewhere. For example, on avoiding accidentally hitting one of the thousands of cyclists silently whizzing through Copenhagen, or on avoiding a parking ticket that's enormous by our standards. Furthermore, a car prevents morning alcohol consumption, which so beneficially opens the chakras of travelers. But what if driving to Copenhagen from St. Petersburg is the most convenient and cheapest way?

Copenhagen is a romantic city. Canals, numerous spires, pedestrian streets, a free country. ChristianiaThis isn't Paris; it lacks the "rosy air" of love. This city is too northern, windy, and rainy. But perhaps it could be called the "Scandinavian Paris." It's stricter, more punctual, neater, and more ascetic. No less romantic, but somehow in its own way, Spartan. "The Merchant's Wharf" is the southernmost of all the Scandinavian capitals. That the great storyteller  Andersen It was no coincidence that I lived here.

The Danish kingdom is one of the largest and happiest countries in the world.

Denmark is a paradox. In our minds, it seems like a tiny place at the western end of Europe. But in terms of territory, it's fifteenth in the world. More than four times larger than France, six times larger than Germany. However, if you include Greenland, Faroe IslandsBut why not include them if these territories enjoy only internal autonomy and are part of the Danish realm? Even after the Danish parliament passed a law granting Greenland expanded autonomy in 2009, Denmark retains full control over defense, foreign affairs, and monetary policy. Nevertheless, most reference books rank Denmark a whopping 130th in area, singling out Greenland and the Faroe Islands for special mention. The Danes aren't offended. However, it's not just the size of the territory that's at issue. According to a 2010 Gallup World Poll, Denmark was recognized as the happiest country in the world. Surveys showed that people's psychological and social needs are met to the greatest extent possible here. Our gigantic country shared only 73rd-78th places in this ranking with South Africa, Lebanon, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Denmark is a champion in solving environmental problems.

Denmark is a country where ecology has, without exaggeration, become a national idea. The number of bicycles on the roads and the cycling infrastructure created here are astounding. The Prime Minister proudly announces that he cycles to Paris every year. Wind turbines generate approximately 20% of the country's electricity (another record!), with plans to increase this share to 100% within half a century. It is here, in the center of Copenhagen, that a specially designed "green lighthouse" has been built—a "smart" eco-friendly home that produces more energy than it consumes and sells the surplus to the local power plant. Caring for ecology It requires enormous resources: the world's largest wind farm cost approximately a billion dollars, and the experimental house cost 5000 euros per square meter. But the Danes believe the results are worth the expense. The famous environmental summit (alas, a disastrous one!) dedicated to combating global warming was held in Copenhagen.

Denmark and Russia. Associations among fellow citizens.

What do our compatriots think of when they hear about Denmark? A great storyteller. Andersen, about the "Little Mermaid" on a rock in Copenhagen harbor, about Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet. A peninsula, a land of blondes living in tiled houses pressed close together with roses in the courtyards. History buffs will probably recall the blood ties between the Danish kings and the House of Romanov, since Nicholas II's mother, Maria Feodorovna (née Princess Dagmar), was Danish. Science buffs will, of course, remember the great physicist Niels Bohr and the astronomer Tycho BraheThose who frequently caught colds as children (or simply know Okudzhava's work) talk about the "Danish King" drops. But our younger compatriots are often completely out of Copenhagen when it comes to this matter. Even "computer geniuses" don't always know that Bluetooth technology is named after the famous Danish king Harold Bluetooth.

Our site is interactive. By registering, where you can post your own articles and comment on others'. The site's goal is to provide an opportunity to learn more about the country that stood at the foundation of NATO and the EU, the country that allowed the free city to emerge. Christiania in the center of its capital, about the happiest country on planet Earth, which is just two days' leisurely drive from St. Petersburg along a completely effortless and beautiful road...

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