Žilina, July 7, 2021. Exactly a year ago, on July 7, 2020 our project was honoured with high attention. The honorary title and honourable mention entitled Friend of Peace was accepted by His Majesty King Simeon II. Last year, during a very difficult period, COVID 19 pandemic disrupted a number of praiseworthy initiatives and events. Servare et Manere, which implements the International Tree of Peace, in this way it followed on from the previous successful partnership.
His Majesty was the official Co-patron of the restoration of the cultural monument of Slovakia, the Statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Divina, Slovakia. His Majesty King Simeon II served as the last reigning Tsar of Bulgaria from 1943 to 1946. He supported the statue mainly in memory of his grandfather, His Majesty Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, who in the words of the King Simeon II himself “loved Slovakia very much”. The project of restoration of St. John of Nepomuk statue was initiated by architect Marek Sobola and was started in 2016 and was completed in June 2017. The statue was reconstructed and saved mainly thanks to: His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia, His Majesty Simeon II, the last Tsar of Bulgaria, His Royal Highness Franz, Duke of Bavaria, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, town of Nepomuk and the Diocese of Žilina.
A book about its story was also published on the occasion of the restoration of the statue. The book was dedicated to His Majesty on his 80th birthday.
