Belgrade, May 20, 2020
Photo: pravlife.org
St. Symeon the Myrrh-streamer, one of the most important and revered saints of the Serbian Orthodox Church, will soon be honored in the capital city of Belgrade with the largest monument in Serbia.
On Monday, May 18, the pedestal for the future monument was installed on Sava Square in the city, Deputy Mayor Goran Vesić reported on his Facebook page.
The monument will be 75 ft. tall, corresponding to the height of a 7-story building, the Deputy Mayor writes. “Serbia will be proud of Sava Square and the monument to the founder of our medieval state,” he writes.
Stefan Nemanja (c. 1113-1199) was the Grand Prince of the Serbian Grand Principality from 1166 to 1196 and is remembered for founding what evolved into the Serbian Empire, as well as the autocephalous Serbian Church. In 1196, he abdicated the throne and became a monk on Mt. Athos. Together with his son, St. Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Church, he restored Hilandar monastery, the Athonite cradle of the Serbian Church.
Photo: Facebook
It is expected that the square, with an area of 129,167 sq. ft., will be the largest pedestrian square in Belgrade, reports the Ukrainian outlet Orthodox Life.
The Russian sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov won a competition in Serbia to make the monument. According to his design, St. Symeon is cast in bronze and depicted leaning on a staff. The pedestal under the monument is unusual: St. Symeon will be placed on a cracked Byzantine helmet. Four large reliefs will depict the lineage of the saint’s dynasty.
