PRAGUE, 12 April 2010 C On Monday 12:00 a.m. April 12th, in the presence of Pavel A. Stehl k, Commissioner General for the Czech Republic at EXPO 2010, and Miroslav Sklenar, one of Prague City Hall`s Executive Directors, two bronze plaquettes were removed from the statue of John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge. Each year hundreds of thousands of tourists touch the plaquettes to bring them fortune, and from May 1 to October 31 they will be part of the national exhibition at the Universal Exposition in Shanghai. The two plaquettes already arrived to Shanghai and now they are passing through the transport operation.
In the Czech pavilion the plaquettes will be installed on a replica of the statue of John of Nepomuk and its plinth, and visitors will be able to touch them and photograph themselves against a panorama of Prague Castle, just like in Prague. For the next half year the plaquettes on Charles Bridge will be replaced with exact copies made by the sculptor Stepan Klas, and the original plaquettes will be restored to their rightful place after EXPO 2010 has finished.
In Shanghai Prague will have its own exhibition as part of the Urban Best Practice Area project, where it will present its system of flood defences. This installation C "Prague C a Modern City Protecting its Heritage" C will also include a model of Charles Bridge and a fully-functional replica of Prague`s Astronomical Clock.
In the Czech pavilion the plaquettes will be installed on a replica of the statue of John of Nepomuk and its plinth, and visitors will be able to touch them and photograph themselves against a panorama of Prague Castle, just like in Prague. For the next half year the plaquettes on Charles Bridge will be replaced with exact copies made by the sculptor Stepan Klas, and the original plaquettes will be restored to their rightful place after EXPO 2010 has finished.
In Shanghai Prague will have its own exhibition as part of the Urban Best Practice Area project, where it will present its system of flood defences. This installation C "Prague C a Modern City Protecting its Heritage" C will also include a model of Charles Bridge and a fully-functional replica of Prague`s Astronomical Clock.