Hradec Králové has started to repair the tall metal statue in front of the stadium

Hradec Králové - The city of Hradec Králové today began the renovation of the twenty-meter metal sculpture Girl with a Ring from 1966, which stands in front of the entrance to the Malšovice Multi-Sport Stadium. The work was created by academic architect and sculptor Karel Mahrla, who was one of the students of Josef Gočár. The geometric sculpture, which Mahrla created in the Brussels style, is incomparable to any other work in the Czech Republic. The renovation will also include the fire container from the 1970s placed later by the sculpture. This was stated by the spokesperson of the town hall, Petr Vinklář.

Girl with a Ring is a symbol of the space in front of the main entrance to the stadium, where the second-division football club FC Hradec Králové plays its matches. During the renovation, experts will check the structural integrity of the sculpture. Workers will also grind and possibly repair areas damaged by rust. Today, they were removing rust and dirt from the sculpture with hand tools. "The stainless steel and copper parts will be polished and impregnated, and the steel plates will be painted with black surface paint, as was originally the case," said the deputy mayor for property, Romana Lišková (HDK). The renovation will also be overseen by heritage conservationists, and the city will have a more detailed technical documentation of the work created.

The renovation of the sculptures, costing approximately 280,000 crowns excluding VAT, should last until the end of September. It will depend on the weather, as impregnation and surface coatings cannot be done in the rain.

The city is currently preparing for the demolition of the stadium. A modern football arena worth 550 million crowns excluding VAT is expected to be built in its place in the coming years. Both renovated sculptures stand on a green area between the stadium and the Orlice River on land that is not part of the new football arena project. "The construction of the new stadium will not interfere with their space," Vinklář stated.