Plzeň as a city of culture will receive 1.5 million euros from European sources

Pilsen - Pilsen, as the European Capital of Culture 2015 (EHMK), will receive the Melina Mercouri Prize, which includes a financial grant of 1.5 million euros (approximately 40 million CZK) from European sources. The money will likely be used for the programmatic part of the events in 2015. Mirka Reifová, spokesperson for Pilsen 2015, informed ČTK about it. The decision was awaited with tension, as Pilsen is dealing with a problem regarding one of the key buildings related to the project, namely the cultural factory building in Světovar, where contaminated tar was found in the insulation. The grant represents about a tenth of the financing for the EHMK project budget.
    "On Monday, we received the notification," Reifová stated. According to her, the decision of the European Commission confirms that the preparations for the program are proceeding according to the plan outlined in the 2009 candidacy application and that the project criteria, primarily European dimension and involvement of the citizens, are being met.
    The support of 1.5 million euros constitutes, according to Reifová, about a tenth of the project's budget, which is approximately 420 million CZK. The largest contributions come from the city of Pilsen, the Ministry of Culture, and the Pilsen Region. Pilsen 2015 is also trying to attract funds from the private sector and aims to raise at least 25 million CZK. Last week, it signed a significant cooperation agreement with Plzeňský Prazdroj, which has become a general partner of the project. However, neither side disclosed the amount of support Prazdroj will provide for the project.
    Negotiations are also ongoing with other entities, such as the large engineering company Škoda Transportation. Its director for human resources, Lumír Tesař, told ČTK that the company is currently looking for a suitable way to get involved in the EHMK project. "We are selecting suitable activities that will be beneficial for both the project and for us; we already have three preselected, but I do not want to specify them," he stated. By the end of October, it should be clear, and the support, according to Tesař, could range from 100,000 CZK to four million CZK.
    According to the director of Pilsen 2015, Jiří Suchánek, receiving the award is a significant achievement not only for the entire team working on the project. "But it is also a recognition of the collaboration with several dozen institutions and partner organizations in Pilsen and the region, who are preparing the EHMK program with us," he stated. In recent months, Pilsen 2015 has reportedly felt growing public support and increasing interest from foreign tourists. Earlier, Suchánek said that the city needs half a million additional visitors for 2015, with a target that at least 200,000 of the tourists stay overnight, and it is assumed that a tourist in Pilsen will spend an average of 60 euros (approximately 1,600 CZK) per day.
    The award is named after the initiator of the European Capital of Culture development project, the former Greek Minister Melina Mercouri, who in 1985 came up with the idea of bringing European cities closer together. The title of EHMK is always granted for one year by the European Union to one or more European cities, and Pilsen will hold the title in 2015 alongside the Belgian city of Mons.