Trg Republike, a main square in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was taken over by big colorful bears.
What happened?
Ljubljana, Slovenia is hosting the United Buddy Bears traveling exhibit, The Art of Tolerance.
As many as 145 two-meter bears with raised arms spread friendship and goodwill among the countries they represent.
Their story goes back to 2001, when they launched an initiative in Berlin, Germany, to help develop street art.
A year later, artists from all over the world created a circle of United Buddy Bears there.
This encouraged people to think about international understanding and peaceful coexistence.
At that time, the ambassadors of different countries invited artists to paint the two-meter bears.
Each bear represents one country – its peculiarities, culture, people, and customs.
With this, they have become a reflection of the cultural diversity of our world.
In 2004 the colorful group went on a tour around the world, and this year they are visiting Slovenia.
A newly created Slovenian bear, painted by the young artist Luka Rep, is hidden among them. He was chosen through a public competition.

I was mainly encouraged to sign up for it by the beautiful message of the United Buddy Bears. The message of my bear is from the stanza of our national anthem ‘Long live all nations ‘ and spreads values such as tolerance, peace, and togetherness.
Luka Rep
It is painted in the colors of the Slovenian flag, but blue dominates.
It depicts people who have shaped Slovenian cultural history.
In the painting you can find Ivan Cankar, Jože Plečnik, Primož Trubar, France Prešeren, and others.
The cute bears occupied the space in front of the parliament as early as May 29th, and you can see them until July 17th.
Glossary
An ambassador is the highest diplomatic representative of a country in a foreign country.
Points to Consider
- Which bear do you like the most?
- Do you know any other project that spreads similar values?
- How important is street art?
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The original version of this article was published on 21st June.
