<translation>Žilina will have a unique statue, critics are unhappy with its price</translation>

ŽILINA - The northern Slovak Žilina will resemble Prague a bit. While the Czech capital boasts an equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus, in the Žilina district of Budatín there will be a statue of the national awakener Jozef Miloslav Hurban on horseback. However, many critics are against the statue, which will be unique in Slovakia. The project will cost about 28 million Slovak crowns, which they say would be better spent on finishing sewage systems or sidewalks in Budatín.
"It will be a work made of bronze, and it should be installed in December. Such a statue will be unique in Slovakia. Whether it will be the largest statue in the country, we don't know because we haven't checked," said Ján Štofko from the Žilina city hall to ČTK.
The residents of Žilina don't have a unified opinion about the statue, which will measure about five meters and weigh around 3.5 tons. Few doubt that one of the greatest national awakeners deserves it. However, some city residents think that the statue could have been more modest and cheaper, as Budatín needs the money for things like finishing the sewage system.
"We should honor our ancestors, but this seems too ostentatious to me. The millions could be used much better; after all, money is lacking in education or healthcare," said a roughly forty-year-old resident of Budatín to ČTK.
Žilina's mayor Ján Slota disagrees with the critics. According to him, it is sad when someone prioritizes sewage over Hurban, to which several tens of millions of crowns have already been invested. "It's truly strong coffee when someone prefers a canal over a man who sold his agricultural tools to buy a horse, to buy a sword and fought for the rights of the Slovak nation," declared Slota, who is also the leader of the "nationalists" from the Slovak National Party.
Hurban was part of the group of Štúr's followers, which fought for the rights of Slovaks in the 19th century. The memorial, which will consist of the statue and the Slovak coat of arms, will be located at the site where Slovak volunteers led by Hurban fought against Hungarian guards.