Cultural Heritage of the Year – Phoenix Prize


Based on the evaluation and proposals of the professional jury the Minister of Culture awarded the title of Cultural Heritage of the Year. Within the calendar year the Minister of Culture grants up to four Cultural Heritage of the Year titles. Three titles are for cultural heritage structures and one title for a historic site.

The symbol of the competition is an art object called the Phoenix, the original of which is permanently stored in the Ministry of Culture, cultural heritage section.

The mission of the competition is to encourage the responsible approach of owners of national cultural monuments and for the local government leaders of towns and villages to protect the cultural heritage of the Slovak Republic.

The competition is valued in terms of benefits for the protection of cultural heritage values:

  • the preparation and implementation of reconstruction/restoration of cultural monuments,
  • the preparation and implementation of the restoration of the historic environment in heritage zones and conservation areas.

The criteria for entry to the competition is to complete the comprehensive rehabilitation/restoration of movable/immovable cultural monuments, complete the recovery/restoration of a continuous part of an immovable cultural monument or completing the renewal of a continuous part of a historic site. A movable/immovable cultural monuments and historic sites for which their recovery/restoration was completed in the previous calendar year can be submitted.

2014 Prize

  • It will be awarded in autumn 2015

2013 Prize

  • comprehensively restored interior of St. Francis Xavier Church in Trenčin
  • renovation and restoration of public spaces of the 1st aboveground floor of Kremnica City Hall
  • renewal of the interior and restoration of the representative local mansion in Ploské
  • comprehensive restoration of the industrial “Piešťany Electric Station” site

2012 Prize

  • restoration of the southern facade of John the Baptist Church in Jasov
  • restored medieval presbytery in the Evangelical Church in Rimavské Brezovo
  • organ in the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Trnava
  • murals in St. Jacob Presbytery Church in Levoča

2011 Prize

  • comprehensive renovation and restoration of the Church of Francis Xavier (Jesuit Church) in Skalica
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the Jesenák mansion and park in Tomášov
  • complete restoration of the Renaissance palace in Ľubovňa Castle, Stará Ľubovňa region
  • complete restoration of the church and the restoration of the movables of St. George’s Church in Poprad – Spišská Sobota

2010 Prize

  • comprehensive restoration of the Calvary statuary, wall paintings and the shrine furnishings in the Basilica of St. Egidius in Bardejov
  • restoration of historic Apponyi library of the renewed mansion and park in Oponice, Topoľčany region
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the town house on Kammerhofská Street No. 16 in Banská Štiavnica
  • restoration of the main altar of St. Nicholas and the side altars of the Virgin Mary Scapulary in the R.C. Church of Saint Nicholas the Bishop in Domaniža, Považská Bystrica region

2009 Prize

  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the movables of the wooden church in Hronsek, Banská Bystrica region
  • restoration of the shrine of the R.C. Church of St. Stephen the King in Žilina
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the Chapel of St. John the Almoner in St. Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava
  • renovation and revitalization of the public spaces in the conservation area of Skalica Town

2008 Prize

  • comprehensive restoration of the west wing of the City Hall in Trnava
  • comprehensive renovation and restoration of the medieval castle chapel and adjoining areas in Ľupča Castle, Banská Bystrica region
  • renovation and restoration of the western and southern facades, including the facades of the north and south towers of the Premonstrant St. Trinity Church in Košice
  • renovation and revitalization of the public spaces of the historic center in Banská Štiavnica

2007 Prize

  • comprehensive renovation and restoration of the City Hall in Bardejov
  • comprehensive reconstruction of the Art Nouveau bridge with New Baroque balustrade railings in Kráľová pri Senci, Senec region
  • comprehensive renovation of the Marianum structure (Seminarium B.M.V. de Coelum Assumatae) in Trnava
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the R.C. Chapel of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Bratislava on Michalská Street

2006 Prize

  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the R.C. Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel in Košice - Stredné Mesto
  • restoration of movables in the wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ladomirová, Svidník region
  • Restoration of the Green Room in Thurzo's House in Banská Bystrica
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the R.C. Church of St. James the Greater in Tužina, Prievidza region

2005 Prize

  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the Csáky mansion in Bratislava – Prievoz
  • comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the St. Michael R.C. Chapel in Orava Castle, Dolný Kubín region
  • comprehensive renovation and restoration of the Saint Trinity Column in Štefánik Square in Kremnica
  • restoration of the iconostasis and the movables in the wooden church of St. Basil the Great in Krajné Čierno, Svidník region