Rostislav / Rastislav of Moravia - Znojmo (South Moravia)
N 48° 51.577 E 016° 01.983
33U E 575771 N 5412364
Depicted modern sandstone statue of duke Rastislav (Rostislav), the second known ruler of Great Moravia, is situated at the Museum of Great Moravian Empire in Znojmo-Hradište.
Waymark Code: WM12DPP
Location: Czechia
Date Posted: 05/06/2020
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Depicted modern sandstone statue of duke Rastislav (Rostislav), the second known ruler of Great Moravia, is situated at the Museum of Great Moravian Empire in Znojmo-Hradište.
The statue was unveiled on the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of the missionaries Constantine and Methodius to Great Moravia on June 16, 2013. It was Prince Rostislav (or Rastislav) who initiated the message to the court of Constantinople with a request for a mission. The Byzantine emperor actually sent the brothers to Moravia. The statue holds in his right hand a document commemorating this request. The sculpture, about 3 m high (with a pedestal), is the joint work of the academic sculptor Josef Kadlcík, who designed the sculpture and the stonemason Petr Horák carved it from Horice sandstone. The donor of the statue is the Royal Order of the Moravian Knights of St. Rostislav and Columban, which financed it from the contributions of its members, grants and donations from various institutions, but the city of Znojmo also contributed. Znojmo-Hradište was not chosen for the statue by chance. Before the establishment of the Znojmo castle and town, one of the ancient Great Moravia Slavic settlements was located here.
Rastislav or Rostislav, also known as St. Rastislav, was the second known ruler of Great Moravian Empire (846–870). Although he started his reign as vassal to Louis the German, king of East Francia, he consolidated his rule to the extent that after 855 he was able to repel a series of Frankish attacks. Upon his initiative two brothers, Cyril and Methodius. sent by the Byzantine Emperor Michael III in 863, translated the most important Christian liturgical books into Slavonic. Rastislav was dethroned by his nephew Svatopluk I of Moravia, who handed him over to the Franks. According to the Annals of Fulda, Rastislav was a nephew of Mojmir I, the first known ruler of Moravia. His career before 846 is unknown, but it is conceivable that he served as a hostage for his uncle at Louis the German's court. The latter invaded Moravia in 846, deprived Mojmir I of his throne, and installed Rastislav as the new duke of Moravia. Rastislav seems to have already been Christian when he became duke, but there is no doubt that he was baptized at the latest in 846 as part of the conditions for his support by the East Frankish king. [wiki]