Western Icons Inspiring Eastern Europe [Edit]

Bob Marley is working his reggae magic in Eastern Europe as he has recently become a new figure for tolerance in the war-struck country.

Recently, statues of western pop culture figures are emerging as inspirational symbols across eastern Europe. The latest is in Serbia, where a giant Bob Marley statue was unveiled this weekend. The stone monument is meant to act as a national symbol for tolerance.

The monument, which Reuters called, “Europe’s first statue to the late Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley,” was created by two musicians, one from Croatia, one from Serbia.

“Bob Marley promoted peace and tolerance in his music,” one organizer said.

The stone-carved Rastafarian singer joins Bruce Lee in Mostar, Bosnia and Rocky Balboa in northern Serbia.

The reason?

“Following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and the bloodshed of the 1990s, people can rarely agree on their role models and prefer figures not linked to the region,” Reuters explains.

Makes sense, but I must say, it’s been a very interesting choice of who they cast in stone. It will be interesting to see if any female heroines join the mix.