Following the fall of communism in 1991, the statue would be removed amid student-led demonstrations. Since June 2017, the square has been renovated and is now part of the biggest pedestrian zone in the Balkans. The renovation has been distinguished with the European Prize for Urban Public Space in 2018.[1] The project has also been praised at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, and has received second prize for Contemporary Architecture 2019 by the European Union.[2]