Monument of the Soviet Army in Sofia

The Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia is one of the greatest landscapes, controversies and protest places in the capital city.

Especially in the 20th century this monument was a place for the youth to express their frustration with the communist government of the time before 1989. Even to this day it is a popular place among the young and rebellious. In June 2011 the Monument to the Soviet Army was “decorated” in a way to rebel against pro-USA propaganda, as the soldiers at the compositions base were turned into well-known American pop culture icons such as Superman and Ronald McDonald, thus making it even on the air of the BBC news.

The controversy surrounding the monument is that the Bulgarian people do not accept communist memorabilia, especially when it is located in the heart of the city – on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, near Eagle’s Bridge, Sofia University and the Borisova Garden. Every spring the Monument to the Soviet Army is cleaned from the graffiti but they reappear the next day, like an unremovable stain.
There are discussions regarding whether the monument should be kept or demolished but the opinions are 50/50 so there are no demolition plans in the near future.

The monument itself is quite magnificent, honestly – huge. It can take 10 minutes to walk around it, as it is built in several platforms. The main figures, which stand erected high in the air, are those of a Red Army soldier with a Bulgarian man and woman by his side. There is also a secondary sculptural composition of the memorial complex around the main part of the monument.