Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria

The work on the Buzludzha monument started in 1974. Units of the army of the country and also volunteers participated in the construction. There were statues and murals which had to be accomplished. They needed the work of skilled artisans, and a host of Bulgarian artisans worked to prepare them. The outline of the building resembles a work by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, a project for a Greek church located in Wisconsin.

The Buzludzha monument consisted of a domed hall and a 70-meter high pylon outside, adorned by two five-pointed red stars which were 6.50 by 12 meters in size. The diameter of the biggest hall inside the Buzludzha monument was 42 meters, and its height was 14.5 meters. The decoration comprising mosaics covered a total area of 550 square meters. The mosaics depicted the battles that the Communist Party had fought, as well as periods of building of socialist society. The largest images were those of Lenin and Marx, the two most renowned communist leaders. There were mosaics portraits of the Bulgarian PM Todor Zhivkov and of his daughter Lyudmila Zhivkova, an MP and an ardent proponent of Bulgarian culture.

Around the Buzludzha monument’s hall there was a corridor featuring 14 compositions depicting periods of labor by ordinary workers. The hall was a place where celebrations took place whilst the Communist Party was in power and government, until 1989, when the party fell from power. State functions were also performed on the arena. High above, there was a window in the shape of a red star, specially to honor the Union of Socialist Republics (comprising Russia and a number of adjacent countries. The three staircases also featured worthy adornment by compositions made using white crystal glass; their author was the Czech sculptor Stanislav Libensky.

The Buzludzha monument has fallen into disuse, and has been damaged by vandalism. There are severe damages to the roof, therefore the entrance is closed to prevent incidents. But the structure, which has the shape of a saucer, together with the 70-meter pillar adorned by the two red stars, towers and reminds everyone of important periods of the country’s history. The stone stairs leading to the structure are lined by grass and shrubs.

On September 30, 2011, the Bulgarian government transferred the property on the monument on Buzludzha, and the Socialist Party became the owner.

Buzludzha monument is probably my favorite Bulgarian landmark. An amazing piece of history, 550sq.m. of artworks, all of them hand-made! Contact me for a private tour to Buzludzha monument and be ready for an adventure!