Buzludha Monument is one of the best known Bulgarian urban exploration location. I must admit that it took me three trips to finally get inside and it probably made me the most unlucky explorer who has ever visited this place. I failed completely during my first two attempts including one with @Darmon_Richter.
Somehow I managed to find the place locked every time I went there.
After spending a relaxing week on the Black Sea coast, we packed our bags and left sunny beaches and traveled for over 5 hours hoping to spend a night inside the monument. We arrived in time to catch a beautiful sunset and watch stunning views of the Central Balkan Mountains.
And then after spending a rather chilly night inside, after climbing 70 foot mast, we enjoyed a sunrise.
Here is some interesting history:
The Buzludzha Monumenton the peak was built by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the events in 1891 when the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area to form an organised socialist movement with the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, a fore-runner of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The Monument was opened in 1981. No longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into disuse. The construction of Buzludzha was made possible thanks to government funds and supporters’ donations for an amount of around 14 186 000 leva (around 7 000 000 €). The site was built by civil engineering troops from the Bulgarian army and volunteers. The author of this project was the architect Guéorguy Stoilov.
Some architectural facts:
Home Memorial consists of a domed hall and 70 -foot double mast . On top of flagpole installed two mullets size 6.50 / 12 meters . Ceremonial Hall has a diameter of 42 meters and a height of 14.5 meters and is decorated with mosaics with a total area of 550 m² . Mosaics evoke the struggle of the Communist Party and the building of socialist society. In the corridor around the hall has 14 compositions that reflect labor peace.
The building has a visual resemblance to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal
as well as building designed around 1955 by Frank Lloyd Wright's Greek Orthodox church in Wisconsin, USA.
Monument under construction ( I hope I won't bore you all with this..):
6,000 people took part in the construction of the monument. Inputs are 12,000 cubic meters of concrete and more than 300 km rebar.
Only these figures make it one of the most impressive monuments ever built . Two scarlet red stars are made in Kiev. Each is 12 meters and weighs 3.5 tons. Installed over 3 months.
Built by the people and ruined the people. Buzludha Monument - the jewel of the PA worth 14 million . Folk money collected through the sale of stamps worth several lev.
"The struggle and victory of the Party " - interior wall along the contour of the circular central Ceremonial (ritual) hall (places for 800 people), a diameter of about 42 meters, mosaic, smalt (cobalt glass) and gold, measuring about 131/5 m.
" Workers of the world, unite! " - Interior, circular mural in the center of the ceiling of solemn (ritual) hall, diameter 9 meters.
On both sides of the solemn entrance of the House - monument with embossed letters are inscribed verses from the " Internationale" and " Workers march".
Gallery mosaics
After the fall of Todor Zhivkov and political changes in Bulgaria in November 1989 state of the monument deteriorated dramatically. In 1992 the monument was nationalised under the nationalisation of the property of BCP and sealed. The building began to crumble, to break windows, torn to mosaics, ornaments and other elements of the design of the monument. Destroyed are mosaic portraits of Todor Zhivkov and his daughter Lyudmila Zhivkova. The big star has been perforated by gunshots because it was thought to be made out of rubies. By decision of the Government of September 30, 2011 the complex was transferred gratuitously to the Bulgarian Socialist Party
Some pics from our visit:
External:
2013 visit:
2015 with a new graffiti "Never forget your past"
View attachment 648458
Somehow I managed to find the place locked every time I went there.
After spending a relaxing week on the Black Sea coast, we packed our bags and left sunny beaches and traveled for over 5 hours hoping to spend a night inside the monument. We arrived in time to catch a beautiful sunset and watch stunning views of the Central Balkan Mountains.
And then after spending a rather chilly night inside, after climbing 70 foot mast, we enjoyed a sunrise.
Here is some interesting history:
The Buzludzha Monumenton the peak was built by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the events in 1891 when the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area to form an organised socialist movement with the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, a fore-runner of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The Monument was opened in 1981. No longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into disuse. The construction of Buzludzha was made possible thanks to government funds and supporters’ donations for an amount of around 14 186 000 leva (around 7 000 000 €). The site was built by civil engineering troops from the Bulgarian army and volunteers. The author of this project was the architect Guéorguy Stoilov.
Some architectural facts:
Home Memorial consists of a domed hall and 70 -foot double mast . On top of flagpole installed two mullets size 6.50 / 12 meters . Ceremonial Hall has a diameter of 42 meters and a height of 14.5 meters and is decorated with mosaics with a total area of 550 m² . Mosaics evoke the struggle of the Communist Party and the building of socialist society. In the corridor around the hall has 14 compositions that reflect labor peace.
The building has a visual resemblance to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal
as well as building designed around 1955 by Frank Lloyd Wright's Greek Orthodox church in Wisconsin, USA.
Monument under construction ( I hope I won't bore you all with this..):
6,000 people took part in the construction of the monument. Inputs are 12,000 cubic meters of concrete and more than 300 km rebar.
Only these figures make it one of the most impressive monuments ever built . Two scarlet red stars are made in Kiev. Each is 12 meters and weighs 3.5 tons. Installed over 3 months.
Built by the people and ruined the people. Buzludha Monument - the jewel of the PA worth 14 million . Folk money collected through the sale of stamps worth several lev.
"The struggle and victory of the Party " - interior wall along the contour of the circular central Ceremonial (ritual) hall (places for 800 people), a diameter of about 42 meters, mosaic, smalt (cobalt glass) and gold, measuring about 131/5 m.
" Workers of the world, unite! " - Interior, circular mural in the center of the ceiling of solemn (ritual) hall, diameter 9 meters.
On both sides of the solemn entrance of the House - monument with embossed letters are inscribed verses from the " Internationale" and " Workers march".
Gallery mosaics
After the fall of Todor Zhivkov and political changes in Bulgaria in November 1989 state of the monument deteriorated dramatically. In 1992 the monument was nationalised under the nationalisation of the property of BCP and sealed. The building began to crumble, to break windows, torn to mosaics, ornaments and other elements of the design of the monument. Destroyed are mosaic portraits of Todor Zhivkov and his daughter Lyudmila Zhivkova. The big star has been perforated by gunshots because it was thought to be made out of rubies. By decision of the Government of September 30, 2011 the complex was transferred gratuitously to the Bulgarian Socialist Party
Some pics from our visit:
External:
2013 visit:
2015 with a new graffiti "Never forget your past"
View attachment 648458
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