Last updated on .
In 1981, the Communist regime in Bulgaria built a gigantic monument on top of a ridge overlooking the city of Shumen, 450 meters above sea level.
The Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument commemorates the 1300th anniversary of Bulgar Khan Asparuh’s entrance into the Balkans and the founding of the First Bulgarian Empire. The monument is so big it can be seen as far as 30 kilometers away. It’s also known as the Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria.
Visiting
Admission is 4лв (as of February 2024). An audio guide is available at an extra cost. You can reach the monument by walking up, but you can also save your legs and take a taxi to the top.
Walking up to the Monument
A steep stairway up to the monument begins near the heart of the city along Slavyanski Boulevard. A small park containing the Monument of Freedom has an excellent view of the top of the ridge. The Monument of Freedom was erected in 1965 by sculptor Lubomir Dalchev.
I started walking up the stairs…
…and I walked up…
…and up some more, until I could make out the figure “crawling” out of the monument. It took me 20 minutes to get up to the top of the 1300 steps – one for each year of the 1300th anniversary.
Visiting the Monument
I took a quick rest, paid the admission fee, and started exploring. The monument was built out of concrete in the Cubist style. It was designed by Bulgarian sculptors Krum Damyanov and Ivan Slavov.
The most prominent features of the monument as you approach it are the huge statues of the most important Bulgarian leaders. Represented are Khan Asparuh (681-701), Khan Tervel (701-721), Khan Krum (803-814), Khan Omurtag (814-831), Knyaz Boris I (852-889), and Tsar Simeon I (893-927). The work isn’t exactly beautiful, but it’s definitely impressive and intimidating. To me, it felt like I was in the secret lair of the Transformers.
If the statues aren’t enough to satisfy, the largest open-air mosaic in all of Europe is also part of the monument. The Cubist twist to a Byzantine icon represents the Bulgaria’s conversion to Christianity in the 9th century under Boris I.
Although it’s not physically appealing, the monument is quite a tribute to Bulgarian history. It has a much different effect than simple bronze monuments. I feel it portrays Bulgaria’s historic leaders in such a strong and heroic manner and gives permanence to their actions.
Views of Shumen
Lastly, while I was up there, I was able to enjoy the stunning views of Shumen before walking back down.
