Monument of freedom

Overview

The Monument of Freedom (also Shipka Monument) is a monumental sculpture on Mount St. Nicholas. The monument was erected in order to commemorate the feat of those who fell for the freedom of Bulgaria on the site defended during the Battle of Shipka, around which the decisive battles for the Russo-Turkish War and the Liberation of Bulgaria took place in the summer of 1877. Shipka Museum. The foundation stone of the monument was laid on August 24, 1922, and its construction was completed in 1930. On August 26, 1934, the monument on Mount St. Nicholas was inaugurated by the head of state Tsar Boris III. In 1920, the living veteran volunteers gathered at a new congress and decided to build a Monument of Freedom on Mount St. Nicholas in the Shipka Pass. The funds for the construction of the monument were collected as voluntary donations from the whole nation. The competition for the monument was won by architect Atanas Donkov and sculptor Alexander Andreev, who together with Kiril Shivarov performed the monumental figure of the lion. Exposition at the beginning of the technical studies for the construction and its organization is in the spring of 1926. The construction itself began in the autumn of the same year under the direction of Eng. Bogdan Goranov, Kiril Slavov and Eng. Ivan Danchov (in 1928 in place of eng. Bogdan Goranov comes eng. Mincho Zayakov). The investor supervision of the construction is carried out by arch. Gencho Skordev. During the first stage of the construction the master builder was Iliya Penev Maglov from the village of Gorni Dragoycha, Dryanovo region, and during the second - Penyu Atanasov Kolev (Penyu Bombeto) from the village of Dralfa, Targovishte region. In the summers of 1927, 1928 and 1929 with the participation of the masters Zhivko Taskov, Kancho Kavrakov, Gencho Vakov, Iliya Rashkov, Georgi Ivanov, the brothers Hristo and Georgi Dimitrovi and a dozen other people from the Gabrovo region. The stones were processed by hand and transported to the monument by ox-carts, and the sand was transported by cutters from Maglizh and Enina, on a new road. The stone tower was completed in rough construction and the brass lion in front of it was cast in the Sofia Military Arsenal designed by sculptor Kiril Shivarov in the summer of 1929, and the construction of the monument was completed in 1930. According to the original design, the brass lion was to be placed on monument. With the help of a model on the built tower, made with hand tools, it was found that if the figure was in this place, its visibility would not be good. For this reason, the lion was placed on the cornice above the main entrance of the monument. A dispute ensued over the lion, which was to face north. The Romanian government is protesting as it sees some impetus for the liberation of South Dobrogea, and Turkey, Greece and Serbia are protesting south and west. Finally, the lion is facing east. After resolving this two-year sensitive political issue, construction continues. The monument was inaugurated in 1934. It is a large dolomite tower in the shape of a truncated pyramid, 31.5 m high. Above the entrance of the tower stands a huge brass lion 8 m long and 4 m high, weighing about 12 tons. and assembled from 53 separate pieces, and on the other sides of the tower are painted the places of the great battles - Shipka, Stara Zagora, Sheynovo. A female figure symbolizes the victory over the Turkish troops. On the ground floor of the monument stands a large marble sarcophagus, which houses some of the bones of the Russian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers. Above it there are 4 more floors, on which are located some copies of Bulgarian battle flags and other relics. At the top of the tower there is a beautiful view of the top of Shipka and the surrounding area. The national monuments near Shipka are connected with events of exceptional public importance. Their construction is the result of the joint efforts of architects, sculptors and the entire grateful Bulgarian people. The natural landmarks in the area and historical events intertwine to become one of the busiest places in Bulgaria, one of the largest tourist attractions. The society in Bulgaria has a tradition to respect and honor national and historical merits. Along with Levski and Hristo Botev, the Shipka militia has the greatest fame and popularity among the people. Vazov's work "Shipka's Volunteers" has a lot of credit for this. The people preserve, albeit in difficult political and economic conditions, the memory of "this stormy day." On March 3, 2003, the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule were visited by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov.