Okay, so we've seen some old buildings, some nice trees and all. But some of you might be wondering - what is it so special about Bulgaria that I should visit it? Well, think no more, cause I've got the big guns left for the end.
For our next destination, I've picked something eye-grabing. In the heart of the Stara Planina mountain, on top of the hill Buzludzha lies a huge, rugged, dull-colored monument of the former communist government.
It was build in 1974, costing about $35 million to built (yes, communists also needed money). It was opened on 1981 to commemorate the 90-year anniversary since the creation of the Bulgarian socialist party.
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| Nothing says communist more than this rough, squared and brutal architecture. Source: atlasobscura.com |
So why is it important? Because it's the ultimate semi-legal, adventure-seeker, culture-explorer, social-critic destination. Entering was banned in 1989 and vandals and natural causes have forced the building to decline. Seeing from the outside, however, is perfectly legal.
So... let's see what's inside.
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| It looks like something Emperor Palpatine would have absolutely loved Source: atlasobscura.com |
In the main hall, mosaics depicting communist heroes can be found. Images glorifying workers, labour and whatnot are scattered around, and visitors could enjoy at least whats left of them. They are one-of-a-kind, and were built using 35 tons of cobalt glass.
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| Not the most appealing image, but it is what it is - abandoned and vandalized, just like communism itself. Note the blend of graffiti and mosaic, pretty curious right? source: atlasobscura.com |
The ceiling in the main hall is truly magnificent, and helps shape the overall image of the hall as the inside of a space ship. It's hardly surprising that a lot of filming has taken place in this monument.
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| The ceiling - the iconic hammer and sickle symbol with "Proletarians from all countries, unite!". source: atlasobscura.com |
The outside of the monument is covered in political statements by rebellious graffitti artists - "Enjoy Communism" (with a cheeky Coca-Cola style font) and "Forget your past". Well, a monument like this surely would remind Bulgarians for a long time to come.
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| Winter edition - still quite amazing. source: atlasobscura.com |