Bulgarian-Soviet friendship monument

Welcome to the vibrant coastal city of Varna. While this city is famed for its golden beaches, ancient Roman baths, and lively summer atmosphere, a short distance from the modern center looms a structure of entirely different…

To reach the monument, one cannot simply stroll; one must ascend. Stretching out before us is the massive 'Staircase of Victors.' Comprising exactly three hundred and five wide, concrete steps, the staircase spans an impressive…

Reaching the massive concrete platform at the summit, the full, crushing weight of the monument's architecture bears down upon you. The structure is designed like a massive, open bird with sweeping concrete wings. …

Turning our attention to the left 'wing' of the massive concrete structure, we encounter a very different, yet equally ideological, set of figures. Here, carved into the sweeping concrete, are three colossal women. …

We now stand at the very center of the monument's massive platform, situated exactly between the colossal figures of the Bulgarian women and the Soviet soldiers. Here, occupying the focal point of the entire architectural…

As we walk around the massive concrete base of the monument, we encounter several dark, imposing doorways and ventilation shafts set directly into the concrete. These are the entrances to the vast, subterranean chambers that…

As we conclude our visit to the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship Monument and begin the long descent down the three hundred and five stairs back toward the city, we are left to ponder the fate of such massive historical relics. This…