The Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum ( bg, мавзолей на Георги Димитров) was a ceremonial tomb on
Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square in
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
. It was built in 1949 to house the
embalmed
Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral ...
body of
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mihaylov (; bg, Гео̀рги Димитро̀в Миха̀йлов), also known as Georgiy Mihaylovich Dimitrov (russian: Гео́ргий Миха́йлович Дими́тров; 18 June 1882 – 2 July 1949), was a Bulgarian ...
, the first leader of
Communist Bulgaria
The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...
. After his death in 1950, the second communist leader of Bulgaria,
Vasil Kolarov
Vasil Petrov Kolarov ( bg, Васил Петров Коларов; 16 July 1877 – 23 January 1950) was a Bulgarian communist political leader and leading functionary in the Communist International (Comintern).
Biography Early years
Kolarov wa ...
, was buried in the second niche of the east wall of the mausoleum. In 1999, following a heated public debate, it was destroyed by
Ivan Kostov
Ivan Yordanov Kostov ( bg, Иван Йорданов Костов ) (born 23 December 1949, in Sofia) was the 47th Prime Minister of Bulgaria in office from May 1997 to July 2001 and leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) between Dec ...
's
UDF government.
Construction
The white marble mausoleum was built in 1949 to contain the
embalmed
Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral ...
body of the first leader of
Communist Bulgaria
The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...
,
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mihaylov (; bg, Гео̀рги Димитро̀в Миха̀йлов), also known as Georgiy Mihaylovich Dimitrov (russian: Гео́ргий Миха́йлович Дими́тров; 18 June 1882 – 2 July 1949), was a Bulgarian ...
(1882–1949); construction beginning immediately after the news of Dimitrov's death. It was completed in just six days, the time it took Dimitrov's body to be returned to Sofia from the USSR. Dimitrov's body remained in the mausoleum until August 1990, when Dimitrov's remains were cremated and the ashes buried in
Central Sofia Cemetery
The Central Sofia Cemetery ( bg, Централни софийски гробища, ''Tsentralni sofiyski grobishta'') or the Orlandovtsi Cemetery ("Орландовци") is the main cemetery in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The cemetery has ...
.
Attempt to blow up the mausoleum
In 1956, 14 anti-communists prepared a bombing of the mausoleum during a
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. T ...
demonstration. Clock bombs would have exploded after the leadership of the
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP; bg, Българска Комунистическа Партия (БКП), Balgarska komunisticheska partiya (BKP)) was the founding and ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 198 ...
and the country came on the podium. The act, which was planned by Stoyan Zarev, was intended to draw the attention of the world media to Bulgaria. In addition to the Mausoleum, Zarev also planned to blow up five important ministries. The group encountered difficulties in implementing the plan and was greatly delayed, until they were uncovered and arrested by the
KDS in February 1960.
Maintenance and activities
The mausoleum was an object of police protection of paramount importance. The mausoleum was the center of state ceremonies in the People's Republic of Bulgaria, a place where foreign delegations lay wreaths when visiting the country and the state leadership from its rostrum receives the demonstrations and parades on the official holidays. The
Bulgarian Land Force's National Guards Unit formerly performed
public duties
Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.
Armenia
Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...
at the now destroyed mausoleum, in a ritual similar to today's changing of the guard at the Presidency. The guards at the mausoleum were part of Post №1, which was mounted on Sundays, Wednesdays, and on solemn occasions. Soldiers were selected from the
Bulgarian People's Army
The Bulgarian People's Army ( bg, Българска народна армия, БНА, translit=Balgarska narodna armiya, BNA) was the army of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. It comprised the Bulgarian Land Forces, Air Force and Air Defence, ...
as well as the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Interior. There were no cartridges in the rifles while on duty, as police were always on duty in the area.
In 1974–1975 a major reconstruction of the mausoleum was carried out. The premises under the mourning hall were expanded and the air conditioning system was replaced, a plastically designed monumental door, the crystal chamber-sarcophagus and mosaics by
Dechko Uzunov
Dechko Uzunov ( bg, Дечко Узунов) (February 22, 1899 – April 26, 1986) was a Bulgarian painter. He was born in Kazanluk and died in Sofia at the age of 87. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1 ...
were installed .
Destruction
The mausoleum itself was destroyed by Prime Minister
Ivan Kostov
Ivan Yordanov Kostov ( bg, Иван Йорданов Костов ) (born 23 December 1949, in Sofia) was the 47th Prime Minister of Bulgaria in office from May 1997 to July 2001 and leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) between Dec ...
's
UDF government in 1999 after a heated nationwide debate. The prime minister and his party claimed that retaining the mausoleum was inappropriate following the fall of Communism in 1989 because it represented Bulgaria's repressive past. Even within the government there was opposition to destroying the building, and an opinion poll revealed that two-thirds of the population opposed the demolition. Proposals were made to turn the mausoleum into a museum or art gallery because it contributed to the unique atmosphere of the capital city.
In August 1999, the government made four attempts to demolish the building. The first three failed because they relied on a single powerful explosion. The building did not budge after the first two attempts and tilted only slightly after the third.
Video of third unsuccessful destruction attempt
/ref> The fourth (and successful) attempt was carried out using a series of consecutive, less powerful explosions.
See also
*Lenin's Mausoleum
Lenin's Mausoleum (from 1953 to 1961 Lenin's & Stalin's Mausoleum) ( rus, links=no, Мавзолей Ленина, r=Mavzoley Lenina, p=məvzɐˈlʲej ˈlʲenʲɪnə), also known as Lenin's Tomb, situated on Red Square in the centre of Moscow, is ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimitrov Mausoleum, G
Buildings and structures completed in 1949
Buildings and structures in Sofia
Demolished buildings and structures in Bulgaria
Mausoleums in Bulgaria
People's Republic of Bulgaria
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
Buildings and structures demolished in 1999