The Liberty Memorial is the symbol of modern Bulgaria and the

liberation of Bulgaria The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishmen ...

. The monument is the heart of the

Shipka National Park-Museum Shipka may refer to: * Shipka Monument, in Bulgaria * Shipka (town), in Bulgaria * Shipka Pass, in Bulgaria * Shipka (stadium), in Asenovgrad, Bulgaria * Shipka Saddle, in the Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island, Antarctica * Shipka Valley, in the T ...

and is located on

Shipka Peak Shipka ( bg, Шипка) is mountain, peak in the central part of Balkan Mountains, east of Shipka Pass. Shipka pass (Шипка) - guns.JPG, Shipka pass (Шипка) - central Monument 2.JPG, Shipka monument Shipka pass (Шипка) - Monu ...

. Its outline resembles a medieval Bulgarian fortress and can be seen from dozens of kilometres. It was built with donations from the people from all over Bulgaria and was inaugurated on 26 August 1934. It is 31.5 m tall and 890 steps lead up to it. The powerful bronze lion, symbolizing the

coat of arms of Bulgaria coat of arms of Bulgaria ( bg, Герб на България ) consists of a crowned golden Lion (heraldry), lion rampant over a dark red Escutcheon (heraldry), shield; above the shield is the Bulgarian historical Crown (headgear), crown. The sh ...

– the symbol of the Bulgarian state – guards the entrance to the

Memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

. The other three walls of the monument bear the names

Shipka Shipka may refer to: * Shipka Monument, in Bulgaria * Shipka (town), in Bulgaria * Shipka Pass, in Bulgaria * Shipka (stadium), in Asenovgrad, Bulgaria * Shipka Saddle, in the Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island, Antarctica * Shipka Valley, in the T ...

, and Stara Zahora – the battlefields in defense of the Pass. On the ground floor under a marble sarcophagus, rest the remains of Shipka's defenders. The sarcophagus stands on four prone stone lions and above it as honour guards stand the statues of a Bulgarian ''opalchenets'' (a member of the

Bulgarian Volunteer Corps Opalchentsi ( bg, опълченци) were Bulgarian voluntary army units, who took part in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The people in these units were called ''opalchenets-pobornik'' (опълченец- ...

) and a Russian soldier. The other seven floors of the museum display personal effects of the soldiers and volunteers, medals, photos, weapons and documents related to the battles fought over Shipka. One of the exhibits is a copy of the

Samara Flag The Samara Flag ( bg, Самарско знаме, ''Samarsko zname'', russian: Самарское знамя, ''Samarskoye znamya'') is an important military symbol of the Military of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Army. The flag, woven by local nuns, was g ...

– the first battle flag of the Bulgarian Opalchentsi. The highest platform of the Liberty Memorial affords a beautiful panoramic view of the surroundings. The monument signifies the heroic defense of the pass. The Ottoman unblocking army of

Süleyman Hüsnü Pasha Süleyman Hüsnü Pasha ( tr, Süleyman Hüsnü Paşa; 1838–1892) was an Ottoman field marshal, who participated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. Biography Born in Istanbul, his father was a candy merchant. He was graduated from the ...

failed to come to the rescue and the

Siege of Pleven The siege of Pleven, was a major battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, fought by the joint army of Russia and Romania against the Ottoman Empire. After the Russian army crossed the Danube at Svishtov, it began advancing towards ...

ended in victory. The latter also predetermines the outcome of the

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...

. The road to Sofia is open. The cornerstone of the monument was laid on 24 August 1922, the construction was completed in 1930, and the inauguration of the monument took place on 26 August 1934 by

Boris III of Bulgaria Boris III ( bg, Борѝс III ; Boris Treti; 28 August 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier) , was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until hi ...

. Tsar Boris III unveils the Monument of Freedom on Shipka Peak (in Bulgarian)
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See also

References

See also