Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex
Location: Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Completed: 1977
Architects: Blagvest Valkov, Bogomil Davidkov (architects), Krum Damianov and Bozhidar Kozarev (sculptors)
Alternative name: Memorial ‘Samarsko Zname’
Genre: War memorial, Socialist memorial, former Eastern Bloc
Erected on the historical hill Chadar Mogila, the monument marks the 100th anniversary of the (unsuccessful) battles for the defence of Stara Zagora, part of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The 50-metre tall monolith represents the Samara Flag (Samarsko zname), which was famously created by nuns in the Russian city of Samara and given to Bulgarian soldiers during the campaign. The memorial complex also comprises six soldiers from the Opalchentsi (Bulgarian Volunteer Corps) along with a Russian officer, as well as a memorial wall and an ossuary that holds the bones of 8,000 dead. More information about Bulgaria’s communist-era monuments and memorials.
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