MENU
руский english hebrew
Wednesday, 13 november 2024,
Today : 8
Yesterday : 58
Total : 162326 for 5646 days
Daily average : 29
Top : 346 on 24.09.2024

Shipka Memorial

Shipka Memorial (pic. 1) is dedicated to the sacrificial battle of the Russian armies and the Bulgarian volunteers during the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation  between 9 and 11 of August 1877.  

The monument itself was erected with voluntary contributions made by the Bulgarian people, which is the case with many other monuments and churches. The authors of the designs are the architect Atanas Donkov and the sculptor Alexander Andreev. The monument was officially opened in 1934. It represents a big stone tower with the shape of truncated pyramid with height of 31.5 m. Over the entrance of the tower lies an enormous bronze lion (pic. 2) with 8 m of length and 4 m of height. A female figure symbolizes the victory over the Turkish armies. On the first floor of the monument there is a large marble sarcophagus hosuing the bones of the heroes of the Shipka epics. There are 4 more floors over it where copies of some Bulgarian battle flags and other military relics are. The top of the tower opens a stunning panoramic view to the whole Valley of the Thracian Kings (pic. 7 and 8) .

 “Rozhdestvo Christovo” Memorial Church (  The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ ) is part of Shipka Memorial  (pic. 10), which is located in the town of Shipka and is known as the  „Shipka Monastery“. This church was built during the period 1885 to 1902 in the style of the Russian churches from the 17-th century and was made to honor the Russian and Bulgarian who lost their lives between 1877-78 during the Wars of Liberation. After its completion the Russians gave the church as a present to the Bulgarian state.