Buzludzha Monument

‘The story of the grey, saucer-shaped building is stranger than that of any movie with UFO’s. The building was inaugurated in 1981 by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Buzludzha Congress, a secret meeting that took place at the top of Buzludzha Mountain where members of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, the predecessor of the Communist Party, sought to organize politically and create a centralized movement.

Many years later, by the early 80s, the regime was beginning to falter due to economic difficulties and a lack of support. Monument building became a fundamental propaganda element; it needed not only to be a commemoration but also to serve as the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

Every statistic related to the building seems exaggerated: over six thousand people participated in the construction over seven years. 70 thousand tons of concrete, three thousand tons of steel and 40 tons of glass were used. The monument was designed to last for all eternity.

But the end of communism also meant the end of the story. In the 1990s, democracy brought to power parties that wanted to appear as distant as possible from the communist past and the strange Buzludzha was abandoned. Lootings, vandalism, graffiti, and forgetfulness followed. Slowly, the huge flying saucer was locked & fell silent.’

It’s a great location, even if a little challenging to reach.