Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bulgaria Shumen Bulgarian State Monument

Bulgarian State Monument

This massive concrete sculpture is said to be the heaviest communist monument on Earth.

Shumen, Bulgaria

Added By
demipoulpe
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
A communist overlord menaces the city below.   demipoulpe
The monument represents a sharp, cubist style.   demipoulpe
Concrete stairs leading to the monument.   demipoulpe
  demipoulpe
Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria.   Wiki User: Xumen
  demipoulpe
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  ladentdeloeil.net
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  demipoulpe
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the Bulgarian mythology, well before the appearance of human beings, the earth was inhabited by a race of giant named the Ispolini. It is difficult not to invoke these mysterious figureheads while walking the site of the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument in north-eastern Bulgaria. 

Since 1981, perched on the heights of the town of Shumen, this huge monument commemorates more than 1300 years of Bulgarian history. Visible from as far as 18 miles away, it looms almost 1,500 ft. above sea level, a gloomy overlord hovering over the city of Shumen.

Krum Damyanov and Ivan Slavov built the cubist-style memorial in 1981, commemorating the 1300 anniversary of the Bulgarian Empire. The sculptors of the monument, which is also referred to as The Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria, gave kings and heroes the appearance of towering giants of stone, echoes of the past forever frozen in concrete. The menacing figures lurk in high corners of a geometric building with slick, towering walls, the monument reached by climbing a stern concrete staircase. 

Unlike the Buzludzha Monument and many other Bulgarian monuments from the communist era, the Shumen memorial has been kept up over the years, beautifully maintained and a favorite spot for weddings and photo shoots. 

Related Tags

Monuments Statues Memorials Communist Architecture Communist Monuments Brutalism

Community Contributors

Added By

demipoulpe

Edited By

Rachel, Vagabond, vturiserra, ahvenas

  • Rachel
  • Vagabond
  • vturiserra
  • ahvenas

Published

May 15, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_1300_Years_of_Bulgaria
  • http://ladentdeloeil.net/
  • http://www.yomadic.com/bulgarian-communist-monuments/
  • http://www.vagabond.bg/high-beam/2855-if-bulgar-khans-were-sci-fi-characters.html
  • https://vagabond.bg/fsi/en/all-books/item/111-a-guide-to-communist-bulgaria.html
Bulgarian State Monument
8 ul. "Chereshovo topche"
Shumen, 9700
Bulgaria
43.262271, 26.922369
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Madara Rider

Kaspichan, Bulgaria

miles away

Rock Monastery of Shashkunite

Provadia, Bulgaria

miles away

Chudnite Skali (Wonderful Rocks)

Asparuhovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Europe

Places 63
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Madara Rider

Kaspichan, Bulgaria

miles away

Rock Monastery of Shashkunite

Provadia, Bulgaria

miles away

Chudnite Skali (Wonderful Rocks)

Asparuhovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Europe

Places 63
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

Forgotten Communist Monoliths of Bulgaria

abandoned

By Darmon Richter

Related Places

  • Mitrovica Miners Monument

    Mitrovica, Kosovo

    Mitrovica Miners Monument

    Two distorted Romanesque columns hold aloft a mine cart in honor of laborers who died during WWII.

  • Looking up the inside of the memorial tower

    Novo Selo Palanječko, Croatia

    Monument to the Detachment in Brezovica Forest

    A tower marking the spot where Yugoslavia began its resistance against the invading Nazis stands neglected, but not quite forgotten.

  • Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Garavice Memorial Park

    A forgotten and crumbling Yugoslav monument to the victims of fascism.

  • “Interrupted Flight” monument at Šumarice Memorial Park

    Kragujevac, Serbia

    Šumarice Memorial Park

    Abstract monuments express sorrow and resilience at the site of a horrific massacre in Nazi-occupied Serbia.

  • The ‘Gate of Death’

    Kruševac, Serbia

    Slobodište Memorial Park

    Curious carved stones and bird-like wings are a symbol of Serbian resilience and freedom on the site of a WWII massacre.

  • The ‘Furrow’ monument at the Stratište Memorial Complex

    Jabuka, Serbia

    Stratište Memorial Complex

    An abandoned monument remembering the "Pančevo Holocaust" now stands as a shadow of its former self.

  • Čačak, Serbia

    Čačak Mausoleum of Struggle and Victory

    This symbol of Yugoslav liberation decorated with 620 carved heads of mythical creatures is now a forlorn relic of another time.

  • Kruševo Makedonium

    Krusevo, North Macedonia

    The Kruševo Makedonium

    Space-age monument to an early 20th-century uprising.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.