The Monument of Shipka

The Monument of Liberty rises on the Peak Shipka. It has been built with the voluntary donations of the Bulgarian people and according to the project of the architect Atanas Donkov and the sculptor Alexander Andreev. It was officially opened in 1934.

There are 894 steps leading to the monument. Above the central entrance a bronze lion symbolizing the Bulgarian states system stands proudly. On the other 3 sides the names of 3 battlefields are written - Shipka, Sheinovo and Stara Zagora. On the ground floor, beneath a marble sarcophagus the bones of the heroes who have died in the battle for the passage are preserved. The exposition placed in the other 7 floors of the monument reveals the heroism of the Russian soldiers and the Bulgarian volunteers during the 5 month defense of Shipka.

It includes a rich collection of arms, medals, photos and documents. There is also a copy of the Samarian flag. Over the last platform there is a panoramic view to the restored details of the battle, the memorials and common graves which have preserved the memory of the feat and sacrifice of the heroes.

The Liberty Monument Shipka is part of the National Historical Museum Shipka. Here during the time of the Russian-Turkish Liberation War (1877-1878) one of the most decisive battles was lead. This battle has predetermined the victorious end of the war and has brought liberty to Bulgaria after the 5 centuries of Turkish yoke. Together with the Russian soldiers there were about 6000 Bulgarian volunteers who took part in the battles.
There are few museums in the world located in the center of the military actions. The National Museum Shipka is one of them. It includes the National Liberty Monument Shipka on the peak Shipka, the Church Birth of Christ, near the town of Shipka, peak Orlovo gnezdo (Eagle's nest) and the village of Sheinovo.

As a geographical concept Shipka is the peak from which South and North Bulgaria are plain to see. In the historical aspect this is the boundary, which marks the beginning of the new Bulgarian history. In the moral aspect - it is an expression of gratitude for the sacrifice in the name of the Bulgarian liberation.