Monumento Shipka nella neve, montagne balcaniche, Bulgaria

*photos by: Valentin Angelov*

The Liberty Memorial, a.k.a. the Shipka Monument, located on Shipka/Sveti Nikola Peak in the Balkan Mountains. It was erected in honor of the Battle of Shipka Pass, a vital mountain pass during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), where Russian soldiers and the Bulgarian volunteer corps (Opalchentsi) defeated the Ottoman army. Built with donations from people all over Bulgaria, it was inaugurated on August 26, 1934.

It is 31.5 m tall and 890 steps lead up to it. The powerful bronze lion, symbolizing the coat of arms of Bulgaria – the symbol of the Bulgarian state – guards the entrance to the Memorial.

On the ground floor under a marble sarcophagus, rest the remains of Shipka’s defenders. The sarcophagus stands on four prone stone lions and above it as honour guards stand the statues of a Bulgarian opalchenets (a member of the Bulgarian Volunteer Corps) and a Russian soldier. The other seven floors of the museum display personal effects of the soldiers and volunteers, medals, photos, weapons and documents related to the battles fought over Shipka. One of the exhibits is a copy of the Samara Flag – the first battle flag of the Bulgarian Opalchentsi.

Wow you got a fair bit of snow Bulgarian neighbours!

How do you get an even spread of snow like this?