site.btaAugust 26, 1934: Shipka Monument Inaugurated

On August 26, 1934, cannons fired 101 times to herald the opening of the Liberty Memorial, also known as the Shipka Monument, on Shipka Peak in the Balkan mountain range. The monument was erected to commemorate the defence of the Shipka Pass in the Balkan Mountains during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878).

King Boris III cut the ribbon and made the first speech, followed by Prime Minister Kimon Georgiev. The event was attended by more than 100,000 people, including 80 volunteers who fought to protect the Pass.

The monument was built according to the project of Architect Atanas Donkov and sculptor Aleksandar Andreev. The foundation stone was laid on August 24, 1922, during the celebrations for the 45th anniversary of the battle. The actual construction began on September 5, 1926. Iliya Penev Muglov was the chief foreman, however, two years in, his team disbanded due to fierce storms, harsh winters and insufficient funds for building materials. This forced Donkov to turn to 26-year-old Penyo Kolev with a request to finish the monument. Kolev and his builders completed the project in 1930.

Nearly 900 steps lead to the 31.5 m high monument. A bronze lion guards the central entrance, while the other three walls bear the names Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara Zagora, the battlefields in defence of the Pass.

The defence of the Shipka Pass began on August 21, 1877 (August 9 Old Style), when Ottoman troops led by Suleyman Pasha attempted to cross the pass and join Osman Pasha's troops at Pleven. The defence was entrusted to the mixed Bulgarian-Russian Shipka detachment under the command of General Nikolai Stoletov. The battle lasted until August 24, 1877 (August 12 Old Style). The following day, Russian troops carried out offensive actions and, a day later, the Ottoman troops ceased their attempts to cross the Shipka Pass.

Some 3,100 Russian soldiers and officers, 535 Bulgarian volunteers and more than 8,200 Ottomans lost their lives during the battle.