Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia

Modern & monumentSofia & Western Bulgaria

Monument to the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame of Sofia

The Monument to the Unknown Soldier stands in the centre of Sofia, right beside the early Christian Church of St Sophia, at 2 Paris Street. It honours the hundreds of thousands of Bulgarian soldiers who died in the wars fought by the Bulgarian state. With its eternal flame, bronze lion and famous lines by Ivan Vazov, it is a quiet stop on any walk through the capital.

The first version of this monument was finished in 1936 but not officially opened until 1941, and was cleared away after 1944. Its bronze lion went missing for years before it was found again in 1975.

WhereCentre of Sofia, next to the Church of St Sophia, 2 Paris Street

TypeMemorial complex with a symbolic tomb and an eternal flame

Best forHistory lovers, visitors exploring central Sofia and anyone interested in Bulgarian national ceremonies

Getting thereIn the heart of the capital, directly beside St Sophia Church

The history of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier

The idea of a monument to the unknown soldier arose after the First World War. A commission was set up in Bulgaria in 1918, and in December 1922 the minister of education, Stoyan Omarchevski, proposed a fund for a monument to the soldiers who had fallen for the homeland. The plan met strong opposition. Some intellectuals argued that a monument to an unknown soldier was unacceptable because it implied that the names of the fallen had been forgotten. On 14 December 1926 a commission headed by the war minister, General Ivan Valkov, entrusted the work to the sculptor Andrey Nikolov and chose the site south of St Sophia Church, as a symbolic grave of all known and unknown warriors who fell for the liberation, unification and defence of Bulgaria.

A first design, ready on 8 July 1931, was rejected because it was overloaded: it had 17 sculpted figures. Nikolov accepted the criticism, and a new version was approved that December. The sculpture complex was finished on 14 September 1936 but was not officially unveiled until 1941. It was a bronze lion, four metres long, crowning a granite sarcophagus with a bronze relief and two crosses “For Bravery”, flanked by reliefs of grieving women in regional costumes. Even the lion drew criticism, because its seated pose was read by some as a metaphor of surrender.

The monument was badly damaged in the Allied bombing of Sofia, and after the coup of 9 September 1944 the site was cleared. The polished Swedish granite was reused for the mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov, while the lion travelled from place to place: first to a children’s town at Pancharevo, then in 1952 to the bank of the Iskar river, and later to a roadside near the former royal residence at Vrana. Its trail was lost during the building of the Trakia motorway, and only in 1975, after a tip from citizens, was it found near a campsite and taken to the yard of the Military History Museum. In 1965 a monument to Paisiy Hilendarski was placed on the spot, and it was later moved elsewhere.

In the 1970s the question of a monument returned. Competitions were held and the site was debated, but no design was approved. For the celebrations of the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian state, the Communist Party decided to restore the monument on the same spot in a new form. In 1980 a team led by the architect Nikola Nikolov and the sculptor Professor Lyuben Dimitrov was commissioned, and the monument was opened with a large military ceremony on 22 September 1981. The sarcophagus holds 15 shell casings with earth from all parts of Bulgaria and the remains of unknown soldiers from historic places. Behind it burns the eternal flame, lit with a flame brought from Shipka, and the old lion was included in the new composition.

Today the monument is one of the main sites of official ceremonies. The annual celebration of Bulgaria’s national day, 3 March, begins here with the raising of the national flag, and wreaths are laid by official foreign delegations.

Curious facts about the Monument to the Unknown Soldier

The bronze lion, four metres long, is the work of the sculptor Andrey Nikolov and survived the clearing of the first monument and was included in the new composition.
The polished Swedish granite of the original monument was reused for the mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov.
The lion was lost for years when the Trakia motorway was built, and was found again in 1975 after a report from citizens.
The first design was rejected in 1931 because it was too crowded, with 17 sculpted figures.
The eternal flame was lit with a flame brought from Shipka, and the monument contains earth from Stara Zagora and Shipka, sites of two key battles of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
A stanza from Ivan Vazov’s poem about the Slivnitsa battle of 1885 is carved in stone here: Bulgaria, for you they died, and they were worthy of you.

Tours near Monument to the Unknown Soldier

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Half Day Tour around Sofia and the mountains with Thermal Spa

★ 5 (47 reviews) · 6 h

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ATV Off Road Tour Near Sofia Guided Quad Bike Experience

★ 5 (28 reviews) · 1.5 h

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Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery small group tour with pickup

★ 5 (27 reviews) · 9 h

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Full-day Rila Monastery, Stob Pyramids and St Ivan Rilski Cave from Sofia

★ 5 (24 reviews) · 6 h

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Visiting the Monument to the Unknown Soldier

The monument is a place of remembrance, so a quiet and respectful visit is appropriate, especially when a ceremony is under way.
Look for the eternal flame, the bronze lion, the flag pylons and the stone inscription with the lines by Ivan Vazov.
It stands next to the Church of St Sophia, the early Christian church that gave Sofia its name, so the two can be seen together.
Close by are the Amphitheatre of Serdica and the Monument to the Tsar Liberator, which make an easy walk through the centre.
Official ceremonies take place here on state occasions; check local announcements if you wish to see one.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Monument to the Unknown Soldier is

Photos of Monument to the Unknown Soldier

Questions

What is the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia?

It is a memorial complex in the centre of Sofia, beside St Sophia Church, with a symbolic tomb and an eternal flame. It commemorates the hundreds of thousands of Bulgarian soldiers who died in wars.

Where is the Monument to the Unknown Soldier?

It stands at 2 Paris Street in the centre of Sofia, directly next to the early Christian Church of St Sophia.

When was the present monument opened and who designed it?

It was opened on 22 September 1981, the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian state, to a design by the architect Nikola Nikolov. The sculptor Andrey Nikolov made the lion.

Is this the original monument?

No. An earlier monument was finished in 1936 and officially unveiled in 1941, but it was damaged by bombing and cleared after 1944. The lion from it was kept and included in the present composition.

What is the story of the lion?

The bronze lion was moved several times after 1944, lost track of during motorway building, and found again in 1975. It was later placed in the new monument.

What ceremonies take place at the monument?

The celebration of the national day on 3 March begins here with the raising of the flag, and foreign delegations lay wreaths here. Other state and military ceremonies are also held at the site.