Modern & monumentCentral Bulgaria & the Balkan Range

Shipka Memorial, Bulgaria's Liberty Monument above Shipka Pass

The Shipka Memorial, also called the Liberty Monument, is a 31.5-metre stone tower on a peak of the Balkan Mountains. It honours those who fell defending Shipka Pass in 1877, and its outline recalls a medieval fortress that can be seen from many kilometres away. It is the centrepiece of the Shipka National Park-Museum and a symbol of the liberation of modern Bulgaria.

A brass lion eight metres long and cast in 53 pieces guards this tower, and 890 steps lead up to it. The stones were worked by hand and hauled up by ox cart.

WhereOn St Nicholas Peak, also called Stoletov Peak, in the Balkan Mountains, part of the Shipka National Park-Museum

TypeMemorial tower and museum, 20th-century monument

Best forHistory fans, walkers happy to climb steps, and travellers who enjoy mountain views

Getting thereReached by road to the Shipka area, then on foot up the 890 steps to the tower

The history of the Shipka Memorial

The monument remembers the battles for Shipka Pass in the summer of 1877, during the Russo-Turkish War that led to the liberation of Bulgaria. The Shipka detachment, made up of the Bulgarian Volunteer Corps and two Russian infantry regiments, the 36th Orel and the 35th Bryansk, held the heights of the pass. It numbered about 7,500 men with 27 guns under Major General Nikolay Stoletov and faced the central Ottoman army under Süleyman Pasha, which was reported to include some 27,000 regular troops. The decisive fighting took place on 9 to 11 August 1877, and the long defence is remembered as the epic of Shipka.

In 1920 the surviving Bulgarian volunteers met at a new congress and decided to build a monument on St Nicholas Peak. The money was collected as voluntary donations from people all over the country. A competition was won by the architect Atanas Donkov and the sculptor Alexander Andreev, who executed the monumental lion together with Kiril Shivarov. The cornerstone was laid on 24 August 1922.

Technical studies began in the spring of 1926 and construction started that autumn, with building work in the summers of 1927, 1928 and 1929. The stones were dressed by hand and brought up by ox cart, while sand was carried by mule from Maglizh and Enina along a new road. The rough stone tower was completed first, and the brass lion was cast in the Sofia Military Arsenal in the summer of 1929. The building was finished in 1930. The lion was meant to stand on top of the tower, but a model showed it would hardly be visible there, so it was placed on the cornice above the main entrance.

The monument was solemnly unveiled on 26 August 1934 by Tsar Boris III. The tower is built of dolomite in the shape of a truncated pyramid, 31.5 metres high. Its walls bear the names of the three main battlefields, Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara Zagora, and a female figure stands for the victory over the Ottoman forces. On the ground floor a marble sarcophagus holds part of the remains of the Bulgarian volunteers and of soldiers of the multi-ethnic Russian Imperial army, among them Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Finns, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians.

The upper floors house a museum with personal belongings, medals, weapons, photographs and documents from the battles, including a copy of the Samara Flag, the first battle flag of the Bulgarian volunteers. The highest platform offers a wide view of the surrounding mountains. The memorial belongs to the Shipka National Park-Museum and remains a place of national remembrance, reinforced by the poem “The Volunteers at Shipka” by Ivan Vazov.

Curious facts about the Shipka Memorial

The brass lion is about 8 metres long and 4 metres high, weighs roughly 12 tonnes and was assembled from 53 separate pieces.
A total of 890 steps lead up to the memorial.
The stones were dressed by hand and carried up by ox carts, and sand was brought on mules from Maglizh and Enina.
The lion was meant for the top of the tower but was placed above the entrance, because a trial model showed it would not be well visible. A popular story that political reasons decided its direction is described in Bulgarian Wikipedia as a legend.
The Bulgarian Volunteer Corps’ first battle flag, the Samara Flag, is displayed in a copy in the museum.
The memorial was funded by donations from people across Bulgaria and was opened in 1934.

Tours near Shipka Memorial

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

From Sofia: Rose Valley, Shipka & Buzludzha Small Group Day Tour

★ 5 (7 reviews) · 11 h

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Day trip to Buzludzha Monument and Shipka from Veliko Tarnovo

★ 4.8 (8 reviews) · 4 h

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Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi - Shipka Memorial Church - private tour from Plovdiv

★ 4.7 (6 reviews) · 11.5 h

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Buzludzha, Shipka Monument of Freedom, Shipka Memorial Church & Golyama Kosmatka

★ 5 (3 reviews) · 7 h

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Visiting the Shipka Memorial: what to expect

The tower stands on a peak in the Balkan Mountains and can be seen from dozens of kilometres away. Allow time for the 890 steps to the entrance.
The brass lion above the main entrance is the best-known sight; the three other walls carry the names Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara Zagora.
Inside, the ground-floor sarcophagus is a place of remembrance, and the floors above hold the museum. Visitors are asked to behave respectfully.
The top platform gives panoramic views over the mountains and the Shipka area.
The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ is about 4 km away and the Buzludzha monument about 6 km; check the current opening hours before you go.

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

Map: where Shipka Memorial is

Photos of Shipka Memorial

Questions

What is the Shipka Memorial?

It is a 31.5-metre stone memorial tower, also called the Liberty Monument, on a peak in the Balkan Mountains. It honours the defenders of Shipka Pass in 1877.

Where is the Shipka Memorial and how do I reach it?

It stands on St Nicholas Peak in the Balkan Mountains, in the Shipka National Park-Museum. A total of 890 steps lead up to the tower.

When was the Shipka Memorial built?

The cornerstone was laid on 24 August 1922, construction was completed in 1930 and the monument was unveiled on 26 August 1934.

Why is there a lion on the monument?

The lion is a symbol of the Bulgarian coat of arms and of the Bulgarian state. The brass lion guards the entrance to the memorial.

Who is buried in the Shipka Memorial?

A marble sarcophagus on the ground floor holds part of the remains of Bulgarian volunteers and of soldiers of the multi-ethnic Russian Imperial army who died in the battles for the pass.

What else is worth seeing near the Shipka Memorial?

The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ is about 4 km away, the Tomb of Seuthes III about 5 km and the Buzludzha monument about 6 km.