WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

by Stamen Manolov; photography by Anthony Georgieff

Expats in and visitors to Sofia will have noticed the unusual commotion around the huge Red Army monument in the centre of the capital

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In recent months the telltale Soviet soldier waving a submachine gun is gone and the whole compound has been fenced off. It is being protected round the clock by Bulgarian police. Opponents of the monument, who disparagingly refer to its as the MOCHA, want it knocked down completely and immediately. Supporters however say removing it will be an affront to this country's 20th century history. The anti and pro groups are at their necks as both like to use historical events to justify current political ambitions. Their confrontation is unlikely to subside any time soon. Importantly, in the media din surrounding the Red Army monument in Sofia the overwhelming majority tend to overlook the fact that the capital is not the only place where similar monuments exist. In fact, Bulgaria is perhaps the only former East bloc country that maintains about a dozen memorials to a foreign army that... never fought an actual battle in its territory. In the next issue of Vagabond you will read where these monuments are and why they were erected in the first place. But for now – where in Bulgaria are you?

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