One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting in Bulgaria was Buzludzha, a spaceship-like monument to the Bulgarian Communist Party, scenically located on a hilltop near the small town of Shipka in the Balkan Mountains.
Buzludzha had been on my list of architecture to photograph ever since I first saw it in a movie about a dozen years ago. So when my friend Kris told me he was going on a road trip to Shipka, which is home not only to the abandoned tribute to the Bulgarian socialist movement, but also to a freedom monument situated on a different hilltop, not to mention some nice walking scenery (see this post) and some ancient Thracian tombs, I just knew I had to tag along.
The Buzludzha Monument to the Bulgarian Communist Party was designed in the 1970s and completed in 1981, when the Communist Party still ruled Bulgaria with an iron fist. Its design was inspired by Bauhaus, the Roman Pantheon and 1950s sci-fi movies and wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The building looks like a flying saucer with a tower attached at the back. It's spectacular, and its setting on a hill in an empty landscape makes it even more so.
Steeped in Bulgarian history
Buzludzha Peak is steeped in Bulgarian history. In 1868, a Bulgarian revolutionary called Hadzhi Dimitar and thirty of his supporters took on a significantly larger Ottoman force here. They lost the battle, most of them dying in the process, but went on to inspire the Bulgarian people to fight for their freedom, which they would regain ten years later. The mountain is now officially called Hadzhi Dimitar to honour the rebel leader, although many people continue to call it Buzludzha, which apparently translates to 'icy peak' in Turkish.
In 1891 the mountain was the site chosen for the first congress of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party, which would later be renamed the Bulgarian Communist Party. Half a century later, in 1944, the peak was the scene of fighting between Communist partisans and Bulgarian fascist forces (the Communists won). So when the Communist Party needed a spot for a memorial to its own glory, Buzludzha seemed an obvious choice. It had all the required history and symbolism. Its setting could hardly have been more remote, though.
In the years that followed, the building served as a museum and as a venue for the Communist Party's special events, such as award ceremonies.
When the Bulgarian Communist Party was ousted in 1989, the building stopped being used. It was left to the elements, which are rather brutal here in winter. The building now oozes abandonment and decay.
You can't tell from the pictures, but there was a strong wind raging here on the sunny summer afternoon I visited – so strong that I didn’t dare send my drone up. I dread to think of what the weather must be like here in autumn and winter. No wonder the building looks a little the worse for wear.
Take the roof, for instance -- not much is left of it.
The ceiling used to contain a lot of copper, which was stolen in the years after the building fell into disuse (rumour has it that it was stolen by members of the Communist Party, which for some reason I find hilarious). The roof is now in such poor repair that entry to the building is strictly prohibited. It's a pity, as there are some amazing mosaics inside, not to mention some interesting graffiti from just after the end of the socialist era (e.g. ‘Enjoy Capitalism’ in the form and colours of the 'Enjoy Coca-Cola' logo).
There’s a lot of graffiti on the outside of the building, too, some of which features a political message.
A little further down the road is the rather cool welcome sign to the complex. In true socialist style, it depicts two hands holding flaming torches.
And a little closer...
I hope one day to see this monument in winter, because seeing this building in a sea of snow must be amazing. I can't wait to shoot those drone images.
VISITING BUZLUDZHA: PRACTICAL TIPS
Transport
There is no public transport to Buzludzha. If you don’t have your own wheels, take a bus to either Gabrovo or Kazanlak and arrange private transport there. Local taxi drivers are used to taking people up to Buzludzha. Alternatively, join a tour from either Sofia, Plovdiv or Veliko Tarnovo (Google ‘Buzludzha tour’ plus the name of the city from which you will be travelling and you’ll find several tour operators). That said, I highly recommend exploring this area with a hire car – particularly if you want to visit the nearby Thracian tombs, too.
Signposting
Be aware that most signposts to the monument say ‘Hadzhi Dimitar’ (Хаджи Димитър) rather than ‘Buzludzha’ (Бузлуджа). This is true for both road signs and signs on walking trails.
Where to stay
There are several hotels near Buzludzha -- on Buzludzha Peak, in fact. We stayed at Hotel Edelweiss, a reasonably posh place that once welcomed all the high-ranking Communist Party members and was the favourite place of Lyudmila Zhivkova, the President’s daughter. It’s a lovely and very affordable place on the edge of a forest. It also comes with a very decent restaurant. Highly recommended.
How to walk to the monument
We started our walk to Buzludzha at our hotel on Buzludzha Peak, where a signpost in Cyrillic pointed us to Hadzhi Dimitar (see above). However, the monument can also be accessed from the other side of the hill (closer to Gabrovo), where an enormous staircase welcomes guests. And if you're fit, you can walk to Buzludzha all the way from Shipka. It's about 13km (8.5 miles), and the trail is quite nice (see this post).