The Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia. Photo credit: Ivan / ru.wikipedia.org (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A monument to the Soviet army is being destroyed in the Bulgarian capital, TASS reports. The sculptures, cast in bronze, were cut into pieces and thrown from a pedestal installed in the center of Sofia. The authorities ignored public protests. The request of the Ministry of Culture to stop dismantling the monument also had no effect.
The head of the Bulgarian government, Nikolai Denkov, said that the monument allegedly does not have cultural value, but is part of propaganda. In his opinion, this is a symbol of the ''Soviet occupation'' and the ''totalitarian state.'' The Prime Minister believes that the monument should be placed in a museum.
Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova recalled that the monument was erected with funds raised by the people of Bulgaria and is dedicated to the Bulgarian fighters against fascism. She called the destruction of the monument barbaric. The diplomat also considers the stories that the monument is supposedly in poor condition to be a deliberate lie.
Eleonora Mitrofanova recalled that Sofia and Moscow had signed an agreement on the preservation of monuments of mutual history, and their fate should be decided based on consultations of interested parties.
The demolition of the monument to the Soviet army in the capital of Bulgaria began on December, 12. The city administration promises to restore the sculptures and transfer them to the Museum of Socialist Art.
Russkiy Mir
