Friendship between countries, much like friendship between people, requires work and maintenance to stay healthy. When attention is paid, times are good and everything looks great, but when neglected, things fall into disrepair. Times are changing and now Bulgaria has a new friend in town, shifting priorities and mindsets.
During the 1828-29 Russo-Turkish War, the Siege of Varna lasted for two months as Russian forces battled Ottoman troops, helping to liberate the Bulgarian people. During this time, the Russians established a base on the hill above Varna, called Turna Tepe, on the Black Sea.
Nearly a century and a half later in 1974, the Russian effort and sacrifice were commemorated with the aptly named 'Monument of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship.' Over 300 stairs lead up Turna Hill to a towering brutalist concrete memorial, with its multi-story shape inspired by the wings of a dove, the bird of peace. Four Russian soldiers line the right wing, facing three Bulgarian women on the left wing.
Original plaque translation: “Friendship for centuries throughout centuries.”
Upon arriving at the top of the hill, I was surprised to discover that this concrete giant is hollow. Post-visit research revealed that the monument previously housed a memorial house and a bookshop. Unfortunately, due to vandalism, all entrances are sealed, so I wasn't able to explore inside.
Further research also uncovered the existence of a hospital bunker large enough to shelter several hundred people beneath the monument and within Turna Hill. Somewhere to visit next time I'm in town.
The monument has experienced several changes over the years as friendships come and go. Since 1989 and the fall of the Soviet Union, the monument fell into disrepair. The interior was stripped of anything valuable and sometimes even burnt. Since 2007, Bulgaria has formed new alliances, specificly with the European Union.
Looking out across Varna and the Black Sea, you can see which friendship currently matters the most, as gigantic Bulgarian and EU flags fly high together in the costal wind.
