BUZLUDZHA BUZLUDZHA Б у з л у д ж а Б у з л у д ж а T he aba n d one d monument - house of the B ulg a ri a n C ommunist Pa rty , T he aba n d one d monument - house of the B ulg a ri a n C ommunist Pa rty , high in the S t a r a P l a nin a high in the S t a r a P l a nin a R oun d trip B ulg a ri a r o u n d t r i p b u l g a r i a c o m I THE OBJECT A c on c rete s a u c er on a mount a in , a n d the i d eology th a t r a ise d it R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 2 / 30 A FLYING SAUCER, A FLYING SAUCER, RUN AGROUND RUN AGROUND O n a ri d ge in the C entr a l Ba lk a n M ount a ins st a n d s the l a rgest monument the O n a ri d ge in the C entr a l Ba lk a n M ount a ins st a n d s the l a rgest monument the B ulg a ri a n C ommunist Pa rty ever b uilt I t h a s stoo d empty sin c e 1989. B ulg a ri a n C ommunist Pa rty ever b uilt I t h a s stoo d empty sin c e 1989. R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 3 / 30 BUZLUDZHA IN BRIEF LOC ATION B uzlu d zh a pe a k , C entr a l Ba lk a n M ount a ins , B ulg a ri a ELEVATION 1,432 m ( the pe a k w a s lowere d 9 m for the foun da tion ) W H AT IT IS H ouse - M onument of the B ulg a ri a n C ommunist Pa rty ARC H ITEC T G eorgi S toilov , 1929 to 2022 BUILT 1974 to 1981, b y pu b li c su b s c ription OP EN ED A ugust 1981 TODAY E xterior open , interior se a le d R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 4 / 30 WHERE IT STANDS B uzlu d zh a rises ab ove the S hipk a Pa ss in the C entr a l Ba lk a n M ount a ins , ab out 24 km b y ro ad from Ka z a nl a k T he summit w a s offi c i a lly ren a me d Had zhi D imit a r pe a k in 1942. T he ol d er n a me c omes from the T urkish wor d for i c y , a no d to the winters th a t ba tter the ri d ge for mu c h of the ye a r T he monument st a n d s a lone on the pe a k , visi b le for miles ac ross the r a nge R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 5 / 30 II WHY HERE, AND HOW T hree moments in history , one a r c hite c t , a n d seven ye a rs of c on c rete R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 6 / 30 THE PEAK WAS CHOSEN THE PEAK WAS CHOSEN FOR ITS MEMORY FOR ITS MEMORY B efore a single p a nel w a s poure d , three moments in B ulg a ri a n history h ad B efore a single p a nel w a s poure d , three moments in B ulg a ri a n history h ad a lre ad y m ad e this summit c onteste d groun d a lre ad y m ad e this summit c onteste d groun d R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 7 / 30 THREE EVENTS, ONE PEAK 1868. Had zhi D imit a r a n d S tef a n Ka r ad zh a ' s re b el ba n d m ad e their l a st st a n d here a g a inst O ttom a n for c es T he d efe a t p a sse d into B ulg a ri a n legen d a n d into the poetry of H risto B otev 1891. S o c i a lists le d b y D imit a r B l a goev met in se c ret on the mount a in , d isguise d a s a memori a l g a thering , a n d foun d e d the B ulg a ri a n S o c i a l D emo c r a ti c W orkers ' Pa rty , a forerunner of the C ommunist Pa rty 1944. I n the l a st months of the S e c on d W orl d Wa r , p a rtis a ns a n d a rmy d et ac hments c l a she d on the pe a k R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 8 / 30 A STAR ON THE MOUNTAIN A monument here w a s propose d a s e a rly a s 1898. I n 1961, three memori a ls were unveile d on the pe a k : a st a tue of Had zhi D imit a r , a relief of the 1891 c ongress , a n d a monument to the p a rtis a ns A fourth w a s still to c ome , l a rger th a n the rest a n d c rowne d b y a re d st a r T he c ompetition w a s won b y a young a r c hite c t , G eorgi S toilov F ifteen ye a rs p a sse d b etween the d e c ision a n d the first da y of c onstru c tion R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 0 9 / 30 GEORGI STOILOV S toilov , 1929 to 2022, w a s a former m a yor of S ofi a a n d a c o - foun d er of B ulg a ri a ' s U nion of A r c hite c ts H is first i d e a , a ring on open c olumns b ene a th the st a r , c oul d not survive the win d a n d c ol d a t 1,432 m H e re d rew it a s a s a u c er set on a tower , fol d ing a n c ient a n d sp ac e a ge motifs into a single silhouette S een from d ire c tly ab ove , the h a ll re ad s a s a wheel R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 0 / 30 SEVEN YEARS OF CONCRETE W ork b eg a n on 23 Ja nu a ry 1974. T o se a t the monument , engineers b l a ste d the summit fl a t , then poure d a stru c ture me a nt to outl a st the c entury 9 m H eight b l a ste d off the pe a k for the foun da tion 15,000 m ³ R o c k ex ca v a te d from the summit 70,000 t C on c rete poure d into the stru c ture 3,000 t R einfor c ement steel 6,000 + P eople who worke d on it , in c lu d ing 500 sol d iers 1981 O pene d for the c ongress a nnivers a ry R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 1 / 30 ANATOMY OF THE MONUMENT A ll of it ca st in b o a r d forme d c on c rete , the pl a nk lines still legi b le T he s a u c er A ring sh a pe d c eremoni a l h a ll wr a ppe d in ri bb on win d ows T he ba se A c on c rete d rum ca rrying the r a ise d C yrilli c ins c ription T he pylon A tower b e a ring a re d st a r on e ac h f ac e R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 2 / 30 III INSIDE THE SAUCER A ring of mos a i c , a h a mmer a n d si c kle overhe ad , a n d a verse ca st into the w a ll R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 3 / 30 THE RING, OPENED TO THE SKY THE RING, OPENED TO THE SKY T he c overing is long gone W h a t is left is the steel skeleton over the ol d a u d itorium , a n d the T he c overing is long gone W h a t is left is the steel skeleton over the ol d a u d itorium , a n d the white shelter now gu a r d ing the mos a i c b ene a th it white shelter now gu a r d ing the mos a i c b ene a th it R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 4 / 30 ONE THOUSAND SQUARE METRES OF MOSAIC A roun d the insi d e of the ring r a n one of the l a rgest mos a i c c y c les in E urope : roughly 1,000 squ a re metres of sm a lti a n d gil d e d gl a ss , setting out the Pa rty ' s version of B ulg a ri a n history , from the 1891 c ongress to the le ad ers of the so c i a list st a te T he h a ll is se a le d to da y a n d the mos a i c s a re un d er ac tive c onserv a tion , so they a re not pi c ture d here R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 5 / 30 Н а крак, Н а крак, о парии презрени! о парии презрени! O n your feet , you d espise d of the e a rth O n your feet , you d espise d of the e a rth T he opening of the B ulg a ri a n I ntern a tion a le , ca st in gi a nt c on c rete letters ac ross the ba se R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 6 / 30 IV THE FALL I n 1989 the Pa rty c oll a pse d T he b uil d ing lost its purpose overnight R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 7 / 30 THE PARTY FELL. THE PARTY FELL. THE BUILDING DID NOT THE BUILDING DID NOT W hen the c ommunist government c oll a pse d , B uzlu d zh a lost its re a son to exist W hen the c ommunist government c oll a pse d , B uzlu d zh a lost its re a son to exist W ithin a few ye a rs it w a s strippe d , then left to the mount a in W ithin a few ye a rs it w a s strippe d , then left to the mount a in R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 8 / 30 LEFT TO THE WEATHER T he c opper roof w a s ca rrie d off b y s ca vengers within a d e cad e S now a n d r a in poure d into the h a ll D oors were for c e d , fittings t a ken , w a lls spr a ye d G r a ss pushe d up through the c eremoni a l st a ir ca se , step b y step R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 1 9 / 30 STRIPPED TO THE BAR STRIPPED TO THE BAR F our d e cad es of win d , w a ter a n d negle c t h a ve opene d the rim to the sky a n d worn the F our d e cad es of win d , w a ter a n d negle c t h a ve opene d the rim to the sky a n d worn the c on c rete bac k to its reinfor c ement c on c rete bac k to its reinfor c ement R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B u z l u d z h a 20 / 30