Modern & monumentFilmed hereCentral Bulgaria & the Balkan Range

Buzludzha Monument: the Concrete Saucer on a Balkan Peak

The Buzludzha Monument, officially the House-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party, crowns a bare peak of the Stara Planina above the Shipka Pass in central Bulgaria. Opened in 1981, the saucer-shaped concrete hall with its 70 m tower is the largest ideological monument of the country's communist period. Closed for safety reasons but under conservation, it draws lovers of unusual architecture and 20th-century history.

To build this saucer-shaped monument, the summit of the mountain was blasted down by about nine metres. It opened in 1981, and its story did not end in 1989.

WhereBuzludzha (Hadzhi Dimitar) peak in the Stara Planina, near the Shipka Pass, about 13 km in a straight line from Kazanlak

TypeModern monument and former party memorial house from the communist period

Best forFans of unusual architecture and 20th-century history, photographers, and views from outside

Getting thereBy side roads from the Shipka Pass: about 16 km from Kazanlak or 12 km from Gabrovo

The history of the Buzludzha Monument

The peak, officially named Hadzhi Dimitar since 1942 but still known as Buzludzha, was already a place of memory. In 1868 insurgents led by Hadzhi Dimitar fought the Ottomans near the summit. In 1891 a group of socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area for the Buzludzha Congress, which founded the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, a forerunner of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Until 1989 the place was revered by Bulgarian communists, and it was chosen for the monument for that reason.

The Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party took the decision to build a House-Monument on 11 March 1971. A team led by the architect Georgi Stoilov designed it, and work began on 23 January 1974. The summit was levelled with explosives, lowering the peak from 1,441 to 1,432 metres and removing over 15,000 cubic metres of rock. The monument was financed by donations, reported at 14,186,000 leva, and built by construction troops and volunteer brigades, with thousands of workers on the mountain at the peak of the effort. New roads were laid to carry materials, and building took place mainly between May and September because of the harsh winters.

Todor Zhivkov, the party and state leader, opened the monument on 23 August 1981, during the celebrations of Bulgaria's 1,300th anniversary. It consists of a domed hall, 42 metres across and 14.5 metres high, and a 70-metre double pylon that carried two large red stars. The hall was decorated with mosaics telling the story of the party and of socialist society, and the artistic work took 18 months and involved more than 60 artists. During its eight years of use, more than two million people reportedly visited, with free admission.

After the political changes of 10 November 1989 the monument was closed. It was nationalised in 1992 and sealed, but the guard was later removed, and thieves took valuable materials and metals, including the large copper roof. Windows were broken, mosaics torn out and the portraits of Todor Zhivkov and of his daughter destroyed. The building decayed and became one of the best-known abandoned places in the world, ranked among the most striking in several lists.

In 2018 the Europa Nostra organisation named it one of the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe. In 2019 the Buzludzha Project Foundation, with ICOMOS Germany and the municipality of Stara Zagora, began conservation work, supported by two grants from the Getty Foundation: one for a conservation management plan and a second, in July 2020, to stabilise surviving mosaic panels. In July 2021 the monument was declared a cultural property of national significance, and since 2022 an annual festival called OPEN BUZLUDZHA has supported its reopening for future cultural activities.

Curious facts about the Buzludzha Monument

The mountaintop was levelled with TNT to give the building a stable base, which lowered the peak from 1,441 to 1,432 metres.
Communist-era propaganda claimed that the light of the southern star could be seen from the Aegean Sea. In reality the curvature of the Earth and the Rhodope mountains block that view.
Critics and admirers alike compare the saucer-shaped dome to a UFO, and one Bulgarian source points to a visual likeness to the Montreal Olympic Stadium.
The interior mosaics used about 35 tonnes of cobalt glass, and a corridor around the hall shows 14 compositions about everyday working life.
The cost was meant to be covered by donations and the sale of stamps, and the German Wikipedia says the surplus went to infrastructure projects and kindergartens in the region.
In its eight years of operation, the monument reportedly welcomed more than two million visitors, with guided tours and school trips and always free admission.

Filmed here

Films and videos shot at the Buzludzha Monument

The striking building has been used as a location for music videos and films. These entries are mentioned in Wikipedia as shot at the monument.

Vihaan kyllästynyt (Haloo Helsinki!) (2014) – Music video by the Finnish band Haloo Helsinki!, shot entirely at the monument.
Riddles (Kensington) (2015) – Music video by the Dutch rock band Kensington, likewise filmed entirely on location.
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016) – The monument served as a filming location for this action film, with special effects placing it beside a shoreline.
Bang (Rita Ora) (2021) – The closing sequence of the video for Rita Ora's Bang EP was shot here in early 2021.
Delyo Haydutin (2015–2020) – A music film by Ray van Zeschau on the famous Bulgarian folk song, showing the building inside and outside.

Tours near Buzludzha Monument

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Buzludzha Monument and the Socialist Museum Small-group tour

★ 4.8 (28 reviews) · 10 h

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Buzludzha Monument and The Rose Valley Day Tour From Sofia 13 hrs

★ 4.5 (24 reviews) · 12 h

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A Day trip to the Thracian Kings, The Valley of Roses & Buzludzha

★ 4.6 (14 reviews) · 6 h

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Communist Heritage Tour- Buzludzha and The Might of the East Block Aviation

★ 5 (7 reviews) · 10 h

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Visiting the Buzludzha Monument: what to expect

The building remains closed to the public because of the hazards of its weakened structure, so most visitors see it from outside; check the current rules and the state of the conservation work before you go.
The monument can be reached by two side roads from the Shipka Pass: a road of about 16 km from Kazanlak, which was reported in better condition, or one of about 12 km from Gabrovo.
Along the way two stone torches mark a small square with a car park, from where a paved path climbs to the summit and a large stone forecourt in front of the building.
The peak is bare of trees and exposed, and winters at the top are very cold and snowy, so dress for the weather.
The area has other things to see, including the Valley of the Thracian Rulers and the Shipka memorial, each about 5 to 6 km away.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Buzludzha Monument is

Photos of Buzludzha Monument

Questions

What is the Buzludzha Monument?

It is the House-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party, a saucer-shaped concrete building with a 70 m tower on Buzludzha peak in the Stara Planina, inaugurated in 1981.

Can you go inside the Buzludzha Monument?

The building remains closed to the public because of its weakened structure. Conservation work is ongoing, so check the current situation before you travel.

Why was the monument built on Buzludzha peak?

It commemorates the events of 1891, when a group of socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev met secretly there to form an organised socialist movement.

Who built the Buzludzha Monument and when?

A team led by the architect Georgi Stoilov designed it. Construction began on 23 January 1974, and Todor Zhivkov opened it on 23 August 1981.

How do you get to the Buzludzha Monument?

It can be reached by two side roads from the Shipka Pass: one of about 16 km from Kazanlak and one of about 12 km from Gabrovo.

Has the Buzludzha Monument appeared in films?

Yes. It was a location for the 2016 film Mechanic: Resurrection and for several music videos, among them by Haloo Helsinki!, Kensington and Rita Ora.