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<p><em>This is probably the most famous monument in the world to a Soviet soldier. And all thanks to the song of Konstantin Vanshenkin to the music of Eduard Kolmanovsky, dedicated specifically to this monument. The song “Alyosha” was even the official hymn of Plovdiv until 1989, that is, until the fall of communism in the country.</em></p>
<p>https://imgp.golos.io/0x0/http://varyadavydova.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/plovdiv-monument-1024x788.jpg</p>
<h3>He is not "Alesha"</h3>
<p>In fact, the monument is called "Pametnik on Svetskata army." "Alesha" is a popular nickname. Where it came from - there are two versions.</p>
<p>The first one says that the prototype of the monument was Alexei Skurlatov, a Red Army man, who established a telephone connection between Sofia and Plovdiv in 1944. Say, he made friends with the local signalman <a href="https://varyadavydova.com/">Bulgarian</a> methodic Vitanov, and when they began work on the monument, Vitanov gave Skurlatov a photograph to the Bulgarian sculptor.</p>
<p>The second version is this: Metodi Vitanov missed his Russian friend Alexey Skurlatov so much that he once climbed the hill where the monument stands and wrote on the Alosha pedestal.</p>
<p>https://imgp.golos.io/0x0/http://varyadavydova.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/alyosha-monument-plovdiv-aerial-view-unknown-soldier-also-known-as-bulgaria-91168552.jpg</p>
<h3>The size of the monument</h3>
<p>In different sources, the incorrect dimensions of the monument are often indicated: then 10 meters, then 11, then 15. In fact, it has a total height of 17.30 meters, and the figure of a soldier itself is 10.80 meters.</p>
<h3>Desecration of the monument</h3>
<p>Both cases that are considered “desecration of the monument” are not Russophobic in nature.</p>
<p>In 2013, the soldier was put on a red cloak and a black scarf on his face. It was an action against the "communist occupation". The fact is that the coup of September 9 in Bulgaria is now considered to be the military - on this day the communists seized power in the country. This is the attitude of the Bulgarians to the regime, and not to Russia.</p>
<p>In the second case, in the same year, the foot of the monument was inscribed in “Totev von” and “Plovdiv without censorship” - activists drew attention to local political problems.</p>
<p>In 2017, the pedestal was covered with slogans from the category of "communism will not pass."</p>
<p>https://imgp.golos.io/0x0/http://varyadavydova.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2111495528.jpg</p>
<p>I want to draw the attention of readers that nothing like this ever happens to monuments belonging to Tsarist Russia and Russian persons. Monuments of the "Soviet Army" in Bulgaria, this is the only incarnation of communism in stone.</p>
<h3>The story of the appearance of the monument "Soviet Army" in Plovdiv</h3>
<p>In 1947, the City Initiative Committee was set up in Plovdiv to erect a monument to the Soviet army on one of the Plovdiv hills — there are seven of them. It was completely in the spirit of the time. The idea of this monument came from the war. Initially, the chairman of this committee was Lieutenant-General Asen Grekov, head of the Plovdiv garrison. A competition of projects for the monument was announced.</p>
<p>For this purpose, collected prize money:</p>
<ul>
<li> District trade union council transferred 50,000 leva;</li>
<li> Cooperation "World" - 20 000 levs;</li>
<li> Plovdiv community - 2 million leva;</li>
<li> Ministry of Defense - 1 million lv;</li>
</ul>
<p>For ten months, 6 405 000 million levs were collected.</p>
<ul>
<li> 200 000 lv</li>
<li> 150 000 lv</li>
<li> 100 000 lv</li>
</ul>
<p>By the end of May 1948, the committee received 10 projects. The jury was the most authoritative representatives of the ministry and creative unions. The first award was not awarded to anyone. Second place went to the project "Victory" by sculptor Asen Ivanov from Plovdiv. And the third place is the “Red Bogatyr” of the work of a whole team led by architect Nikolai Marangozov. In the end, they chose the project "Red Bogatyr", made its layout at a scale of 1: 1 and set it on a hill. For a whole month they looked at him and thought it was good or not. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the Plovdivians need a figure that would have a silhouette effect, like the Statue of Liberty in America. So that Plovdiv can be seen from far away, because the city is located in the middle of the Thracian valley. Many months passed before sculptor Vasil Radoslavov offered the city a figure of a soldier. The bas-relief, reflecting the meeting of the Soviet army in Bulgaria, was made by Alexander Zankov, Georgi Kotsev created the second bas-relief, showing the fighting moment. The team that worked on the complete decoration of the monument included many more well-known names in Bulgaria. All these are recognized artists and masters of their craft.</p>
<p>https://imgp.golos.io/0x0/http://varyadavydova.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/de9d1ec660a94bba071cdd179806af77.jpg</p>
<p>The monument was solemnly opened on November 5, 1957. "Alesha" has become a symbol of the city of Plovdiv. Graduates go to “Alyosha” after the ball, the newlyweds after the registry office. In the 60s, the Soviet cosmonauts visited the monument and Yuri Gagarin was among them - each planted one spruce tree, and this was how the Cosmonauts Alley turned out.</p>
<h3>How survived "Alosh"</h3>
<p>In 1990, communism finally fell in the country and the People’s Republic of Bulgaria was renamed the Republic of Bulgaria. Moods arose to destroy the monuments of communism.</p>
<p>In 1992, the right political party SDS (Union of Democratic Forces) demanded to break the monument to the “Soviet Army” in Plovdiv and then the BSP party (Bulgarian Socialist Party) offered a subscription to preserve the monument. Thousands of signatures were collected and a press conference was organized by the creators of the monument. At this conference, architect Boris Markov said that the monument was erected for "eternal times" and if it was broken, the architectonics of the hill itself and the whole environment would be destroyed, the buildings on the slope of this hill would be damaged.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Bulgarian intelligentsia is convinced that the monument to the "Soviet Army" in Plovdiv survived because it symbolizes a gratitude to the army that liberated Europe from the fascist plague.</p>
<h3>Aleshin Hill</h3>
<p>https://imgp.golos.io/0x0/http://varyadavydova.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/pfth.jpg</p>
<p>A separate word deserves the Bunardzhik hill, on which stands "Alyosha". This is the most popular of the seven Plovdiv hills. Bunardzhik is located in the western part of the center of Plovdiv, its height is 108 meters, it is the most well-groomed area in the city and is traditionally the favorite resting place of citizens.</p>
<p>In ancient times, at the very top of the hill stood the imposing statue of Hercules. Its pedestal was preserved until the 50s of the 19th century and there was a half-erased inscription on it, saying that it was placed in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. It is believed that in the middle of the hill was a temple complex, and under it a cave with a source. Found bas-reliefs indicate that the temple was dedicated to the goddess Demeter. An antique necropolis has been found on the eastern and southern foot of the hill. Many graves were devastated in antiquity, and then this necropolis was turned into a Turkish cemetery.</p>
<p>In 1881, the Russian Monument was erected on the hill - the country's first monument dedicated to the Russian-Turkish war of liberation.</p>
<p>In 1901, the first restaurant, famous for its frog legs, was built on the hill. And then the hill was gradually built up and settled, and turned into a favorite place for walks for Plovdiv.</p>
<p>Ethnographers claim that the oldest name of the hill is “Purd", originated from the Thracians.</p>
<p><em>It is said that in 1934, with an official visit, Tsar Boris III called Bunardzhik "The Liberators' Hill".</em></p>
<p>Thank you for your time and attention.</p>
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