Shipka Peak
Approximately 40 minutes by car from the city of Veliko Tarnovo is one of the most significant emblems of Bulgaria, Mount Shipka with its eponymous Freedom Monument.
Shipka Peak, also known as Saint Nicholas Peak, is a peak in Stara Planina, located to the east of the Shipchen Pass and is of great cultural and historical importance for the country.
On the very top with a height of 1326 m, the Freedom Monument was erected in honor of those who died for the freedom of Bulgaria. The monument commemorates the place defended during the Battle of Shipchensk in 1877. The battles fought on the highest points of the Shipchen Pass (Sveti Nikola peaks, Orlovo Gnezdo, etc.) are also known as the Shipchen Epic.
The Freedom Monument was solemnly opened by Tsar Boris III on August 26, 1934. It was built entirely with donations from the entire Bulgarian people. The construction is the work of the architect Atanas Donkov, the sculptor Alexander Andreev and Kiril Shivarov.
The monument is a massive dolomite tower, 31.5 meters high, in the shape of a truncated pyramid. Above the entrance to the tower is a large brass lion, whose position has been the subject of political disputes between Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece and Serbia. Each side of the debate saw a potential hint in the meaning of the lion’s direction. Ultimately, it was decided that the lion would face east. It is 8 meters long and 4 meters high. On the other sides of the tower are written the names of the places where the battles were fought: Shipka, Stara Zagora and Sheynovo.
An interesting fact is that the stones with which the monument was built were processed manually and transported to it by ox carts.
On the ground floor of the Freedom Monument, in a large marble sarcophagus, the bones of Russian soldiers and Bulgarian militiamen who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom are kept. Above the ground floor there are 4 more floors with displays of battle relics and replicas, and from the top of the tower there is a breathtaking panoramic view of the Shipka peak and the surrounding area.
Shipka Peak, the Freedom Monument and the surrounding historical sites in the area of the Shipka complex are of the highest importance for the entire Bulgarian people. They are a symbol of appreciation, memory of glory and respect for tradition.
The fame of the Shipka peak is mainly due to the great Bulgarian Renaissance writers, and one of the most famous works celebrating the heroism and greatness of this holy place is the ode “The Soldiers of Shipka (August 11, 1877)” by Ivan Vazov.
