Sofia City Council approved the offer dismantle the monument to the Soviet Army and move it to another place in the capital of Bulgaria.
According to the decision of March 9, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova must now send a request to the regional governor of Sofia to move the monument to the Museum of Socialist Art, since the monument is state property and the city council does not have the authority to move it without the consent and cooperation of the government.
The monument with a large pedestal was built in 1954 in honor of the Soviet Red Army. It has long been the subject of controversy, with critics claiming it was built for propaganda purposes to promote the former communist government.
In 1993, the Sofia city council voted for the dismantling of the monument for the first time, but it still stands today. The monument became the object of numerous protests. In February, the question of dismantling the monument became more acute, when several plaques were destroyed on the facade of the monument, which the city authorities recognized as dangerous for passers-by.
61-year-old pensioner Svitlozar Rayanov was detained for 24 hours for destroying license plates. Later, he told reporters that he had damaged the monument in protest against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
On March 9, after several hours of debate, city council deputies from the pro-European coalition “Democratic Bulgaria”, the GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and “Patriots for Sofia” voted to move the monument.
Representatives of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) opposed the proposal and promised to appeal the decision if it is passed.
Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev also commented on this issue, suggesting that decisions regarding the monument should be made after the extraordinary parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2.
“Politicians should leave this topic for the period after the elections so that the most correct decision is made in a calm environment,” Donev said.
BSP, “Renaissance” and other pro-Russian parties protested against the movement of the monument, including throwing eggs and paint at the municipal building, where the city council is located, during the discussion of this measure.
On March 7, the city council’s committee on education and culture decided to move the monument based on the proposal submitted by the “Democratic Bulgaria” coalition in 2020.
