Communist-era Hotel Rila Review, Sofia Bulgaria.Watch Before Staying !!
A fascinating hotel property if you like communist-era hotel and architectural legacy. The Hotel Rila is an amazing location. Super-convenient and cost-effective, the hotel is a bargain. I enjoyed my stay but I love that Brutal-architecture style and old communist era nostalgia. My partner did not like the hotel. Anyway, for a night or 2, it's worth staying here. It's an older hotel so things don't always work well, are not super new and without stain. I might question the fire alarm system but I have no way of knowing that equipment condition.
♫ Chaotix - State of Elevation
Secret Filming | Communist Bulgaria | Sofia | TV Eye | 1981
Thames Televisions went on assignment in Communist Bulgaria. Due to government restrictions they were forced to pose as tourists and film using tourist cameras.
First shown: 03/09/1981
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Buzludzha: A crumbling reminder of communism | The Economist
Buzludzha was once the futuristic, flying-saucer shaped headquarters of the Communist Party in Bulgaria, but it is now a semi-ruin after being left to rot.
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This is Buzludzha, the former home of Bulgaria's Communist Party which lies 200 kilometers east of Sofia. It was built in 1981, at a time when the power of the communist regime seemed unshakable. Now it's crumbling. When it was first commissioned enormous effort was put into constructing the building. It was 15 million Levs, or $35 million today and five years in the making.
6,000 workers, including artists, sculptors, and soldiers from the Bulgarian army came together to construct this elegant monstrosity. Their aim? To create a building that would impress, inspire, and intimidate to make visible the might of the Communist Party. For some the marble and mosaics were a source of pride. For others it was a constant reminder of communisms firm grip on society.
Less than a decade after Buzludzha was opened the communist regime was overthrown and as Bulgarians embrace democracy, this epic monument to communism was abandoned.
ownership of Buzludzha has fallen to the post communist state. But Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in the European Union and it does not have enough money to maintain or repair it. Instead, the building has been left to the elements.
But there is a haunting beauty in the buildings decline, and people have recently been finding creative uses for the space. Huben Hubenov, editor of a fashion magazine in Bulgaria, staged a photo shoot there in July. It has also been used for art exhibitions, workshops, and as a backdrop for a music video by a French pop band. Even though it's technically closed, dozens of visitors explore Buzludzha every week. The area isn't serviced by public transport so the curious must drive or bike some 30 kilometers outside of a town called Gabrovo, up a dangerous mountain road. Once there, they'll confront crumbling staircases, barred entrances, and broken glass. To enter they must crawl through a small opening on the side of the building, and over a 10 meter drop.
Experts believe a full renovation would cost over $19 million - a price tag that leaves Bulgarians conflicted. Some suggest demolishing the structure. Others think it could be used as a museum to remember communism - but even this is controversial.
25 years after its completion, Buzludzha is still a divisive topic. Bulgarians have different visions for its future but most agree that it should have one.
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Bulgaria
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | Check your local public television station for this Rick Steves’ Europe episode or watch it on Bulgaria, so mysterious to most Americans, has a vivid identity as a crossroads of the Balkans. We'll trace the country's complex history, from ancient Thracian tombs to medieval Orthodox Christian monasteries to Soviet monuments. And we'll enjoy an intimate taste of contemporary culture: the yellow brick road of Sofia; the gregarious craftspeople of the medieval capital, Veliko Tarnovo; and the thriving pedestrian zones of cosmopolitan Plovdiv.
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Free Trabant Tour in Sofia, Bulgaria
This video shows the fun free Trabant tour in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Free Communist Trabant tour starts Saturday and Sundays 10:00 am.The meeting point is next to the National Palace of Culture and Starbucks on (Fridtjof Nansen Str.). It's a great Experience.
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Exploring a Breath-Taking Ancient Fortress | Belogradchik, Bulgaria ????????
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This is the first episode of Explorior Bulgaria Roadtrip about how we explored Bulgaria's greatest ancient fortress, hiked to the top of Mt. Vihren (which is the second tallest mountain in the country), visited a large abandoned Jewish Synagogue and quite a bit more!
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Walking Tours in Sofia Bulgaria - Sofia Landmarks
Come with us on one of the best self-guided Walking Tours in Sofia Bulgaria - Sofia Landmarks. This tour can be found using the GPSmycity app, which I highly recommend.
Sofia is the capital city of Bulgaria, a former communist country up until 1989. So as you would expect, there are many imposing landmarks and monuments to be seen. Overall this tour is about 4km and takes about 2 hours, and passes by many of the best Sofia Landmarks.
Here are the Sofia Landmarks you will see on this tour:
National Palace of Culture
Memorial of Communist Victims
Tzar Liberator Monument
The Building of Bulgaria's National Assembly
The Levski Monument
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Ivan Vazov Grave
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Saint Sofia Church
Sofia Synagogue
So let's go walking, to some of the top must-see attractions of Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Bulgaria: Communist-era monument's removal divides Sofia residents
Residents of Sofia were divided over the removal of the '1,300 Years of Bulgaria' Communist-era memorial, located in front of the capital's National Palace of Culture on Friday.
The 35-metre (115 ft) statue was constructed in 1981, in only eight months. Its seven-metre (23ft) tall brass figures and fragments of poems by national heroes and poets are meant to represent the past, present and future of Bulgaria; however, since its construction it has fallen into disrepair.
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Communist Era Apartment in Sofia Bulgaria
This apartment was built in 1970s in Sofia, Bulgaria according to the old Communist era, Soviet Union, standards. After 40 years of existence this apartment has barely changed even though Bulgaria has joined the EU in 2006 - 2007. Sofia has a bunch of these old apartments that don't satisfy modern standards. They are literally everywhere. The info-structure of Sofia is far away from any international standards. The old communist era buildings in Sofia are left to rotten and are definitely telling us about Bulgaria's past communist era endeavour.
STRANGEST Places in Bulgaria
From decaying soviet monuments, to the bridge that’s possibly possessed by the devil, here are 12 strangest places in Bulgaria. But first, we’d like to give a shout out to all our bulgarian subscribers out and be sure to let us know in the comment section that you’re watching.
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4. Alyosha Monument!
As we’ve mentioned before, Bulgaria was certainly a part of the Soviet Union, whether they liked it or not and possibly as a form of propaganda, massive monuments were constructed to represent soviet strength. Here we see the Alyosha monument which stands 36 feet tall in the city of Plovdiv. Built in 1957, this was meant to memorialize the Red Army gaining control of the city after fighting off Nazi forces during world war II. The striking presence is rather clear, as it sits on the top of a hillside, overlooking the city. Inhabitants of the town have mixed feelings about the monument. While some believe it’s a dark reminder of sovie t rule, others find it to be a work of art that attracts tourism to the area. The people of the city even thought about turning it into a giant coke bottle but instead, they just left it the way it is. It’s also used as an observation town, where people can take in amazing views of the valley around them. What do you think about this relic of soviet rule? Should Bulgaria hold onto Soviet monuments for tourism purposes or should they transform them into something less imposing. Let us know in the comment section and maybe we’ll feature you in an upcoming video!
3. Bulgarian Soviet Friendship Monument
Also located in the province of Varna, another imposing soviet moment stands stall made of solid concrete. This stands right on the coastline of the Black Sea, so that it can be visible to incoming ships. The location of the monument also has historical importance to it. It was built on Turna Hill which saw quite a bit of bloodshed, where russians launched an attack against the Ottomans in 1828. It takes 300 steps to reach the top and the monument is 160 feet across. The four sculptures you see are of 4 soviet soldiers who are coming to rescue 3 seemingly helpless Bulgarian women. The monument tries to display soviet heroism and wants to represent how they’ve saved Bulgaria from foreign rulers throughout history, while they were sort of a foreign occupier themselves. It took 10000 concrete to build along with 1000 tons of armature iron for the structure. On the positive side, the Soviets added more than 20,000 trees to this project surrounding the monument which helps out with the environment at least. The structure opened in 1978 but was left abandoned after the fall of communism. Today it’s still visited by many tourists in the area.
2. Kaliakra
The rocky coastline of the black sea in some locations can certainly create some dramatic breathtaking scenes. Located North of Varna, this peninsula is known for it’s still cliffsides, medieval fortresses and spooky history! According to legend, 40 Bulgarian women decided that they would rather jump off the cliffside and into the black sea, rather than being capture by the ottomans and used as harem girls. Many claim that they’re ghosts still linger throughout the cliffsides late at night. Other legends tell tales about an officer of alexander the great who seized a large amount of treasure then he decided to hide out here. However, on his way, he was met by a huge storm that sunk his ship! Could there still be treasure lingering nearby? Visitors of this mysterious piece of land can explore ruins of a fortress that was built here, a statue of an admiral F Ushakov dolphins and also the wind power generators that provide electricity to nearby areas.
The Devil’s Bridge
Be careful about crossing the Devil’s bridge in Bulgaria, because it might just be possessed by the Devil himself. There are a few Devil’s Bridges throughout Europe but many claim that his one is one of the creepiest in the world and that the devil actually helped in the final construction.. It also gets this name for the ghoulish reflection it makes on the water and if you turn this photo vertically, you can see the horns and evil shape of the eyes! Legends also claim that a body of the builder's wife was hidden inside this structure and builder had to made a pact with the devil to complete it. ! Some believe if you look around the wilderness around the bridge, you can find the devil’s footprints on the stones. No matter what the case maybe, this is certainly a spooky looking bridge especially when it’s foggy. Locals tend to avoid walking here late at night and
One day tour Bulgaria Sofia- Bulgaria sightseeing 2018
Quick View of Bulgarin Sofia sightseeing.
Bulgaria - The long revolution
They still resemble delicate fairies when they dance. Watching these ballet dancers, one cannot help but remember the days of Communism when Bulgaria's female track and field athletes swept the board in international competitions. The only difference is that today the girls in Sofia's dance school smile more often as they whirl through the air. Even the dancers' trainer is the same person as in the old days -- Neschka Robeva. No one knows if the state will be willing to pay for this institution much longer, she says. Robeva believes that anyone making long-term plans in Bulgaria today is either stupid or a hopeless optimist. She dislikes the general mentality that has descended on the population following the political upheaval: The nation has not understood that self-discipline is still the most important thing, even in the new system. Teachers like Robeva used to enjoy high social standing in Bulgaria. But today this only applies to people who make a lot of money.
Museum of Socialist art in Sofia, Bulgaria. Walkthrough
Today we are visiting a museum of Socialist art, located in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Soviet era ended in 1990 in many former Eastern-bloc countries, including Bulgaria. But there are still many Soviet-era monuments that can be found across Eastern Europe. One of such collections is a Museum of Socialist Art.
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99. Soviet vacation 7. A trip to sunny Bulgaria #ussr, #soviet
My Russian friend Rodion's story about traveling to Bulgaria in 1987. Soviet tourists abroad.
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SOFIA, BULGARIA! | Walking Tour & Delicious Food
Vlog #43 Exploring Bulgaria's capital.
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BULGARIA - The land of COMMUNISM
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Walking Tours in Sofia Bulgaria - Yellow Brick Road
When it comes to free walking tours in Sofia Bulgaria - the yellow brick road walking tour is one of the best. This walking tour takes in many of Sofia's main attractions along the way.
Sofia has a vast network of roads in the city centers lined with yellow pavers, a gift from times gone by. On the GetYourGuide app, there is a wonderful called the yellow pavers tour. I follow this free walking tour through Sophia to find all the famous attractions listed on the GetYourGuide app.
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Sofia former Communist HQ buildings
A quick tour of where the Bulgarian communist-ruled the country from in Sofia. Also, a brief look at the effects WW2 had on this area of Sofia.
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