Sofia Mayor Denounces Vandalism against Soviet Monuments in Bulgaria

Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova has condemned acts of vandalism against monuments related to the history of the Soviet Union.

"Unfortunately, vandalism cannot be dealt with. It happens in all countries, including in Bulgaria," Fandakova said on November 6 during a visit to Moscow, according to reports of ITAR-TASS and dnevnik.bg.

Apart from expressing her disapproval of such acts, Fandakova stressed that they were not to be interpreted as hostility towards Russia on the part of Bulgaria.

"The young generations have new values, new culture, and a new sense of humor. We do not always manage to understand them," she said.

Fandakova pointed out that there were around 400 such monuments in Bulgaria, which were owned and looked after by the state, in addition to "hundreds and even thousands of names of streets, which perpetuate the proximity between Bulgarian and Russian culture and history."

Although Fandakova's statement came in response to the repeated makeovers of the Soviet Army Monument in Sofia and similar acts, it was tied to the events on Thursday morning.

On Thursday morning, the monument near the headquarters of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) in Sofia was painted in pink and purple, with graffiti saying "Bulgarian Communist Party – Shame", "Who", and "Disgrace" sprayed on.

The graffiti referred to the ongoing protests against Bulgaria's socialist-led government, which were triggered by the scandalous appointment of media mogul Delyan Peevski as head of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) on June 14, and the refusal of the ruling party to disclose the person who put forth Peevski's nomination.

Blogger Asen Genov and four other members of the right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party were arrested over the accident and are now being investigated for hooliganism.

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