Russian Ambassador Floats Potential Relocation of Soviet Monuments from Bulgaria

The Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, indicated in an interview with RTVI television that Moscow does not exclude the possibility of moving Soviet monuments from Bulgaria to Russia. Responding to a question about whether the Russian Foreign Ministry might consider such action if tensions escalate, Mitrofanova noted the complexities involved, citing the example of the Monument to the Soviet Army, which had been dismantled and placed in the Museum of Socialist Art.

The current situation regarding Soviet monuments in Bulgaria has roots in the prolonged debate surrounding the Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia. According to Mitrofanova, efforts to remove the monument from the city center date back to 1992. The recent dismantling of the monument in Sofia and the proposal to relocate the "Alyosha" monument in Plovdiv have fueled discussions about the symbolic meaning and historical representation of these monuments.

While the fate of the "Alyosha" monument in Plovdiv is still pending, municipal councilors from the group "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" have proposed its relocation by the end of 2024. They argue that the monument symbolizes the occupation of Bulgaria by the Red Army between 1944-1947 and distorts historical reality. The proposal aims to honor Bulgarian history, national dignity, and the victims of the totalitarian communist regime.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov commented on the dismantling of the Monument to the Soviet Army, emphasizing its lack of cultural value and describing it as a propaganda monument. Denkov suggested that such monuments should be studied in museums as part of Bulgaria's history rather than displayed in public spaces.

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