People In Bulgaria Keep Vandalizing This Soviet Monument And Some Of Its Makeovers Are Hilarious
If you were born in the Eastern block of Europe, you sure as hell saw a lot of Soviet monuments around. Soldiers, proudly leaning in forward in anticipation for a head-on fight with their guns in hands, fellow comrades standing in all their imposing and muscular glory, huge heads of Lenin… You’ve seen them all. While for the older generation, it can really evoke positive sentiments, even memories of the glorious Soviet army maybe, for the young ones these monuments are usually synonymous with the good ole Soviet brain-washing.
The young generation of Bulgarians falls into the latter category. In Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, a huge monument for the Soviet Army was built back in 1954. However, it sure has seen better days, as the monument becomes a victim of vandalism over and over again. The city officials clean it only to find it painted over again.
It all started in 2011 when the monument was painted to look like a mish-mash of American pop-culture icons
Image credits: Ignat Ignev
The painting job was done by a group of anonymous artists who call themselves Destructive Creation. The daunting military figures were turned into much friendlier subjects like Superman, Ronald McDonald, Santa Claus, and Wonder Woman. A slogan which translates into English as “In pace with time” was scribbled beneath them.
In 2012, the monument’s soldiers were given balaclavas in support of Pussy Riot
Image credits: Nikolay Tsekov
In 2012, three previously arrested members of the Russian feminist protest punk rock band Pussy Riot were convicted by a Russian court and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment each. This was widely criticized outside Russia and on the same day of the conviction, colorful knit balaclavas (trademark of Pussy Riot members) were put on the heads of figures of the monument.
In 2013, it was covered in pink in honor of the anniversary of the Prague Spring in 1968
Image credits: Ignat Ignev
The pink color is a reference to the painting of The Monument to Soviet Tank Crews in Prague by David Černý in 1991., while the slogan beneath the figures says “Bulgaria apologizes.”
In 2014, it announced “Glory to Ukraine”
Image credits: Vassia Atanassova
In February 2014, the monument was painted once again and this time it honored Ukraine that was (and still is) a victim of Russia’s aggression. One of the soldiers and the flag above was painted in the national colors of Ukraine and the phrase “Glory to Ukraine” was written in Ukrainian on the monument. An obscene reference to Vladimir Putin was also made, by calling him “Kaputin.” The vandalism was an act of support of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution.
Here’s how the monument looks without any paint on it
Image credits: kashulk
What do you think? Do you support this kind of vandalism?
People online had very conflicting opinions
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Well, I'm also bulgarian and I freakin' love the "vandalizing" of this so called monument. Let me clarify something for you - this abomination is a HUGE monument at the sole center of our capital city. We have a myriad of our own heroes, who fought and gave their lives for our freedom but there isn't a single monument for them. And yet, there is a huge thing to remind us for our oppressor who killed 20000 people when took over after WW2 - the russians. So yeah, we don't need this ugly thing to remind us of the ugly people that conquered us.
Yeah, I had an inkling you'd think something along those lines, considering the way the USSR "liberated" most of the Eastern Europe...
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My dad was born in Bulgaria when it was under Soviet control, my mother was born in Russia. I’m a first generation American and I’m glad they were able to leave.
Hannah, your parents were lucky if they were able to leave - were permitted to leave? Many others died by crossing bob-wire fences and mine field borders, or going over the Berlin wall.
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Good job! Bulgarians, like any victims of the "red plague", have no reason to respect soviet occupants even if they "free" country from nazis
Gotta love the comments "if not for these soldiers we would be speaking German". "These soldiers" were sent to fight nazis by the leaders who collaborated and split Europe with the same nazis. Creating a problem and then sending soldiers to "solve" the problem is not cool. Don't forget, "these soldiers" merily killed Polish hand in hand with nazis. There are many photographs of "these soldiers" fraternizing with nazis in 1939. And after the war "these soldiers" killed civilians in "liberated" countries just as diligently as they killed nazis. "These soldiers" were a band thieves, rapists and murderers.
Bulgarians are absolutely right to vandalize this so called 'monument', they've suffered enough in 40 years of Russian occupation.
I think that Bulgarian in the comments forgot that during WW2 they fought on the Axis side...
Actually, Stalin flipped on Hitler after he invaded the USSR
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Another bulgarian here! Truth is that every russian soldier deserves the respect and honor. When talking about Russias plans for Bulgaria and the balkans we have to be objective and it's not good. All Russia wants is power and war, nothing else. Stalin is the guy who ordered Tito to kill around 250 000 ethnic bulgarian in Serbia one Christmas(Thank you Serbia!!!) It was a blood bath. Same happened with the bulgarians at Kavkhaz. In the end of WW2 Bulgaria had capitulated what Russia did? Well they bombarded our cities Ruse, Vidin and Dobrich at Danube river, they invaded our country, raped, pillaged and killed our country men all the while they were welcomed with open arms and bread from our people. Also there wasn't nothing like fascism in Bulgaria this is just a communist propaganda. SO F**K YOU EMPIRE OF THE DARK SIDE and stop putting your nose in our internal politics. Btw Putin's name means vagina in Bulgarian P.s. Sorry for my writing, but i'm under the influence of pure hatred.
People die for many different stupid reasons. This does not mean that we must respect the death of each one of them. F*ck communism and anyone who has anything to do with it.
I do not call it vandalism, it is rather reference to the post-war communist oppression....it did not died, and it's dangerous.
Hahaa. Near where I live, which is coastal North County San Diego CA, is a beach town called Cardiff with a hideous statue of a mounted surfer on the bluffs. The guy is in a comically awkward position on his board with a strained look on his face, almost looking like he's defecating on it. It's known as the "Cardiff Kook" and pretty much every week someone mockingly dresses it up or vandalizes it in some hilarious way. Remember, this is a town full of avid surfers- hence the monument- and those guys tend to balk at misrepresentations of their craft. Sometimes a really motivated vandal will add elaborate props like a toilet on the surfboard or once, even an additional "statue" of papier mache of another dude lying down under his bum, about to receive a Hot Karl. Google the "Cardiff Kook" and treat yourself to a vast montage of [mostly] clever defacement.
A kind of different vandalizing, Andy. Sometimes, it stands for something, is not done out of spite.
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Act of vandalism has been bulding it in the first place. Of course it is more complicated, but imagine that your parents nda participated in a conflict with some neighbours which turned violent. Come some big mobster with a baseball bat comes from across the street, ends the fight (by backstaving your father) poops in your itchen and since then becomes histerical each timeime you suggest cleaning the poop. Sofian viewpoint, of course. This is not that much art, but attemp to make something deeply hated, a bit more fresher and acceptable.
Load More Replies...
https://offnews.bg/obshtestvo/virtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html
There is even more - hands in blood: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi2.offnews.bg%2Fevents%2F2015%2F05%2F09%2F502651%2F1431179587_2_800x*.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Foffnews.bg%2Fobshtestvo%2Fvirtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html&tbnid=nRs8mACicLjQmM&vet=12ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ..i&docid=ph25ztUklS1e2M&w=800&h=318&q=%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D1%81%D1%8A%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8&ved=2ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ
Stupid. My deep thanks to people, who washed these statues. I believe and I see that normal people in Bulgaria still have memory. I was there 4 times since 1989 and and I love you, people. History is not black or white.
One more: hands in blood https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi2.offnews.bg%2Fevents%2F2015%2F05%2F09%2F502651%2F1431179587_2_800x*.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Foffnews.bg%2Fobshtestvo%2Fvirtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html&tbnid=nRs8mACicLjQmM&vet=12ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ..i&docid=ph25ztUklS1e2M&w=800&h=318&q=%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D1%81%D1%8A%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8&ved=2ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ
Well, I'm also bulgarian and I freakin' love the "vandalizing" of this so called monument. Let me clarify something for you - this abomination is a HUGE monument at the sole center of our capital city. We have a myriad of our own heroes, who fought and gave their lives for our freedom but there isn't a single monument for them. And yet, there is a huge thing to remind us for our oppressor who killed 20000 people when took over after WW2 - the russians. So yeah, we don't need this ugly thing to remind us of the ugly people that conquered us.
Yeah, I had an inkling you'd think something along those lines, considering the way the USSR "liberated" most of the Eastern Europe...
Load More Replies... My dad was born in Bulgaria when it was under Soviet control, my mother was born in Russia. I’m a first generation American and I’m glad they were able to leave.
Hannah, your parents were lucky if they were able to leave - were permitted to leave? Many others died by crossing bob-wire fences and mine field borders, or going over the Berlin wall.
Load More Replies... Good job! Bulgarians, like any victims of the "red plague", have no reason to respect soviet occupants even if they "free" country from nazis
Gotta love the comments "if not for these soldiers we would be speaking German". "These soldiers" were sent to fight nazis by the leaders who collaborated and split Europe with the same nazis. Creating a problem and then sending soldiers to "solve" the problem is not cool. Don't forget, "these soldiers" merily killed Polish hand in hand with nazis. There are many photographs of "these soldiers" fraternizing with nazis in 1939. And after the war "these soldiers" killed civilians in "liberated" countries just as diligently as they killed nazis. "These soldiers" were a band thieves, rapists and murderers.
Bulgarians are absolutely right to vandalize this so called 'monument', they've suffered enough in 40 years of Russian occupation.
I think that Bulgarian in the comments forgot that during WW2 they fought on the Axis side...
Actually, Stalin flipped on Hitler after he invaded the USSR
Load More Replies... Another bulgarian here! Truth is that every russian soldier deserves the respect and honor. When talking about Russias plans for Bulgaria and the balkans we have to be objective and it's not good. All Russia wants is power and war, nothing else. Stalin is the guy who ordered Tito to kill around 250 000 ethnic bulgarian in Serbia one Christmas(Thank you Serbia!!!) It was a blood bath. Same happened with the bulgarians at Kavkhaz. In the end of WW2 Bulgaria had capitulated what Russia did? Well they bombarded our cities Ruse, Vidin and Dobrich at Danube river, they invaded our country, raped, pillaged and killed our country men all the while they were welcomed with open arms and bread from our people. Also there wasn't nothing like fascism in Bulgaria this is just a communist propaganda. SO F**K YOU EMPIRE OF THE DARK SIDE and stop putting your nose in our internal politics. Btw Putin's name means vagina in Bulgarian P.s. Sorry for my writing, but i'm under the influence of pure hatred.
People die for many different stupid reasons. This does not mean that we must respect the death of each one of them. F*ck communism and anyone who has anything to do with it.
I do not call it vandalism, it is rather reference to the post-war communist oppression....it did not died, and it's dangerous.
Hahaa. Near where I live, which is coastal North County San Diego CA, is a beach town called Cardiff with a hideous statue of a mounted surfer on the bluffs. The guy is in a comically awkward position on his board with a strained look on his face, almost looking like he's defecating on it. It's known as the "Cardiff Kook" and pretty much every week someone mockingly dresses it up or vandalizes it in some hilarious way. Remember, this is a town full of avid surfers- hence the monument- and those guys tend to balk at misrepresentations of their craft. Sometimes a really motivated vandal will add elaborate props like a toilet on the surfboard or once, even an additional "statue" of papier mache of another dude lying down under his bum, about to receive a Hot Karl. Google the "Cardiff Kook" and treat yourself to a vast montage of [mostly] clever defacement.
A kind of different vandalizing, Andy. Sometimes, it stands for something, is not done out of spite.
Load More Replies... Act of vandalism has been bulding it in the first place. Of course it is more complicated, but imagine that your parents nda participated in a conflict with some neighbours which turned violent. Come some big mobster with a baseball bat comes from across the street, ends the fight (by backstaving your father) poops in your itchen and since then becomes histerical each timeime you suggest cleaning the poop. Sofian viewpoint, of course. This is not that much art, but attemp to make something deeply hated, a bit more fresher and acceptable.
Load More Replies... https://offnews.bg/obshtestvo/virtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html
There is even more - hands in blood: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi2.offnews.bg%2Fevents%2F2015%2F05%2F09%2F502651%2F1431179587_2_800x*.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Foffnews.bg%2Fobshtestvo%2Fvirtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html&tbnid=nRs8mACicLjQmM&vet=12ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ..i&docid=ph25ztUklS1e2M&w=800&h=318&q=%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D1%81%D1%8A%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8&ved=2ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ
Stupid. My deep thanks to people, who washed these statues. I believe and I see that normal people in Bulgaria still have memory. I was there 4 times since 1989 and and I love you, people. History is not black or white.
One more: hands in blood https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi2.offnews.bg%2Fevents%2F2015%2F05%2F09%2F502651%2F1431179587_2_800x*.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Foffnews.bg%2Fobshtestvo%2Fvirtualno-okarvaviha-pametnika-na-savetskata-armia-snimki-502651.html&tbnid=nRs8mACicLjQmM&vet=12ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ..i&docid=ph25ztUklS1e2M&w=800&h=318&q=%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D1%81%D1%8A%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8&ved=2ahUKEwjVvv6WkN7lAhUR_IUKHd7cCk4QMygCegUIARDYAQ
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