The Shipka Monument, also called the Liberty Memorial, crowns Shipka Peak in the Balkan Mountains and is the centerpiece of the Shipka National Park-Museum. It honors the defense of the Shipka Pass in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 to 1878. Donations from people across Bulgaria paid for it.
The cornerstone was laid on August 24, 1922, and the work was completed in 1930. Boris III unveiled it on August 26, 1934. The article names no architect or sculptor. It is 103 feet (31.5 meters) tall, and 890 steps lead up to it. Its outline resembles a medieval Bulgarian fortress.
A bronze lion guards the entrance. Inside, a marble sarcophagus rests on four prone stone lions, with statues of a Bulgarian volunteer and a Russian soldier above. Three walls bear the names Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara Zagora. Seven further floors hold soldiers' effects, weapons and documents, and the top platform gives a panoramic view.
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