Near the entrance to Borisova Gradina, this gigantic monument was built in 1954 and is a prime example of the forceful socialist realism of the period. The place of honour goes to a Red Army soldier atop a column, surrounded by animated cast-iron sculptural groups depicting determined, gun-waving soldiers and grateful, child-caressing members of the proletariat.
Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Aleksander Nevski Cathedral
0.37 MILES
One of the symbols not just of Sofia but of Bulgaria itself, this massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000…
Boyana Church
4.08 MILES
Tiny 13th-century Boyana Church is included on Unesco’s World Heritage list and its 90 murals are among the very finest examples of Bulgarian medieval…
Archaeological Museum
0.64 MILES
Housed in a former mosque built in 1496, this museum displays a wealth of Thracian, Roman and medieval artefacts. Highlights include a mosaic floor from…
Museum of Socialist Art
2.08 MILES
If you wondered where all those unwanted statues of Lenin ended up, you'll find some here, along with the red star from atop Sofia's Party House. There's…
Sofia History Museum
0.82 MILES
The history of Sofia is presented on two floors of the magnificent former Turkish Mineral Baths, just behind the mosque. Exhibitions are divided…
Ancient Serdica Complex
0.77 MILES
This remarkable, partly covered excavation site, situated just above the Serdika metro station, displays the remains of the Roman city, Serdica, that once…
Sveti Nikolai Russian Church
0.44 MILES
This beautiful church with glittering mosaic exterior and golden domes was completed in 1914 for Sofia’s Russian community, and named in honour of St…
Sveta Petka Samardzhiiska Church
0.8 MILES
This tiny church, located in the centre of the Serdika metro complex, was built during the early years of Ottoman rule (late 14th century), which explains…
Nearby Sofia attractions
1. Mausoleum of Prince Alexander I Battenberg
0.12 MILES
This unusual building with its lone copper dome is the final resting place of modern Bulgaria's first head of state.
2. Eagles Bridge
0.15 MILES
This late 19th-century landmark bridge crosses the Perlovska River and is adorned by four eagles.
3. Monument to Tsar Alexander II Osvoboditel
0.24 MILES
This statue of Russian tsar Alexander II and his horse was a 'thank you' for freeing Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
4. National Assembly
0.27 MILES
This imposing neoclassical palace houses the Bulgarian parliament and dates from the 1880s. It's normally closed to the public. Its likeness is traced on…
5. Doctors’ Garden
0.33 MILES
This neat, secluded park features a big, pyramidal monument dedicated to the medics who died in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). Also here is an outdoor…
6. Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church
0.36 MILES
Set in a leafy garden, this church dedicated to Sts Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples was originally built as a mosque in 1528; it later became…
7. Aleksander Nevski Crypt
0.36 MILES
Originally built as a final resting place for Bulgarian kings, this crypt now houses Bulgaria's biggest and best collection of icons, stretching back to…
8. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral
0.37 MILES
One of the symbols not just of Sofia but of Bulgaria itself, this massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000…