Buzludzha

Buzludzha ( ) is a historical peak in the Central Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria. The mountain is located to the east of the Shipka Pass near the town of Kazanlak and is a site of historical importance. The peak is high.History at buzludzha-monument.com; retrieved 13 July 2019 It was renamed to Hadzhi Dimitar (Хаджи Димитър) in 1942 but remains popularly known as Buzludzha. The summit is limestone and granite. Its slopes are covered with grassy vegetation; its foothills and the neighbouring peaks sustain beech forests. The peak's name derives from 'kind of icy'.

History In 1868 it was the place of the final battle between Bulgarian rebels led by Hadzhi Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha and forces of the Ottoman Empire. On 31 July, Hadzhi Dimitar and a band of 30 chetniks fought a losing battle against 700 Ottoman troops; only four Bulgarians survived.The Battle of Buzludzha at shipka museum.org; retrieved 26 July 2018 (Bulgarian) Their action served as an inspiration for the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottomans ten years later; the decisive battle of that conflict was fought a few miles away at the Shipka Pass. The battle of Buzludzha inspired the renown Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev to write the poem "Hadzhi Dimitar":

In 1891 the mountain was the site chosen for the first congress of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party (later the Bulgarian Communist Party) led by Dimitar Blagoev. In 1944 the peak was the scene of fighting between Communist partisans and detachments of the Bulgarian Army when the latter were attacked whilst operating there.The Mountain at buzludzha-monument.com; retrieved 26 July 2018

Following a desire for a national monument at the peak to commemorate these events (proposed as early as 1898) the Buzludzha Monument was built from 1974 to 1981, by public subscription.History at buzludzha-monument.com; retrieved 26 July 2018 The site has several other monuments to its history: A statue of Hadzhi Dimitar, a relief of the 1891 Congress, and a monument to the partisans who fought there in 1944. In 1974, TNT blasting was employed to remove more than 15,000 cubic metres of rock and create a level foundation for building the new memorial house. As a result, the peak was lowered by – from to its current height of .History at buzludzha-monument.com; retrieved 13 July 2019

Travel Buzludzha can be reached by two roads from the Shipka Pass: a 16 km road from Kazanlak to the south and a 12 km road from Gabrovo to the north. Despite its abandoned and deteriorating condition, the site attracts tourists and urban explorers interested in its history and architecture.

In popular culture British pop singer Rita Ora released a short film for her 2021 EP Bang at various sites in Bulgaria including the Buzludzha monument.

Buzludzha

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