Pleven Panorama
Плевен, България
About
The town of Pleven is rightfully thought to be a memorial town and a town-museum. That is because of the Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878, which brought Bulgaria back to the maps of Europe and of the world. During the war the town of Pleven was of a great military, political and strategic importance. The Pleven Epopee turned to be one of the most important events of its history. By their duration, by the number of the warriors and by the casualties, the battles at Pleven proved to be events of large dimensions in the War of Liberation, events that played decisive part for the course and triumphant outcome of the War. Nobody knew the little town of Pleven up to 1877, but then it gathered the attention, emotions, hopes and excitement of the people all over the world. The liberation of Bulgaria started in Pleven – in the muddy trenches, on the strong redoubts, on the soaked with blood battlefields. After the liberation the citizens of Pleven gave very high praise to these events in their letter of grateful acknowledgement, given to the Russian Emperor Alexander II: "The liberation of Pleven is the dawn of the liberation of ancient Bulgaria". Panorama "The Epopee of Pleven -1877" In 1977 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Pleven, on the very place of the former battlefield in Skobelev Park – museum the panorama "The Epopee of Pleven -1877" was built. It was designed by Plamena Tsacheva and Ivo Petrov and a group of designers. The construction of that monument began on 19th January 1977. The inauguration was on 10th December 1977 on the very day of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Pleven. Nickolay V.Ovechkin /Military Studio "M.Grekov" – Moscow, Russia/ was the author of the artistic part, 13 Russian and Bulgarian artists (V.Sherbakov, I.Kabanov, A.Chernishov, M.Annaniev, N.Ovechkin, D.Donchev, V.Essaulov, V.Lemeshev, Hr.Boyagiev, G.Essaulov, V.Tautiev, Y.Ussipenko, A.Trotsenko) painted the canvas under the guidance of Ovechkin. The building was shaped as a frustum of a cone, supported by four stylized bayonets. Three horizontal rings symbolize the three storms at Pleven. The ring with the bayonets stands for the blockade of the town. The building is 47 m high, with total measurement of 54 000 cubic metrеs. Panorama "The Epopee of Pleven -1877" consists of four halls – Introductory Hall, the Panorama, the Diorama and Final Hall.
