A forgotten monument

A forgotten monument

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Stars trail over Memorial House, a space age monument to Communism, built by the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1981.

The unusual structure, known locally as the “Saucer,” has fallen into disrepair since the fall of the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, although it remains a popular site for graffiti artists.

. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

The main hall of Memorial House, which hosted party meetings, has a diameter of over 40 meters. Mosaics of Communist leaders adorn the walls and a hammer and sickle decorates the ceiling.

After twenty years of neglect, most valuable materials have been stripped from the building, including roof paneling, leaving it open to the elements.

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Slideshow

Memorial House is seen atop mount Buzludzha
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Memorial House is seen atop mount Buzludzha

A monument is seen near memorial house.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

A monument is seen near memorial house.

A mosaic is seen inside the decaying building.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

A mosaic is seen inside the decaying building.

A mosaic is pictured inside.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

A mosaic is pictured inside.

Stained and broken floor tiles are seen in the building.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Stained and broken floor tiles are seen in the building.

A damaged mosaic of children playing with a toy aeroplane decorates a wall.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

A damaged mosaic of children playing with a toy aeroplane decorates a wall.

Murals of Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx, and Vladimir Lenin are seen inside the crumbling main hall.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Murals of Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx, and Vladimir Lenin are seen inside the crumbling main hall.

Photographers take pictures inside the main hall.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Photographers take pictures inside the main hall.

"Proletarians of all countries, unite!" reads the text on a ceiling mural.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

"Proletarians of all countries, unite!" reads the text on a ceiling mural.

Horses are seen near Memorial House.
. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Horses are seen near Memorial House.

"All I could hear was the groaning of the wind and the building creaking."
Stoyan Nenov, Reuters Photographer

"Workers - men and women, of the world - unite! Ahead! Comrades, let's bravely build up our great cause! Let's work, let’s create - the worker to enlighten!" This crumbling inscription welcomes visitors at the entrance of a UFO-shaped structure, perched on top of Mount Buzludzha in the Balkan mountain range

With its one-of-a-kind architecture, the Memorial House of the Bulgarian Communist party stands out among the formidable monuments glorifying the regime. The main hall, which hosted party meeting, boasts a diameter of 42 metres, with mosaics of Communist leaders decorating the walls. The ubiquitous hammer and sickle embellish the ceiling. Outside, a 70-metre high column peaked with two built-in red stars – another symbol of communism – reaches towards the sky.

But the monument, which dates to 1981, has turned into an eerie wreck after the authorities stopped paying for its maintenance following the fall of the Communist regime.

Inside the “Saucer,” as locals call it, the stairs are falling apart and there is no light except shafts of daylight entering through gaps in the roof. The sounds of dripping water, falling plaster and the sudden rush of wind echoes around the dank hall.

Despite the breath-taking panoramic views, the place feels haunted. As other visitors departed and I was alone a creepy sensation crept over me - all I could hear was the groaning of the wind and the building creaking.

Thankfully, this feeling left me as soon as I went back into the daylight. Graffiti making fun of the UFO shaped monument covers its facade. The drawings often change because Socialist Party activists clean it regularly. Some artists use the graffiti to express their feelings about the communist regime.

One of the most noticeable drawings in the last few years was a message right above the entrance reading: “Forget your past.”

And indeed, Buzludzha and other monuments from the communist regime spark debates about what their fate should be. Some call for their demolition, while others claim that the monuments should stay because Communist rule is part of the country's history.

The ongoing dispute is a bitter reminder that Bulgarian society is still divided when it comes to its past. There are people who pine for a time when both education and healthcare were free, and those who associate the regime with censorship and repression.

The Socialists, who succeeded the Communist Party after the fall of the regime, still hold their annual summer rally on an open clearing in front of Buzludzha.

But long ago, the Saucer’s outlandish architecture rose above political convictions and captured the imagination of tourists and artists alike.

. MOUNT BUZLUDZHA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

"Workers - men and women, of the world, unite! Ahead! Comrades, let's bravely build up our great cause! Let's work, let us create - the worker we need to enlighten!" - reads the writing near the main entrance of Memorial House.