Complex-monument Founders of the Bulgarian State

The monument was officially inaugurated in the town of Shoumen in 1981, on the occasion of 1300 years since the founding of the Bulgarian state. It re-creates the most important moments in the history of the First Bulgarian Kingdom – from Asparuh to Simeon. It consists of two semi-halls, formed through a complicated composition of eight concrete bodies, built at different angles. The exposition starts with the figure of Khan Asparuh, with a dog in his feet (the dog was used by proto-Bulgarian as an offering); behind the khan there is a horse – an animal which played a major role in the life of our predecessor. Above the tail of the horse, there are inscriptions of parts of “Imennik na Balgarskite Khanove” – the oldest written document in Bulgaria. The Khans’ gallery presents: Khan Tervel known as the best diplomat, Krum – the law-maker, Omurtag – the builder. Their figures rise 18 m above the ground and are surrounded by inscriptions from old chronicles. The second semi-hall, called “The Golden Century” contains a composition of 4 groups of sculptures: Simeon – the ruler who built the capital after a Byzantine model, who also managed to expand Bulgaria’s borders to three seas; the bookmen Naum, Clement and Angelarius, who established the literary schools in Pliska and Ochrid and translated the liturgical books into plain language; the boyars, who followed the ruler in all his undertakings; and the soldiers, without whom Simeon couldn’t have won his numerous battles.
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