Monument to the Soviet Army, Sofia

The Monument to the Soviet Army is a statue near the center of Sofia. It shows a solder from the Soviet Army with a Bulgarian man and a Bulgarian woman who is holding a baby. Surrounding the monument are sculptures showing groups of soldiers who are said to be freedom fighters.

The monument is located in the midst of Cherni Vrah Garden, a large park surrounded by Cherni Vrah Boulevard. It was built in 1954 on the 10th anniversary of the liberation by the Soviet Army.

The monument has been a subject of much controversy in Sofia. In 2011, a group of anonymous artists called Destructive Creation painted the soldiers to look like American pop culture figures. Some of these included Ronald McDonald, Captain America and Superman. The paint was removed just a few days later.

In 2012, the monument was given Guy Fawkes masks. In 2013, three of the figures were painted to match the Bulgarian national flag. These types of activities have occurred many times throughout the years. Most recently, the monument was painted the colors of the Ukrainian flag in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.