Alyosha Monument, Soviet Army monument on Bunarjik Hill, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Alyosha stands as a 10.5-meter granite figure in military uniform with a raised arm on the highest point of Bunarjik, the central hill above Plovdiv. The soldier faces east and carries the typical features of Soviet memorial sculpture with angular forms and blocky structure.
The statue was erected in 1964 to recall the role of the Soviet Army in 1944 during World War II. The choice of the hill as location was meant to secure visibility across the entire city and emphasize the importance of those years.
Locals call the soldier Alyosha after the Russian nickname and link it to personal memories spanning several political eras. Families with children now walk up to the hill and use the area as a lookout over the entire city.
The walk from the city center to the hill takes around 20 minutes on foot through paved and unpaved sections with uphill bends. Once at the top you find seating and several platforms from which views stretch across Plovdiv.
Unlike many comparable monuments in Eastern Europe, Alyosha remained in its original place after 1989 and was neither dismantled nor relocated. The pedestal repeatedly becomes the target of artistic interventions where layers of paint are applied and reignite debate about memory culture.
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