One of the most impressive and most important monuments in the history of Bulgaria with breathtaking views.

During the national liberation war, in the middle of 1877 near Stara Zagora, a handful of Bulgarian volunteers stood with their chests against the bayonets of the oppressors. Their feat remains in history and resounds over the centuries as an example of the courage and self-denial with which the Bulgarian soldiers throw themselves against the enemy in the name of the liberation of the motherland.

The battle was sung by the greatest poets and writers of Bulgarian literature and became a symbol of the intransigence of the Bulgarian people to the enslavers. And although fatal, it remains one of the most important historical events for Bulgaria. Burned and weakened, the city never seems to recover. However, the tireless people of Stara Zagora managed to rebuild their home.

In memory of the worthy men who fell in battle, in 1977 the memorial complex “Defenders of Stara Zagora” was solemnly opened. Impressive in its scale, it is one of the national treasures and the pride of the people of Stara Zagora.

The monument depicts the Samara flag – one of the most important military symbols of Bulgaria, defined as a national shrine. The flag became famous during the battle of Stara Zagora, when Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Kalitin saved the flag from Turkish captivity at the cost of his life.

Along with the 50-meter structure of the flag, the figures of six volunteers and a Russian officer stand guard in front of it. They symbolize the insurmountable barrier that deterred the enemy Suleiman’s hordes and the six militia companies from which the future Bulgarian army was born.