Bulgaria Inside

During the Russo-Turkish war of 1877 and 1878, the Pleven region village of Grivitsa acted as the stage of some of the bloodiest battles. The village was a starting point for Ottoman assaults on nearby Pleven.

Hundreds of soldiers died in the battles. Grivitsa was the place where the Romanian army suffered biggest losses. You can still see the remains of the major fortifications in the area. During the third assault for Pleven’s liberation, Romanian soldiers supported by two Russian divisions managed to take possession of one of the strongholds of the Ottoman army. Over 3000 Romanian soldiers died in the battle.

From 1928 to 1897 Grivitsa saw the construction of mausoleum honoring the act of Romanian soldiers. Funding for the construction came from Romania and the mausoleum officially opened doors in 1902.

Romanian artists worked on the iconostasis and the wall paintings in the church of the mausoleum. Right after the war ended, locals set up 17 Russian and Romanian monuments. A memorial park was constructed in 1958 and the museum exposition of the complex was presented for the first time in 1967. Exposition items allow visitors to submerge in the atmosphere of the war and the Grivitsa battles.

The mausoleum consists of a church and an ossuary. Marble sarcophaguses preserve the remains of soldiers who died in the region. The iconostasis holds paintings of Jesus Christ, St. Nicolas, Archangel Michael and Virgin Mary. A bronze medallion was added to the collection in 1902.

Museum exhibits are dedicated to the participation of Romanians and Russians in the liberation wars. The collection includes original Romanian uniforms, replicas of Romanian war flags and items presenting the local lifestyle during the period.

Pleven’s military and historical museums directorate started working on the renovation of the outer ornaments and interior decorations of the Romanian mausoleum. Humidity managed to seriously damage some of the wall paintings. The first stage of renovation works began in 1999. Yet, work on the sanctuary and the altar was never finalized and the museum has been closed for visits over the past 10 years.

The cultural and artistic value of the site makes its conservation a must. Currently, painter and restoration artist Ivan Iotkov is working on the mausoleum. All renovation activities are to be finalized by the end of October 2009.

The complex welcomes visitors from 9 am to 3 pm, apart from Sunday and Monday. Visits are free of charge.