Did the United States order to take down the monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia, Bulgaria? No, this is not true: The Sofia district administration determined that the Monument to the Soviet Army in the Bulgarian capital required urgent restoration and relocation within the city due to its deteriorating condition, posing a potential danger to the public. The decision to dismantle the monument was solely made by the local authorities in Sofia, and the United States played no role in that determination.
The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published on December 14, 2023, with a Dir.bg article (archived here) in the background and a title, translated from Bulgarian to English by Lead Stories staff, that read: "They cut off the head of the monument." A voice, as translated by Lead Stories staff, claimed that:
The US ordered it: 'Make it public! Cut the monument with the angle grinder, part by part, hands, heads, and bodies! Make Bulgaria fall out with Russia! Separate the soul from the body.' This is how Satanists act, and we are obedient sheep! It's a shame!
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Sat Dec 16 18:17:52 2023 UTC)
The dismantling of the monument (archived here) in Bulgaria started on December 12, 2023. The decision has sparked a heated debate (archived here) and evoked strong sentiments. Some social media posts (archived here, here) were attributing (archived here) this decision to the United States. Another example (archived here) of the claim on Facebook on December 13, 2023, had the following caption (also translated from Bulgarian to English by Lead Stories staff), which read:
Who has the right to ruin our history? The bodies of our liberators were cut into pieces because the USA and Hitler's Europe ordered that 😡😡😡. I definitely want to have another world war and I will definitely fight for Russia and no one will stop me. Bulgaria is my enemy if it does not defend my interests, on the contrary, it destroys, suppresses, and wipes out my history. 😡😡😡. Apparently, there is no other option but to tear down everything and start over.
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Sat Dec 16 18:40:35 2023 UTC)
Contrary to the misinformation circulating, the United States did not issue an order for the dismantling of the Monument to the Soviet Army. The initiative to remove Soviet-era monuments (archived here) from public spaces has been observed in several former USSR states. For instance, Estonia's government has authorized the dismantling of such monuments, while Latvia's parliament has enacted laws to facilitate the removal of any structures or objects that glorify the Soviet regime. These decisions reflect a broader trend among former Soviet states in reassessing historical symbols and monuments within their public spheres.
Mayor Traicho Traikov of Sofia's Sredets district has officially signed an order for the dismantling (archived here) of the figures on the Soviet Army Monument situated in the heart of the Bulgarian capital in December 2023. This decision follows a comprehensive inspection that revealed the monument, commemorating the Soviet invasion of Bulgaria during the closing stages of World War II, poses a hazard to the public (archived here). The structural examination identified cracks and severe corrosion in the metal components.
The district administration, recognizing the urgency of the situation, has mandated the swift dismantling, restoration, and subsequent relocation of the monument within the city. In response to the deterioration, they intend to initiate a public tender for the restoration of the bronze figures and bas-reliefs. Simultaneously, efforts will be directed toward soliciting proposals for a project outlining the permanent relocation of these historical elements to a new site.
The monument has been a source of political and cultural debate for years, (archived here and here) as some see it as a symbol of oppression and others as a tribute to the liberators. The restoration is intended to preserve the artistic value of the sculptures so they can be displayed as exhibits at a location to be identified after a thorough review of all options. The U.S. government did not have any role in this decision, which was made independently by the Bulgarian authorities (archived here).
Lead Stories has previously debunked another claim here that America manipulated the elections in Bulgaria.
