fbpx

Free Sofia Tour's Blog

May 11, 2015

The 365: Communist Tour of Sofia

This year the 365 Association, which stands behind the Free Tours of Sofia and Plovdiv, is launching two new and exciting projects: the 365: Communist Tour (link for the tour) and Culture Tour (link for the tour). The idea behind starting a 365: Communist Tour actually arose out of the experience of our guides doing the Free Sofia Tour. On many occasions our guests show a deeper interest in the topic and have asked about what it was like in Bulgaria during that period, wanting to learn more about the story of our side of the Cold War. The 365: Communist Tour – Communism and Europe The Cold War is, of course, something that practically affected the whole world in the previous century. It has been over 25 years since communism officially disappeared in Europe. It is natural that memories are already starting to fade away or get distorted. At the same time, most people still have strong opinions on the topic. If you just talk to a local about it, you […]
April 17, 2015

New Tours in Sofia – Culture & Communist Tour

Two new projects ahead: two new tours This year our Association – 365, which stands behind the Free Tours of Sofia and Plovdiv, is launching two new and exciting projects: the Communist Tour and Culture Tour. After 3 years of taking a break of starting new projects we are finally proud to show the guests of Sofia two of many tours, which we have been working on. The beggining of the culture tour The Culture tour started on the 10th of April with 11 guests, eager to learn more about the Bulgarian culture. The tour aims to show our visitors the top 10 things one should know about our country: on the tour you’ll learn about the typical clothes Bulgarians used to wear, the music we listen to and the dances we do, the food we eat and the favourite drinks here, some of the famous people, the language that we speak and write in, the celebrations, nowadays life and our most precious symbol. When: Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11:00 […]
September 26, 2011

Museum of Communism

3 decades after the fall of Communism in Bulgaria, Sofia finally has 2 communist museums. Everybody kept saying how Bulgaria was the only country in Eastern Europe without a museum for these 45 years in its history. Without a Museum of Communism. Even in the National Museum of History there’s a weird emptiness between 1944 and 1989. Well, finally we can see the red star that used to be part of our tour for around 8 months properly displayed next to imposing statues of Lenin and Georgi Dimitrov. You can also learn how regular Bulgarians lived during this rather contreversial period of Bulgarian history. Museum of Communism – The Red Flat – Everyday Life in Socialist Bulgaria As of April 2019, Sofia has its first Museum of Everyday Life in Socialist Bulgaria – The Red Flat. Contrary to other museums dedicated to the Cold War, The Red Flat is all about how ordinary Bulgarians experienced this period. The concept is unique as you basically enter the flat of a regular […]
June 23, 2011

The red star is gone

End of an era. The Red Star is no longer there. Quite literally. It all happened probably because the soldiers on the Soviet army monument were turned into cartoon characters (The Joker, Wolverine, Santa Claus, Superman, Ronald McDonald, Captain America, Robin, and Wonder Woman, to be precise). This caused such a big debate that the authorities were perhaps afraid that something similar might happen to other Soviet memorabilia just left around in the city. That’s why they decided to move one of the highlights of our tours. What a journey it has been for one of Sofia’s biggest communist symbols. The five-point red star that once used to be on top of the Communist Headquarters. The star that after the fall of the communist regime was abandoned in the yard of the Central Public Bathhouse. Then an essential part of our very own Free Sofia Tour. It was a huge hit during our tours and even made a couple of headlines (for example: The Red Star? by Sofia Echo’s Gabriel Hershman). What a […]