An impressive monument stands on Saedinenie (Unificartion) Square in Plovdiv, reminiscent of the historical events of 1885, when Bulgaria managed to reunite its two halves - Eastern Rumelia and the Principality of Bulgaria.

The Monument to the Unification in the city was erected a century after the important event. A central place in the 12-metre sculptural composition is occupied by a figure of a young woman holding a laurel wreath over her head. On both sides are majestically outstretched wings of a bird, a symbol of the aspiration for unity and the urge of the Bulgarians for freedom of the two separated parts of the homeland in the years from the Liberation in 1878 to 1885.

The sculpture is the work of the Bulgarian artist Velichko Minekov famous for his monumental works. And the longest boulevard in the city - "6th of September” - takes us to it.

On Saedinenie Square one can also see the building specifically erected for the Regional Assembly of Eastern Rumelia, but which failed to fulfill its functions. Today it houses one of the four expositions of the Regional Historical Museum in the city - "Unification of Bulgaria 1885".

You will learn which are the most valuable exhibits there from the publication "Plovdiv keeps the memory of the glorious days of Bulgaria’s Unification in a special exhibition" from the collection of Radio Bulgaria.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova