Pleven
Pleven is a large city located in the central part of Northern Bulgaria ( Moesia), halfway between the Danube River and Stara Planina, about 160km from Sofia. The earliest traces of human civilization that have been discovered in the area go back to the 5th millennium. Thracian presence is attested to by numerous archaeological findings and above all gold treasures. During the Roman era a fortress was built here named Storgosia.
Pleven is above all famous for its more recent past. In 1877 momentous battles were fought here between Russian and Turkish armies that decided the outcome of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) and ultimately led to the liberation of Bulgaria from five centuries of Ottoman rule.
The events in 1877 are commemorated by over 200 monuments, museums and mausoleums.
The Museum of Liberation of Pleven 1877
The Mausoleum was built in 1907 as a memorial to the Russian and Romanian soldiers who fell in 1877.
The Historical Museum houses over 5000 exhibits about local history, flora and fauna, and archaeological remains from Nicopolis-ad-Istrum and a nearby Neolithic settlement.
The Military- Historical Museum was built to commemorate the centennial of the battle in 1877. It is known as the “Panorama” or Epopee of Pleven. It is located on top of a hill in Skobelev Park.