Although no longer the dead of winter, temperatures still only rose above freezing for less than an hour each day. The top layer of this sheet of ice would melt and the wind would play with it before it would freeze over again, creating the gorgeous illusion of a frozen river. I was hoping to catch a stunning sunset through these decrepit windows, but the clouds decided that a dreary sunset was more suited for this day, and they were right.
About four years after learning about the existence of Buzludzha, the abandoned monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party, I was finally able to visit it. Years of decay after being abandoned on a desolate mountaintop have not stopped people from visiting and exploring it, and I was lucky enough to be among those who did.
Unfortunately you are no longer able to see Buzludzha in its abandoned state, it is being restored by the Buzludzha Project Foundation, and I have mixed feelings about this. The fact that this amazing building is being restored is inherently not a bad thing, but seeing the monument in its derelict state represented history much better in my opinion.
I am also not happy that this will most likely mean that yet another piece of history will disappear behind a paywall. Where this would be very fitting for any capitalist building, this, in my opinion, is detriment to the legacy of the most important monument build in honor of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Only time will tell if my fears are legitimate, but even if they are I still have my memories and my photos of that time I visited this magnificent building in what some might call its best days.
I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I do. If you do, why not follow me on Instagram: @jackoleenders. It will help me out greatly!
Camera: Olympus PEN E-PL7
Lens: M.Zuiko ED 14-42MM F3.5-5.6 EZ
Shot at: 14mm | F/5 | ISO200 | 1/250 sec