The Vasil Levski Monument in Sofia stands at the traditional site of his execution by Ottoman authorities on 18 February 1873. At that time the location was outside the city. Today it is close to the center, just steps away from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Known to be a leader of the Bulgarian revolutionary movement, Levski was tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to hang for the crime.
The monument is an obelisk, 13 meters tall, made of gray Balkan granite with a bronze relief bust of the hero mounted on the front.
This was the first monument erected in the newly independent Principality of Bulgaria. Planning began in 1878, almost immediately following liberation, but design issues and chronic funding shortages delayed its completion for years. It was finally dedicated on 22 October 1895.
Sofians gather around the monument on 19 February each year, commemorating Levski’s death through the laying of wreaths and flowers out of respect for the fallen hero.
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