The renovation of the Freedom Monument on Mount Shipka includes an inspection and possible replacement of about 380 facing stone blocks. The deadline for completing the activities is the beginning of September 2029. This was explained to bTV by the director of the Shipka-Buzludzha National Park-Museum, Dr. Chavdar Angelov.
The renovation activities sparked protests during the week due to the removal of stone slabs from the stairs and the site. Construction equipment was also blocked.
The monument is made of dolomite, not granite
According to Angelov, the last repair on such a scale was carried out in 1981-1982. The inspection of the condition of the monument was requested in 2015. At that time, it was established that the building was not reflected in the cadastral map and there was no act of state ownership.
At the beginning of 2018, the Freedom Monument received an act of public state ownership. Between 2018 and 2022, a technical passport, a preliminary study and a design assignment were prepared. The conservation and restoration project was developed in two phases and was coordinated with the Minister of Culture.
In 2020, three massive stone blocks broke loose, which necessitated a change in the action plan. The examination has shown that the structure is sound and has no deviation along its vertical axis. The main problem is the cladding.
“It is not built of granite, as I hear people say, but of local stone – dolomite“, said Chavdar Angelov.According to the director, dolomite lets water through. When it freezes in winter, moisture gradually weakens the strength of the stone. An additional problem is the compromised grouting mixtures through which moisture penetrates.
What will happen to the northern staircase
The monument will be completely grouted. About 380 stone blocks will be re-examined, and a decision will be made for each one whether to replace, strengthen or leave it in place.
The northern staircase is being dismantled to free the base of the northern wall and to process it. The staircase is built on a stone-earth embankment, which has been collapsing over the years. The project envisages the construction of a reinforced concrete foundation on which the original cladding parts will be returned.
Angelov specified that the original elements are numbered and arranged west and south of the monument within the boundaries of the construction site. The material being transported by truck is the stone-earth embankment under the staircase, not the original cladding.
Sources: bTV Novinite