Bulgarians represent a significant ethnic minority in Slovakia and the former Czechoslovakia, having arrived in several waves during the 20th century. Together with immigrants from other nations, they joined the anti-fascist resistance during the Second World War and fought in the Slovak National Uprising. 

Alongside older settlers, a large contingent of Bulgarian partisans comprised young people who had come to study in Czechoslovakia before the Second World War. Several minor monuments and memorial plaques dedicated to Bulgarian partisans can be found in various Slovak villages and towns. 

The primary monument in Bratislava is the work of the renowned Czech sculptor and medallist František David. The sculptural element of the work originated from a competition, the details of which are the subject of further research. The larger-than-life sculpture depicts two partisans in a dynamic triangular composition. The upright figure has a bandaged eye, holds a weapon in his right hand, and supports his wounded comrade with his left arm. The sculptural execution is of high quality, embodying the monumental realism and expressiveness of the period. The work stands on a bronze plate with relief inscriptions in Slovak and Bulgarian that feature a quotation from the poet Hristo Botev: THOSE WHO FALL IN BATTLE DO NOT DIE.  

The monument was installed on a tapering, granite-covered pedestal in a small park on Vajanský Embankment in 1949. An oversized white stone plaque on the front is engraved with the gilded inscription: TO THE HEROIC BULGARIAN PARTISANS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR / OUR FREEDOM. The work is bordered by a circular flowerbed originally planted with lush rose bushes, the symbol of Bulgaria. At present, the planting is diverse and predominantly seasonal.    

In collaboration with the sculptor, the bronze casting was produced by Anýž, a company that operated branches throughout Czechoslovakia during the pre-war period. As evidenced by the inscription lil Anýž n. p., the foundry had been nationalised by the time of construction, and shortly afterwards it was incorporated into the national enterprise ZUKOV (Metallurgical Artistic Works). The monument thus became a testament to the complicated history of Czechoslovakia in the years following the war. 

ZD

Research status as of 30. 07. 2023.