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Exposition
Wed – Sun: 10:00 – 18:00.

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Mon – Fri: 8:30 – 17:00.

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Closes at 17:00.

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Children (up to 7 years old) – Free admission
Students – 2 lv
Adults – 10 lv
Family ticket – 12 lv

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Address: 92 Cherkovna Str, Sofia, Bulgaria
Phone: + 359 2/946 1805

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Decorations of the Bulgarian Heads of State

The National Museum of Military History is the only museum in Bulgaria, which possesses, proved with documents, decorations of Bulgarian heads of state.

The collection of decorations of Prince Alexander I is donated by his wife, The Countess of Hartenau-Battenberg within 1937 and 1938. For this donation the countess is awarded by the “Military Monuments and Museums” fund a golden badge for donators. Until her death she is a honorary president of that fund. The collection includes more than 150 decorations, 50 of which are displayed in the hall.

The decorations, displayed in the collection hall, have emblematic presence in history and nowadays not only for being possessed by heads of state of Bulgaria or Chiefs Commanders of Bulgarian Army. Awarding with such high decorations is taken also as signs of a policy and diplomacy language.

These decorations embody more than one century of history. They are a part of our heritage and the legitimacy of our country. Their presence here together is a part of the dialogue between the generations about our heritage and our memory.

The decorations of Tsar Boris III are given by the Commandant of the Palace under the personal insistence of his wife Tsarina Johana. The royal family is a traditional donator to the National Museum of Military History. Thanks to it today our museum possesses decorations, uniforms and personal belongings of Tsar Ferdinand I, Princess Marie-Luise, Tsarina Eleonor and Princess Clementine. The collection of Tsar Boris III includes 98 decorations, 36 of which are displayed in the hall.

Awarding head of state with order or medal is a part of the great tale of history, with sweet taste of victories, or with bitterness of dreams that never came true. The society empowered us the right to preserve unique richness. It is our duty to share it with the world, believing that culture is a language without frontiers and it aims to make the world a better place to live in.

The collection of decorations of Todor Zhivkov, a Bulgarian head of state, consecutively, Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Bulgaria, is given to the museum by his heirs in May 2005 to be displayed temporarily.

It consists of 73 decorations; 57 of them are displayed in the hall. The visitors can see in it as orders of the countries of the socialist camp, as traditionally familiar decorations of European continent countries. The unknown for the Bulgarian visitors orders of Asia, Africa and America countries draw extreme attention of the audience.