Statue of Sofia

The Statue of Sofia is a monumental sculpture in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was officially opened to the public by the capital's mayor Stefan Sofiyanski on December 28, 2000. The Statue of Sofia was approved by the Sofia City Council on September 17, 2000, known as the Day of Sofia in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the martyr Sophia of Rome on this date. The statue was intended as a symbol for better times in the new millennium, and was erected in two days from December 25–27, 2000 in a spot once occupied by a statue of Lenin. The Statue of Sofia is named after the capital of Bulgaria, which in turn is named after the Saint Sophia Church. Likewise, the statue was planned to be named Saint Sophia, although the Orthodox Church considered it too pagan to be associated with Sophia of Rome. The Statue of Sofia is by the sculptor Georgi Chapkanov, who argued that it is a symbol for all residents of the capital, regardless of religion.