Pleven

 Pleven

The Siege of Pleven played an important part of the Russo Turkish war involving four major battle between July and December 1877 which led to the liberation and creation of Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia from Ottoman control.

On 31st August 1877, Field Marshall Osman Pasha had retreated from his defeat at Nikopol and set up defences at Pleven and had successfully resisted two attacks on his position. The third Russian attack was led by General Skobelsev, capturing two redoubts and a Romanian division took the Grivitsa redoubt.  The Russians were pushed back but the Romanians held their ground at the Grivitsa redoubt.

The Russians lost 20,000 soldiers but finally surrounded Pleven by 24th October. Osman requested permission to retreat but the Ottoman High Command refused permission. On 9th December the Russians attacked and Osman lost 5,000 men and surrendered the city to Colonel Mihail Cerchez.

The Ivan Radev Drama and Puppet Theatre in Pleven. 

An interesting building in the town centre.

The tower of St Nicholas church.

The entrance to St Nichlas church.

Inside the church. By tradition there are no musical instruments allowed inside the church. 

The candles are lit by the faithful and are always bought in even numbers. The top level is for the living and the lower layer is to remember the dead.

A memorial to the fallen during the First World War.

A memorial to all those who died in the Liberation War. There is also an eternal flame to those that fell.

Another interesting piece of architecture.

The Panoram Museum on the top of the hill overlooking the town centre where the battle was fought.

A long line of artillery outside the museum and more guns were on display inside.

Part of the panorama inside the museum, part actual exhibit, part painted diorama.