Panorama “Pleven Epic – year 1877”

The Pleven Epopee 1877 Panorama was constructed on the occasion of the centennial anniversary from the liberation of Pleven from Ottoman yoke. It was erected in the Skobelev museum park near the Turkish fortification „Kovanluk”. The 5 months battles for Pleven during the Russo-Turkish war 1877/78 are on the most significant in duration in strength of the fighting armies and in number of victims of war. They are decisive for the outcome of the war.
The Panorama was designed by the architects Plamena Tsatcheva and Ivo Petrov. The team of artists was headed by N. Ovetchkin from the Moscow military studio „Grekov”. The construction started on 19 January 1977. The Panorama was officially unveiled on 10 December 1977.
The museum complex consists of 4 halls. Six pictures in the first one depict scenes from the Bulgarian history:
„Five Century Ottoman Yoke in Bulgaria”
„The April Uprising 1876”
„Protest Meeting in St. Petersburg”
„Forcing the Danube River by the Russian Troops”
„The Samara Banner Fight”
„Shipka Pass – 23 August 1877”
The Panorama hall depicts the third assault for Pleven – 11 and 12 September 1877. The panorama canvass /dimensions 115/15 m/ reflects the most dramatic moment during the fights at the southern battle – line. The thirteen thousand detachment of General Skobelev – a prominent Russian commander, captured the key positions of the enemy – the fortifications „Kovanluk” and „Issa Aga” under the fierce enemy fire with great sacrifice of life /6500/.
After the unsuccessful third assault for Pleven the town was besieged under the direction of the military engineer General Totleben. Completely isolated the exhausted army of Osman Pasha tried to run the blockade.
The Diorama hall depicts the last battle for Pleven and the defeat of the Turkish army near the river Vit, 7 km to the west of Pleven, on 10 December 1877.
The exhibited pictures in the last hall are:
„Capitulation of Osman Pasha”
„Winter Crossing of the Balkan Range”
The victory near Pleven was the decisive moment in the course of war. On 3 March 1878 in San Stefano a treaty of peace was signed between Russia and Turkey proclaiming the liberation of Bulgaria.