The Sofia Museum of Military History

For its centennial presence the National Museum of Military History preserves more than 1 000 000 artifacts – witnesses of Bulgarian and European military history.
This is the sole museum in Bulgaria that offers to its audience three exhibitions – outside exhibition of combat machines, permanent exhibition and collection halls.
More than 256 models of artillery armaments, aircrafts and naval armaments are displayed in the outside exhibition. The only preserved up to the present ballistic missiles “SKUD”, ”FROG” and “SS-23” can be seen there.The permanent exhibition reveals the history of the Bulgarian armed forces, their victories, glory and heroism since the establishment of the Bulgarian state. It spreads over 2400 sq. m. Within the first exhibition halls the image of the Bulgarian armed forces during the Middle centuries can be seen. They are followed by the struggles for national liberation, the Russian-Turkish War of 1877 – 1878, the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) during which the glorious victories of the Bulgarian army are appraised by the world’s military history. The participation of our armed forces in the First and Second World War is recreated as well as the one in the military missions of our present. The subjects are presented with more than 28 000 exhibits from the museum’s funds. The exposition attracts the visitors with captivating models, sound effects and with the unusual combination between exhibits and paintings of notable Bulgarian artists.The museum’s collection halls are aimed at the audience with specific interests. They present the museum’s collections of cold steel and firearms, decorations of Bulgarian heads of state, the development of the military uniform and the collection of Bulgarian decorations.