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The Bells monument is situated 14 km eastwards from the centre of Sofia at the foot of Vitosha Mountain.
Children from all over the planet built into the unique monument thier faith in the good and bright days to comeq days without war and violence.
ON the opening day, 25' August 1979, builders put in the foundations of the Monument a capsule containing a children's address to the future generations. It says: "Children of the future accept the eternal, fiery call of immortality - Unity, Creativity, Beauty;.
Lyudmila Zhivkova suggested the creation of the Monument and the idea wa carried out by a group of specialists: leader - sculptor Kroum Damaynov, members - architects Blagoi Atanasov and Georgi Genchevq sculptor Mihael Benchev and engineer Anton Maleev.
The construction team led by Nikola Pavlov built the monument for 30 days and nights!
The main architectural accent of this unique monument are four vertical pylonsq 37 m highq orientated towards the four cardinal points and a spiral composition of two semi-rings on different levels with the bells. A spatial sphere is formed at the upper and of the four pylons, representing the world. In it spirally are situated seven bells, symbol of the seven world continents. These bells, cast in 1982 in the bronze foundary of the Synodical complex in Sofia by Ivan Kostadinov, are with overall weight of 12 tons, as the biggest weights 3650kg. Except as a symbol they are designed for accompanying instruments at concert performances on the main musical bellsq which are 18 in number, mounted at the foot of the pylons. They were cast in 1979 and are selected and turned by Prof. Dobri Paliev.
Concrete module rings having 60m diameter are laid out as a second spiral around the base body. More than 95 bells from different countries and social organizations are mounted in the semi-spheres of these rings.
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The leading architectural variety og themes of this grand monument - the sphere, the spiral and the bells are woven into the overall ensemble in a unique way.
Since the ancient times the sphere bears a rich symbolic content that signifies the Universe and Cosmos, Life and Eternity.
The spiral is associated with the objective laws of the cyclic recurrence of evolution and the progress of life in every sigle form of manifestation. It is a symbol a spiritual and emotional succession.
The bell is a symbol of the everlasting spiritual values. It is an appeal of the Past to the Future. The bell has been well-known in Europe since 7th century, when it replaced the wooden clapper. Nowadays, the bells herald the unity of mankind in the name of a better world. The bell itself is an antithesis of weapons, a symbol of peace.
Three plaques are mounted at a central position:
- "To the children of the world" Amadou Mahtar M'Bow - Director General Of Unesco, 25th August 1979.
- "For the art work of children all over the world and the "Banner of peace" Prof. Brian Allison - President of the International organization for the education by art, September 1984.
- On the occasion of the meeting of the National committees for UNICEF in Sofia, 1982. "Welbeing and happiness for all children" James Grant - executive director of UNICEF.
A relief dedicated to Lyudmila Zhivkova - ispirer for the creation of the Monument "Banner of peace" is mounted at the foot of pylons.
With an area of about 106 decars, around the monument lays the International park of the children of the world. On occasion of the first children's Assembly in 1980 and by participants in the World Parliament of Peace that took place in Sofia, the first plants from 35 countries were brought and were planted. In the following years 346 kinds of trees and bushes from 63 countries were presented to the park. the more heat-loving of them are planted in the Botanical Garden of the Bulgarian Academy of Science. The park area also includes alleys, a drawing ground, a pond and a parking lot.
