Dr. Valentin Hristov

The centuries-old history of Pleven can be observed throughout the city and its adjacent territories - thanks to all of the movable and immovable monuments left by dozens of generations. After the invasion of the Ottomans, the Pleven region shared the fate of the whole country. The political, economic and cultural life of the Bulgarian population fundamentally changed in that period. During the years of Ottoman rule, Pleven never lost its Bulgarian spirit. Here there were built many churches as well as the first secular school in the country, opened by Anastasia Dimitrova. An important historical moment for the city is that one of the greatest Bulgarian Revolutionaries, Vasil Levski, formed his first revolutionary committee in the area.

The name of Pleven earned world renown during the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War of Liberation. The five-month-long battle for control of the city in 1877 was one of the most remarkable pages of its centuries-old history. The battle is also one of the most significant events in the Liberation War – because of the duration, the number of troops involved, the sacrifices and, most importantly, its decisive role in the course and outcome of the war.

Pleven is the seventh-largest city in Bulgaria. It is an administrative and business center of Pleven District, Pleven municipality and is part of the Northwest Economic Planning Region.            

Pleven municipality is situated in the heart of the Danube Plain in Northern Bulgaria, which determines its significance as an important administrative, economic, transport, gas distribution, political and cultural center.      

Pleven municipality has a population of 129,781 inhabitants, according to the last census in 2011. It includes 25 settlements (2 towns and 23 villages).  

Pleven is an agricultural, industrial and trade center with a diversified economy, including large manufacturing enterprises in the field of heavy industry and small and medium enterprises of the light industry.   

The Pleven Medical University is an attractive center for young people who have chosen a career in this sphere. It is the only higher education institution in the region.

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Panorama “Pleven Epopee 1877”

It was built in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Liberation of Pleven from Ottoman rule. In the first 3 years after its opening, it has been visited by 2.5 million people. It is among the nearly 200 monuments built by the citizens of Pleven in memory of the Russians, Romanians and Bulgarians who died in the battle for the city. Panorama “Pleven Epopee 1877” is included in the 100th National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.


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Regional History Museum

It is located in a building, constructed in 1888 for the needs of the army, with a total area of about 7,000 m2 and an open-air park with an area of 37 decares. The main fund of the museum includes more than 180,000 museum units. The museum's specialized library has over 10,000 volumes of scientific literature and periodicals.


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Wine Museum

It is located in a natural cave in Kaylaka Park near Totlebenov Val dam, which makes it unique for the country. The museum opened in 2008 as a joint project of a team of Bulgarian and French architects, designers and wine specialists. Its creation is one of the few examples of public-private partnership in Bulgaria.