Construction of the monument began on 23 January 1974 under architect Georgi Stoilov, a former mayor of Sofia and co-founder of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria.
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was used to level the peak into a stable foundation, reducing the mountain's height from 1,441 metres (4,728 feet) to 1,432 metres (4,698 feet).
More than 15,000 cubic metres of rock were removed in the process.
The monument was built at a cost of 14,186,000 leva, which by today's rates is roughly equivalent to US$35 million.

The building exemplifies the futurist architecture common to many state-constructed communist buildings.
It is no longer managed, and is closed to the public as it is considered dangerous.
There is a proposal by The Buzludha Project to architecturally preserve the monument and turn the building into an interpretive museum of Bulgarian history.
Construction of the monument began on 23 January 1974 under architect Georgi Stoilov, a former mayor of Sofia and co-founder of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was used to level the peak into a stable foundation, reducing the mountain's height from 1,441 metres (4,728 feet) to 1,432 metres (4,698 feet). More than 15,000 cubic metres of rock were removed in the process. The monument was built at a cost of 14,186,000 leva, which by today's rates is roughly equivalent to US$35 million.
The building exemplifies the futurist architecture common to many state-constructed communist buildings. It is no longer managed, and is closed to the public as it is considered dangerous. There is a proposal by The Buzludha Project to architecturally preserve the monument and turn the building into an interpretive museum of Bulgarian history.
Buzludzha monument