Prior to our media press-conference in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria on the 26th of April 2016, we went to meet with the architect of the Buzludzha monument – the 87 years old Georgi Stoilov. Architect Stoilov is also a former mayor of Bulgaria's capital Sofia and a co-founder of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria.
We presented the initial concept of the Buzludzha VR project to him in the Bulgarian Academy of Architecture. The 3-minute long cinematic video impressed him and brought him to tears. At first, he got a bit confused and thought that it was an actual video of the monument. However, we had to explain that it is all created from scratch in 3D software. Then we brought him for a walk through the redesigned building and captured his feedback. He immediately got thrilled and extremely excited about our project.
“The two of you did better than most of the architects and interior designers would ever do!”
He further elaborated on his statement and said that we have achieved classy, modern and incredibly consisted visual style.
Architect Georgi Stoilov understands that communist symbols such as the hammer and sickle and the five-pointed red star do not work in the 21st century Bulgaria. He also, acknowledged that perhaps the presence of these symbols is one of the reasons for the current poor condition of the Monument. That's why he stands behind us and fully supports the fact that we have replaced all of the communist symbols and slogans with the current symbols of Bulgaria, such as the lion, the lyrics of the Bulgarian national anthem, etc.
Moreover, he believes that Buzludzha VR will make many people look at the building from a completely different perspective – not as a communist monument, but a modern multi-purpose complex with national pride, value and significance.
Georgi Stoilov believes that the Buzludzha VR project will raise awareness all around the world about the structure and could be the key to a successful restoration project. His rough estimations are that the project would cost around 7-9 million leva (3-3.5 million British pounds) to fulfil.
