Museum of Socialist Art
Museum of Socialist Art
4
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The Museum of Socialist Art (MSA) opened on September 19th 2011 as part of the structure of the National Museum of Bulgarian Art and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The museum consists of a sculptural park (7,500 square metres), where 80 works of monumental sculpture are exhibited at present; and an exhibition hall (550 square metres), designed for works of easel art. There is also a video hall, where archival and documentary films related to the socialist era are projected. The souvenir shop offers authentic items, books and postcards as well as contemporary items. The sculptural area will be supplemented and enriched, while the expositions in the interior part will be periodically updated. Thereby, it will be possible to show different perspectives and diverse curatorial interpretations of the Socialist period in Bulgarian fine arts.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
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- G.M.Dimitrov • 5 min walk
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4.0
430 reviews
Excellent
150
Very good
155
Average
94
Poor
19
Terrible
12
Walpy
Holland317 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Not the easiest to find, tucked in behind a Ministry of Culture building: just walk past the car park barrier and keep going. A poorly kept grassy area has a hundred or more statues from the Communist period: one or two of the less realistic ones are pretty good. Inside, for a few lev, there are the usual Hero of the Revolution posters but also some great paintings hidden amongst some pretty average socialist rubbish. The Communist experience in a nutshell and well worth the short walk from the metro station.
Written 7 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristen T
Stuttgart, Germany763 contributions
Jun 2022
After seeing this museum featured on an episode of Rick Steves' travel show, I had been wanting to visit. The museum is a little bit out of the way and the inside display is small but the outside area with all the statues is interesting and great for photos. I thought the red star piece was going to be better displayed within the statue area, so that was a bit disappointing. The inside was not air conditioned so it was a little warm. My only suggestion would be to have fans throughout for some air flow and breezes. We visited on a very warm day, so I'm sure through most of the year it would not be an issue. Overall, I don't think it's really something to go out of your way to see but I enjoyed it.
Written 7 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George Blake
Birmingham, UK7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The museum is not the easiest to find but is worth it. Walk into what looks like a car park behind a barrier and you'll be met with the sculpture garden which is free! The sculpture garden is exceptional and nothing like we've seen before. The entrance to the rest of the museum is 6 Lev which is well worth it. There is a video playing with propaganda and a gallery with several pieces of art and propaganda posters. Would visit again. Only a short trip from Sofia centre.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kostas P
10 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
There are not much to see in this museum. There is a good video documentary to see there, some statues and paintings for 3-4 communist leaders (many for each one) and some workers and some other paintings. But ticket is cheap 3-6 lev.
Written 26 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefan
London, UK9 contributions
Jul 2022
Overall an interesting experience, especially if you're interested in art and or Bulgaria's socialist past.
The museum was a bit difficult to find, as it is outside the city centre and was behind a large government building. The statue park was definitely the highlight of the museum.
More could have been done to contextualise the art (eg explain what it is depicting) and give more general information about socialism in Bulgaria.
The museum was a bit difficult to find, as it is outside the city centre and was behind a large government building. The statue park was definitely the highlight of the museum.
More could have been done to contextualise the art (eg explain what it is depicting) and give more general information about socialism in Bulgaria.
Written 25 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
efg
Berlin, Germany49 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
The museum is a bit hard to find, a short walk from the G.M. Dimitrov metro station, it’s tucked behind some office buildings with a few restaurants and cafes.
The museums main collection is the gallery of statues from the Communist era; they all have that grand utopian vibe, which make them more interesting when set against the unkept lawns surrounding them. Playful cats like stalking through the high grass.
The gallery inside has a small but nice collection of works: I liked seeing the propaganda posters from communist regimes worldwide. But it lacked depth, the entire gallery could be seen in the time it took to walk from the metro station.
The museums main collection is the gallery of statues from the Communist era; they all have that grand utopian vibe, which make them more interesting when set against the unkept lawns surrounding them. Playful cats like stalking through the high grass.
The gallery inside has a small but nice collection of works: I liked seeing the propaganda posters from communist regimes worldwide. But it lacked depth, the entire gallery could be seen in the time it took to walk from the metro station.
Written 28 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventure Diva
Manchester, CT2,718 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
This small museum depicts sculptures when under the Socialist rules in the 1940s. The area is a little worn out and staff was a little unfriendly. I learned some things along the visit but had a different expectation - unfortunately wasn't impressed.
Written 2 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
delagioventu
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg1,577 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Small museum, and a bit hidden far away in the outskirts of Sofia, yet interesting, especially the collection of Lenin statues outside. Remarkable collection, and worthwhile to visit. Metro nearby.
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DesmondJones
UK58 contributions
Oct 2022
I really enjoyed all the sculptures outside. It is a Soviet sculpture graveyard. Some paintings and other art inside too, but the outside was very impressive for me.
Would have been good to be able to buy some posters / postcards badges etc in the shop.
Would have been good to be able to buy some posters / postcards badges etc in the shop.
Written 1 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Don B
London, UK10 contributions
Nov 2012 • Friends
OK, I swore that after I found and visited this place I would come to TripAdvisor and write a review specifically so no poor soul has to endure what I did to locate it (if you're not taking a taxi, that is)
First off, Google Maps has the wrong address, or points to the wrong area. Either way, it will not help you in the least. The staff at my hostel had drawn a rudimentary map, but this did not suffice, and given that it is rather hidden, no hand drawn map will do. So, here goes.
From central Sofia, Serdika station for example, but any station on the M1 line will do, take the metro toward Mladost II and disembark at Dimitrov station. When you exit the station, you will see a gas station, OMV across the street. If you look toward the other direction, you will see a cluster of new office buildings. Head toward those. You will see THREE office towers in a row (all identical shape and size). Go toward those. Now, you will see that on the ground floor of this office plaza with the three towers, there is a mall of sorts. There Go in on the right side (on the opposite side is a Costa Coffee). When you walk into the mall, keep walking straight through so that you exit on the opposite side. There is a little back street. In fact, if you just look over the fence on the other side of this street, that is the museum's yard filled with statues from the socialist days.
So head down the little street, make a right, and on the right hand side you will see a security guard booth. You need to specifically tell them you are going to visit the Museum of Socialist Art. They will let you in. You are now at the museum. Walk up the path and on the left hand side you can purchase your tickets.
For reference I have drawn a little map to make this easier. It is crude, but one only needs to follow the blue line from Dimitrov metro stop. Through the mall (enclosed in an orange line) to the museum (general area also enclosed in an orange line)
As for the museum, it is very small, but fascinating, as Bulgaria has tried hard to extinguish all memory from its decades under socialism. It feels like this is everything that's left, tucked away in some old government building's backyard. The museum is lovingly run by 4 or so elderly Bulgarians that obviously have a certain fondness for the old days. Wandering around the little park with all of its statues, as well as the red star that used to adorn the top of the Communist Party's headquarters, really helps give you a flashback to days long gone.
First off, Google Maps has the wrong address, or points to the wrong area. Either way, it will not help you in the least. The staff at my hostel had drawn a rudimentary map, but this did not suffice, and given that it is rather hidden, no hand drawn map will do. So, here goes.
From central Sofia, Serdika station for example, but any station on the M1 line will do, take the metro toward Mladost II and disembark at Dimitrov station. When you exit the station, you will see a gas station, OMV across the street. If you look toward the other direction, you will see a cluster of new office buildings. Head toward those. You will see THREE office towers in a row (all identical shape and size). Go toward those. Now, you will see that on the ground floor of this office plaza with the three towers, there is a mall of sorts. There Go in on the right side (on the opposite side is a Costa Coffee). When you walk into the mall, keep walking straight through so that you exit on the opposite side. There is a little back street. In fact, if you just look over the fence on the other side of this street, that is the museum's yard filled with statues from the socialist days.
So head down the little street, make a right, and on the right hand side you will see a security guard booth. You need to specifically tell them you are going to visit the Museum of Socialist Art. They will let you in. You are now at the museum. Walk up the path and on the left hand side you can purchase your tickets.
For reference I have drawn a little map to make this easier. It is crude, but one only needs to follow the blue line from Dimitrov metro stop. Through the mall (enclosed in an orange line) to the museum (general area also enclosed in an orange line)
As for the museum, it is very small, but fascinating, as Bulgaria has tried hard to extinguish all memory from its decades under socialism. It feels like this is everything that's left, tucked away in some old government building's backyard. The museum is lovingly run by 4 or so elderly Bulgarians that obviously have a certain fondness for the old days. Wandering around the little park with all of its statues, as well as the red star that used to adorn the top of the Communist Party's headquarters, really helps give you a flashback to days long gone.
Written 17 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If the museum is closed on monday, can you still visit the sculpture garden or is that closed as well?
Written 5 May 2019
There was an entrance gate which was very high, it would close off the garden and museum
Written 18 May 2019
Does the museum sell a small bust of georgi dimitrov? If not do you know wherein sofia o ccould get one. Thanks
Written 22 September 2015
Which is the best pet-friendly B&B or total in Tralee?
Written 28 December 2014
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