The Museum of Sport in Sofia preserves the memory of Bulgaria's great champions

If you are visiting Sofia and are looking for a place that pulsates with the energy of great victories, the Museum of Sport is your must-see destination. Located in the Vasil Levski National Stadium, this museum is not just a repository of objects, but a living testament to the spirit of a small nation that left a significant mark on world history. Here, sport and culture merge to tell stories of triumph achieved through hard work and honest struggle.

For visitors, the museum offers a unique journey through the history of Bulgarian sport – from the first sports clubs and competitions to the achievements of champions whose names are known all over the world. Here you will see how and when Bulgaria became the fourth power in the world of football, you will touch relics of athletes whose records remained unbeaten for decades.

"All the exhibits in our museum are valuable, especially in sports, because every award or medal, every achievement of Bulgarian athletes is associated with a lot of work. And that is why I cannot say that Yordanka Blagoeva's silver Olympic medal from Munich 1972 is less important than Georgi Kostadinov's gold Olympic medal from the same Olympic Games, even though one is gold and the other is silver," tells us Katya Ivanova, who has been the guardian of this memory for more than four decades.

"The Museum of Sport is a very special place that unites sports and culture in Bulgarian sports. In addition to the interesting exhibits that are arranged in its display cases and are connected to some of the most memorable moments in Bulgarian sports history, we also hold many celebrations related to great Bulgarian athletes here. We remember the past and we wish the future to be as good as the past of Bulgarian sports. The great champions of Bulgaria and the people in Bulgarian sports feel the Museum of Sport as their own place."

Katya Ivanova says that among the visitors there are many students, families, sports fans and tourists from different countries. The museum is also attractive for lovers of modern technology, because thanks to a project with UNESCO, over 1,500 of the most famous exhibits have been digitized and can be viewed on a special website. The place is included in the list of 100 national tourist sites under number 66, which makes it easy to find for every traveller. Here you will meet visitors from all over the world attracted by the stories of Olympic champions in wrestling, weightlifting and modern heroes in skiing and snowboarding such as Albert Popov and Radoslav Yankov.

Football and athletics fans will discover real treasures. The collection includes items belonging to legendary Hristo Stoichkov, as well as the former world record holder in the high jump, Stefka Kostadinova, whose record was not improved for 37 years. As an extremely valuable relic, the museum keeps the last football set of "Footballer No. 1 of the 20th century in Bulgaria" Georgi Asparuhov-Gundi - a legend not only for the supporters of FC Levski, but also for all football fans in the country. There are also exhibits related to the Maleevi sisters, who left a golden trail in Bulgarian tennis…

"Hristo Stoichkov gave the Barcelona jersey, number 8, which is in the exhibition. Here is also his jersey from the national team and the famous match between Bulgaria and Germany, when Bulgaria won 3:2 (played on June 7, 1995 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia - a match from the qualifiers for the 1996 European Football Championship in England). Hristo Stoichkov's jersey, as well as the ball he played with in the anniversary match on the occasion of his 50th anniversary - these are interesting exhibits related to him. Stefka Kostadinova gave her shoes, with which she became world champion in Gothenburg (1995), just six months after giving birth to her son Nikolay.”

A visit to the Museum of Sport is not only educational but also an emotional experience that transcends language barriers because the athletes represent the Bulgarian nation to the world, Katya Ivanova tells us. She also remembers how the winning of the Emperor's Cup in sumo in Japan by Bulgarian Kaloyan Mahlyanov- Kotoōshū Katsunori became an occasion for crowds of Japanese tourists to visit the museum. "Every era has its sports heroes," Katya Ivanova tells us, based on her long-standing work with the artifacts of Bulgarian sports history.

"On a normal working day, a Bulgarian came here. He had been working as a doctor in Sweden for many years. He wanted to look at the museum alone and when he reached the back of the hall, he suddenly shouted: «Long live Bulgaria!». I will never forget that. Bulgarian sport evokes exactly that kind of reaction. And for those who want to learn more, this is the place to do it."

Whether you are an avid sports fan or just a curious tourist, the Museum of Sport will offer you an inspiring story of how willpower and talent can conquer peaks that seem unattainable. Visit it to learn more about Bulgaria's contribution to the world's sporting heritage.