The Tsar Kaloyan monument was built thanks to an idea by admiral Hristo Kontrov. It’s located in the Varna centre in close proximity to the Cathedral. The preparation of sculpturing and installation of the monument started in 2007. The craftsmen charged with building the monument and designing it’s look were the sculptors Boris Borisov, Konstantin Konstantinov and architect Milen Marinov.

The big brass statue of the horseman was cast in Sofia and transported to Varna. All of the metal material was gifted by the Ministry of Defence in the shape of melted shells from used bullets. The horse statue of Tsar Kaloyan is classical, symbolising the triumph of the ruler over the byzantine garnison defending Varna. The figure is pointing to the west and presents the tsar with battle gear and a raised right hand with a sword. The total height of it is 8 metres.

The four walls of the marble base are decorated with bronze carvings that show a few of the notable moments that happened during his reign. The takeover of Varna from bulgarian soldiers in 1201, the victory over the crusader army next to Odrin in 1205 as all as the capture of the Latin emperor Bladuin of Flanders, and the scene of the coronation of Tsar Kaloyan from the representatives of pope Innocent III are shown in chronological order. Tsar Kaloyan is the only Bulgarian ruler crowned with the catholic title of “king”.

The monument was opened in December 2008 with a ceremonial service led by the Varna bishop Kiril. A lot of civilians as well as foreign diplomats and politicians came to the unveiling of the monument.

The location of the monument is in the heart of the city centre. It’s accessible by foot, rent a car, taxi, public transport and basically every way of transport. If you wish to visit the Tsar Kaloyan monument you can take advantage of My Rent a Car and visit the park by getting a car of your choosing anywhere from Varna Airport, Varna Centre, Golden Sands, St. St. Constantine and Helena, Sunny day or other points within Varna.