Pleven, Bulgaria

Pleven is a city in Northern Bulgaria. It is located in the very heart of Moesia (Miziya) (agricultural region), surrounded by low limestone hills. Its central location in Northern Bulgaria defines its importance as a big administrative, economic, political, cultural and transport centre. The city is located 170 km from the capital town of Sofia, at 320 km from the Black sea coast, at 50 km from the Danube river, at 130 km from the Danube bridge and at about 70 km from the Balkan.

The city was a major battle scene during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 that the Russian tsar Alexander II held for the purpose of liberation of Bulgaria. The joint Russian/Romanian army paid dearly for the victory, but it paved the path to the defeat of Turkey in this war, and the restoration of Bulgaria as independent country.

The 1911 Britannica concluded its lengthy entry on Pleven (transcripted as Plevna) with the memorable dictum: "Plevna is a striking example of the futility of the purely passive defence, which is doomed to failure however tenaciously carried out. Victories which are not followed up are useless. War without strategy is mere butchery."

Major attraction: For the centennial celebrations of the battles of Pleven, the city sponsored the construction of the Panorama "Pleven's Epopee 1877", reputedly larger than the Borodino Panorama in Russia.

Notable citizens of Pleven

• Emil Dimitrov, singer and composer
• Tereza Marinova, long jump athlete
• Slavi Trifonov, showman and singer