The building of the Parliament is one of the first built after the Liberation of Bulgaria. The main stone was laid in 1884 and its construction continued until 1886. Even though now it is located in the centre of Sofia, at the time it was in the outskirts of the town that was still small. It was designed in Neo Renaissance style by the Viennese architect of Slavonic roots Konstantin Jovanovich Another two architects that are emblematic for the new capital took part in the construction – Friedrich Grunanger and his assistant Joseph Prosek. The motto is inscribed above the main entrance “Being united makes us strong” and since its creation until today it performs the function of effective Bulgarian parliament. 

The monument facing it was designed by the famous Florentine sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi. The central place of the composition is assigned to the statue of the Russian tsar Alexander II riding a horse. In Bulgaria, he is called the “Liberator” because of his victorious role in the Russian-Turkish War that liberated Bulgaria from Ottoman rule that lasted 500 years. The statue is a pedestal made of granite brought especially from the mountain next to Sofia – Vitosha Mountain. No less significant is the surrounding relief because it is a composition of quite realistic portraits of military leaders, state heads and public figures that played important role in the Liberation War and were headed by the goddess of victory, Nike. Additionally, it is provided with reliefs with battles of key importance to the war and the closing scene of entering the Peace Treaty. Frontally, it is decorated with stone laurel wreath, gifted by the Romanian king Carol I in living memory of the Romanian soldiers who died for our liberty and fought for the Bulgarian freedom, side by side with the Bulgarians and Russians.

Despite the protests by the Russophobes in Bulgaria at the time, erecting the monument was an event of the highest state nature. The opening was attended by the tsar and the whole Bulgarian elite.

The inscription goes “Tsar Liberator, in your honour, from grateful Bulgaria”.