Monument of Tsar Samuil

The monument of Tsar Samuil (997-1014) was erected in 2015 to pay respect to the Bulgarian king Samuil. From 977 to 997, he was a general under Roman I of Bulgaria, the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him, as Roman bestowed upon him the command of the army and the effective royal authority. As Samuel struggled to preserve his country's independence from the Byzantine Empire, his rule was characterized by constant warfare against the Byzantines and their equally ambitious ruler Basil II. The sculpture itself was quite controversial at the time of placement as the eyes of the statue used to glow in the dark. Since then the issue has been taken care off.