A marble nine-foot monument of President Ronald Reagan is set to be unveiled May 10 in Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia. The monument, which transpired with key input and advice from Young America’s Foundation and the Reagan Ranch, was erected in order to honor President Reagan’s critical contribution to the country’s liberation from communism. The ceremony honoring Ronald Reagan will take place at the entrance to Sofia’s famed South Park, one of the largest green spaces in the city.
The idea was first forwarded by Konstantin Aradbadzhiez, former mayor of Sofia, and approved by municipal officials in February of 2014. The Bulgarian people revere President Reagan for spearheading international efforts to topple the Soviet bloc, ushering in their transition to democratic rule.
75th U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III, co-chairman of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors, and Andrew Coffin, director of the Reagan Ranch and vice president of Young America’s Foundation, both served on a jury of prominent officials who assisted the Bulgarians in selecting the winning artist, Boris Borisov, who imagined and created the monument of Ronald Reagan. The Union of Bulgarian Artists oversaw the competition.
George Allen, 67th Governor of Virginia and Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar, and his wife Susan, along with Robert Agostinelli, represented Young America’s Foundation as members of its Reagan Ranch Board of Governors during the ceremony in Sofia.
“Ronald Reagan was not only committed to ensuring freedom in the US, but also to advancing freedom across the globe. When speaking of Bulgaria, he reminded us that, no matter where, ‘The violation of human rights…is the rightful cause of all free peoples.’ It is a privilege to partner with freedom-loving Bulgarians who seek to honor this legacy in a country transformed by the commitment of leaders like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II to turn back the tide of Communism and totalitarianism. I trust that this impressive statue in the heart of Sofia will encourage future generations to consider Ronald Reagan’s example and follow his lead,” stated Andrew Coffin, director of the Reagan Ranch and vice president of Young America’s Foundation.
In 1998, Young America’s Foundation stepped forward to save the Reagan Ranch. The Foundation views the preservation of President Reagan’s accomplishments as a critical element of its mission and uses his beloved ranch as a tool to inspire the next generation of Americans with the example he set.
Young America’s Foundation helps students plan “Freedom Not Socialism” educational programs at high schools and colleges nationwide. Today’s American youth who blindly buy into the socialist schemes of Bernie Sanders can learn from those in Bulgaria who lived with the evil and violent ideology and the lack of personal liberty at the heart of it. Supporting the monument in Sofia will ensure Ronald Reagan’s important work to topple this evil and promote free enterprise and limited government will be remembered for decades to come.
