Sofia’s Zaimov Park has officially been renamed Oborishte following a decision by the Sofia Municipal Council, restoring the name the site carried between 1998 and 2007.
The move reverses the park’s designation honoring Gen. Vladimir Zaimov, a military figure whose historical legacy remains sharply disputed in Bulgaria. Zaimov served in the Balkan Wars, and both World Wars, and was stationed in Shumen and Sofia military garrisons. In 1935, he was removed from military service at the rank of major general over anti-monarchical activity.
By 1939, he had begun cooperating with Soviet intelligence under the codename “Azorsky.” Three years later, in March 1942, he was arrested and accused of running an intelligence network in favor of the Soviet Union that allegedly transmitted military information about Bulgaria and other states. He was sentenced to death by firing squad, with the execution carried out immediately after the verdict.
A group of municipal councilors who submitted the proposal argued that the park’s name should reflect a more broadly accepted historical reference. In their reasoning, they wrote: “Given the ambiguous perception of the role and place of General Zaimov in the historical memory of Bulgarian society, we consider it appropriate to restore the popular and positively perceived name of the park, namely Oborishte Park.”
