These Bulgarian Mountain Ruins Signify a Soviet Bloc Past

Part Cold War relic, part crumbling UFO, the Buzludzha Monument was once the epicenter of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Built in 1980 and only open for eight years, this mountaintop modern ruin was once a hub of Eastern Bloc activities that was abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union. Since then, harsh winter conditions, looting and a lack of formal upkeep has resulted in the building's steady decline. The Soviet red star that sits atop the building is three times larger than the one atop the Kremlin—now, though, all that star signifies is that party's past rule.

The Trail To Kazbegi

What happens when four like-minded adventurers head into one of the world’s wildest mountain ranges with nothing but their mountain bikes and enough food to survive for 10 days?

The answer? What doesn’t happen? Terrifying lightning storms. Raging-river crossings. Snow-covered glacial pass traverses. Mind-melting descents. Constant fights with vicious dogs. Tense encounters with over-zealous border-patrol guards.

All of the above were just another day following “The Trail to Kazbegi,” a self-supported mountain-bike mission through the highest reaches of the Caucasus Mountains in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Our four-man team—adventure filmmaker Joey Schusler, Bike magazine editor Brice Minnigh, photographer Ross Measures and mountain man Sam Seward—spent half of June 2015 exploring the crown jewels of the Georgian High Caucasus on a feature assignment for Bike.