THE RED FLAT - STEP BACK IN TIME AND EXPERIENCE LIFE OF COMMUNIST BULGARIA

About the Red Flat

The Red Flat is not a typical museum, but an interactive experience and a time machine aiming to send you back to the 1980’s - the last stage of the communist regime in Bulgaria. By entering the flat, you will visit the home of an average family and discover what everyday life was like for ordinary Bulgarians during the Cold War.

What you will see

The Living Room

The Kitchen

Children's Room

Others

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Step into the heart of the home and discover the classic dining table where meals were shared and stories unfolded. Here, you'll explore the world beyond, learning about working abroad, the voice of Radio Free Europe, and the satirical newspaper Sturshel. Take a nostalgic turn on the rotary phone or flip through the pages of an old directory to find a familiar name. Don’t miss the chance to savor a typical taste from the era, transporting you back in time.

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Welcome to the kitchen, where iconic household appliances like the Perla washing machine, Mraz refrigerator, and Mechta stove tell their own stories. Uncover the fascinating history behind these relics of the past, and tune into signals from the Bulgarian National Radio archive on the timeless VEF radio. In this room, you’ll also learn about the era’s food rationing system, the beloved summer vacations of Bulgarians, and the long lines for bread. Plus, discover the time-honored tradition of preparing winter preserves.

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Transport yourself to the vibrant world of a bygone childhood. Here, the music of famous Bulgarian and Western artists plays on the classic Resprom gramophone, setting the perfect backdrop. You’ll dive into the past with stories of school uniforms, report cards, and beloved toys. Experience the spirit of youth through tales of school brigades, parades, and demonstrations. Don’t forget to check out the iconic Balkanche bicycle, a true symbol of the era—and perhaps even try on some vintage clothes for a complete immersion in the past!

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The apartment also consists of an entrance hall, a bathroom, and a balcony—all of which will transport you back in time to Communist Bulgaria.

4 Rooms

Explore four meticulously recreated rooms that capture the essence of life in communist Bulgaria, each filled with authentic furnishings and objects from the era.

Audio Guide

Enjoy a detailed audio guide available in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Bulgarian, providing rich historical context and personal stories as you move through the apartment.

1.5 HOURS OF EXPLORING

The visit typically takes around 1.5 hours, giving you ample time to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and stories of the period.

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE

Engage directly with the past—touch, explore, and interact with the objects and furniture, making history come alive in a tangible way.

What our visitors are saying

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Marijn Pals
A great way to see and feel how life progressed inside a Bulgarian household during Soviet times. They provided you with a audio tour which told the stories of the household and a few of the items that could be found. The people who worked in the museum were really kind and helpful. Everything in the museum could be touched which made it a lot more interesting.
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Pyotr Ushkov
This is a real apartment where at some point there lived a family. My parents grew up in the Soviet Union, so I had some knowledge of what life back then was like, but visiting The Red Flat gave me an opportunity to somewhat experience it myself. This museum is even interactive: you can open all the closets, all the doors, touch all the stuff. This allows you to emerge yourself even deeper into the atmosphere.
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Viktória Bereczki
This flat is a literal time capsule, we learnt so much about the times in the 80's in Bulgaria. We spent around 2hours there, it was absolutely worth it and it was so cheap (18lev). We enjoyed the flat with an audio guide, however it was immersive, you can play with the phone, radio and you can touch everything. There were even dedicated photo spots, these were indicated in the paper that we got at the entrance. The owner was really nice, we received a little sweet from her. All in all, it is a must when you visit Sofia. A 10/10 experience for us! Don't hesitate to go!
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Remco
Fantastic place to visit! Staff is very friendly and you can touch everything, they even put a vinyl record on in the apartment. Audio guide is great. I visited in the morning when they opened so I was the only one in the apartment, when I left it became quite busy. Visit takes up around 90 minutes if you listen to the complete audio guide. Highly recommended!
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Asli Gokce
This is a very good example of immersive and interactive museum experiences. The booklet of items and audio stories put the visitor right in this family’s house. It is a time capsule. Our guide was lovely and very sincerely answered all of our questions. The gift shop was also worth seeing. It is well designed with nice books and goodies. Overall this was 10/10 experience. My mother (56), me (26) and my husband all enjoyed. It speaks to generations.
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Dave Mitchell
This opened my eyes in more ways than I could mention ... I've heard many stories about communist times from my village neighbors, but never once from the perspective of the city dweller. I would recommend that anyone visiting Bulgaria for the first time should make an effort to visit this place. It will certainly give you a better understanding of what people went through in those (for some) dark times, and you may even get that some Bulgarians hanker for that existence to return. A privilege to visit and a richer experience because you're allowed to touch the exhibits, and given the time to absorb the atmosphere while listening to a very comprehensive narrative. Thank you!

Location

Address 24 Ivan Denkoglu street, Sofia
Important

Get your ticket at the GIFTED shop, located on the same address

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Plan your journey back in time

Opening Hours MON-SUN: 10:30 - 18:00
Price 18 BGN/9 EUR
Duration 1.5H
Languages EN, IT, FR, ES, BG
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