After the September 9th coup in 1944 and the end of the World War II Bulgaria gradually established power based on the monopoly command of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The country is starting to build socialism. Sofia remains the capital of socialist Bulgaria - all the institutions of the legislative, executive and judiciary are concentrated in the town.
The prior task for the mayoral administration in the late 1940s and early 1950s was to remove the consequences of bombing - rebuilding demolished buildings, repairing sewers, power supply, streets, urbanization and green areas.
In the 1950s the formation of the new administrative center of Sofia began. In accordance with the dominant ideology a new architectural style has been introduced, so-called "socialist realism". Buildings of power: Party House /part of the National Assembly nowadays/, the Ministry of Heavy Industry with a large trade center /Council of Ministers and TZUM nowadays/, Ministry of Electrification with adjoining hotel to him /The Presidency with Balkan Hotel /Sheraton Hotel/ form the Largo. It corresponds with Lenin Square /"St. Nedelya" Square nowadays/, where the monolithic monument of Lenin was placed opposite the Party House.
A few times earlier the Mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov, the Monument of the Soviet Army and other historical structures were built. The Mausoleum was destroyed after the onset of democratic changes, and the disputes and debates in society regarding the Monument of the Soviet Army continued.
Reserved from destruction, restored and exhibited are: the "St. Georgi - Rotunda" church, the "St. Petka Samardzhiyska" temple, the "East Gate of Serdika" archaeological complex. Significant tourist sites are also: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Boyana Church and the “St. Sofia" basilica. In the 1970's the Historical-Archaeological Reserve "Ancient Serdika and Medieval Sredets" and about 800 cultural monuments were declared in the central part of town.
The town is constantly expanding, and from the 1950s to the beginning of the 1960s the villages a few kilometers from Sofia were joined to the capital. Moreover, after the nationalization of industrial, mining, and building stock, the industrialization of large cities began. This, along with the forced co-operation of agriculture, leads to the massive relocation of compact groups of people in the capital city. Sofia Residence has been introduced, but it can be acquired when entering work in industry or urban transport, where there is a labor shortage and labor is not quite attractive. As a result of the industrialization of the capital, MK Kremikovtzi, the Homebuilding Kombinat, various enterprises of electronics, chemical and light industry were built. In the future, many of these facilities will prove ineffective and cause environmental problems in Sofia, such as air and soil pollution.
Most of the secondary and higher education institutions are concentrated n Sofia, making the capital attractive for many young people – Bulgarians and from abroad. The largest repository of books - the National Library, is also located in Sofia, as well as the Capital Library, Sofia community centers and their libraries.
The cultural life in Sofia also develops in cinemas, theaters, concert and opera halls, galleries. The halls of the former Royal Palace turn into a National Art Gallery - the largest in the country.
An invariable part of the scientific and cultural life of Sofia is its museums. Along with the museums and house-museums which perform ideological functions here are: Archaeological Museum, Museum of Nature and Science, National Polytechnic Museum, Sofia Museum, National Museum of History, etc., which contributes to the preservation and popularization of history and science in the capital city.
The population of Sofia continues to grow. This necessitates accelerated buildings construction in the capital on part of the territories of the former villages, turned into metropolitan quarters nowadays. The lack of perspective planning and rationalization of some town-planning solutions hinders access to inter-block spaces and small neighborhood streets. The industrialization of Sofia and overbuilding have a negative impact on its green areas, but it still remains one of the green capitals in Europe.
With its achievements, but with some unresolved problems related to the repair of the street network, the processing of household waste, the shortage of municipal dwellings, etc. on the eve of the democratic changes in the country Sofia remains the preferred city to live in Bulgaria.
