On November 5, 1957, in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, a monument to the Soviet soldier-liberator - the 11-meter "Alyosha" was unveiled. For many years, the monument has served as a reminder of the feat of Soviet soldiers and officers who, at the cost of their lives, liberated Europe from fascism. The idea to erect a monument in Plovdiv was born on May 9, 1948 in the ranks of the local community and received the warm support of the townspeople. When creating the monument, the sculptor Vasil Radoslavov was guided by a photograph of a real person - a private company of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Alexei Skurlatov. Alexei was one of hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers who took part in the Bulgarian operation. In September 1944, he laid a connection from Plovdiv to Sofia and the Black Sea. At this time, he became friends with a Bulgarian signalman, a member of the Resistance, Metodi Vitanov. Vitanov will forever remember May 9, 1945, when young people celebrated the common Victory together. The tall Skurlatov then put two Bulgarians on his shoulders and began to dance with them. Vitanov, who fondly remembered his Soviet friend until the end of his life, gave the sculptor his photograph.