of the mausoleum was carried out. The premises under the mourning hall were expanded and the air conditioning system was replaced, a plastically designed monumental door, the crystal chamber-sarcophagus and mosaics by Dechko Uzunov were installed . Destruction The mausoleum itself was destroyed by Prime Minister Ivan Kostov's UDF government in 1999 after a heated nationwide debate. The prime minister and his party claimed that retaining the mausoleum was inappropriate following the fall of Communism in 1989 because it represented Bulgaria's repressive past. Even within the government there was opposition to destroying the building, and an opinion poll revealed that two-thirds of the population opposed the demolition. Proposals were made to turn the mausoleum into a museum or art gallery because it contributed to the unique atmosphere of the capital city. In August 1999, the government made four attempts to demolish the building. The first three failed because they relied on a single powerful explosion. The building did not budge after the first two attempts and tilted only slightly after the third. The fourth (and successful) attempt was carried out using a series of consecutive, less powerful explosions. See also Lenin's Mausoleum References Buildings and structures completed in 1949 Buildings and structures in Sofia Demolished buildings and structures in Bulgaria Mausoleums in Bulgaria People's Republic of Bulgaria Mausoleum Buildings and structures demolished in 1999