Part of the huge complex built in the outskirts of the city of Kazanlak, on the road that brings to the small village of Buzovgrad, the historic and advertising centre “Arsenal” is open to visitors as a museum since 18 October 1974, showing the story of one of the most important economy point of the country.

At the beginning, there was just one room arranged as a historical exposition with photo and documentary material regarding the past of the factory. But beginning from 1994 the museum had different changes and improvements and nowadays three rooms are open – advertising, history and a room for old weapons systems, collected, revised and stored since the foundation of the museum. Actually, more than 1000 historical artifacts among weapons, accessories to them, documents and photos are kept here.

In the History room is shown the rich story of the factory – since its foundation in 1878 till the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Defence industry in Bulgaria. It is divided into three stages illustrated by a number of documents, photos, and exhibits.

The first stage comprises the period since the foundation of the first armament workshop in Rousse – the Artillery Arsenal of Rousse in 1878, established for the needs of the newly created Bulgarian army, and its moving to Sofia in 1891 as Artillery Arsenal of Sofia. Until 1884 Russian officers acted as managers of this Artillery Arsenal when Prof. General Simeon Nikolov Vankov was appointed as the first Bulgarian director of the factory. At the beginning of 1891, by decree of Prince Ferdinand, the factory was transferred to the capital in Sofia and so was established the Sofia Artillery Arsenal.

There is shown the letter of the chief of the Central Military Records Office – Veliko Tarnovo about the “birth date” of “Arsenal”, Decree No 1 of prince Dondoukov for the establishment of the Artillery Arsenal in Rousse, a copy of Decree No. 10 of Prince Ferdinand and Disposition for the foundation of the Sofia Artillery Arsenal, a number of copies of documents, pictures of buildings and workshops

The second stage begins in 1924. By decree of Tsar Boris III, the factory was moved, due to strategic reasons, to its present location of Kazanlak under the name of State Military Factory. The law established its basic function, “To produce and repair all military equipment necessary for the army, the police, the border troops and all state security organs, as well as the testing of new models”.

Important pieces of this stage are:

1. the Decree of Tzar Boris III for the State Military Factory
2. The copy of the decision of the XXI National Assembly published in the Official Journal
3. Archive photos of the newly opened workshops and other materials illustrating the enlarged activity of the factory

The third stage, after the World War, II is characterized by a considerable drop of the orders for military products and the orientation of the production facilities for a civil sphere. In the course of the years, the factory was enlarged and renovated, developing to become a considerable part of the national economy.

After World War II began the production of new items of primary importance to the country. The great number of large pictures of horizontal, vertical and universal milling machines, drilling machines and multi-purpose systems show and prove the versatility of “Arsenal” Ltd. and the frequent change and completion with new products, the continuous quest and orientation to the new market demands, to the trends of EU, the NATO structures and to modern technologies of production.

Nowadays the factory occupies a surface of over 7 million of m2 and it provides employment to 10000 people confirming itself as one of the principals economic points of the country.

© Images of the gallery are copies of Arsenal (Bulgaria) Photographic Archive.