Sofia school cuts down pine tree planted by Yuri Gagarin

A pine tree planted in 1961 by Yuri Gagarin at the 138th School in Sofia has been cut down, sparking public outcry on social media. The tree was part of a symbolic space alley in the school's courtyard, which also features trees planted by astronauts Georgi Ivanov, Alexander Alexandrov, and Valentina Tereshkova.

School leadership and Sofia Municipality experts stated the tree was cut down because it had dried out and posed a potential safety risk to students. While the original tree planted by Gagarin died shortly after being planted 65 years ago, a successor tree was planted in its place. This replacement tree had shown signs of decline, including a characteristic tilt and a drying crown, which had been monitored since at least 2020.