Similar to so many other countries that spent the post-WWII years under communist rule, Bulgaria's history is impossible to ignore. Like the former Yugoslav Republic with its legendary Spomenik, Bulgaria is also littered with breathtakingly grandiose, beautiful, bizarre, and sometimes grotesque monuments to communism.

Local photographer Nikola Mihov came of age in post-Communist Bulgaria, but he spent two years documenting the monumental remains of the old guard in varying states of decay and dereliction in a series of photographs entitled Forget Your Past.

We've selected a few favorites below, but be sure to check out the full series on Nikola's website!