Archives State Agency

Bulgaria and Europe

The project ‘Bulgaria and Europe’

is funded

by the Programme

‘Cultural Programme

for the Bulgarian Presidency

of the Council

of the European Union 2018’

of the National Culture Fund

Archives State Agency

Sofia, 2018

BulgariaBulgariaand Europeand Europe

© Archives State Agency, 2018© Mihail Tanev, artist, 2018

ISBN 978-619-7070-20-0ISBN 978-619-7070-21-7

The album

‘Bulgaria and Europe’

is published bythe Archives State Agency

C o m p i l a t i o n a n d e d i t i n g :Dr Milena TODORAKOVA

Ira GEORGIEVADimitar STOIMENOV

E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n : Dimitar POPOVSilvia BEROVA

P r o o f - r e a d i n g : Marieta TSANOVA

C o o r d i n a t o r : Plamka BOShNyAKOVA

A r t i s t :Mihail TANEV

P r e - p r e s s :МТ Studio

P r i n t :Cyan Ltd

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ON ThE hIDDEN TREASURES IN ThE BULGARIAN ARChIVES

AND ThE POSSIBLE KEy FOR ThEIR DISCOVERy

The album ‘Bulgaria and Europe’ presented by the Archives State Agency to the readers includes some of the most valuable and unique documents from the Bulgarian archives presenting the centuries-old relations and interactions between the Bulgarians and the rest of Europe. It is well known that in ar-chives studies the term ‘document’ has an extensive interpretation. In this case, it includes not only ‘written information fixed on a media’, but also a huge amount of maps, engravings, photographs, sketches, postcards, etc., providing insights and knowledge on particular events, eras or aspects of hu-man activity. As to the notion of ‘Europe’, it is also broadly interpreted here. It is considered as more of a metaphor through which the Bulgarians and other Balkan peoples rationalise their modernisation, the process of breaking away from the spirit of Ottoman Orientalism and their vigorous life with the rhythm of Modern Times. This was also the idea in our quest to present the whole variety of sources from different historical eras, reflecting the understanding of the experience and connection of the Bul-garians with Europe. The album offers an exciting journey from the Middle Ages to the Second World War through the most valuable archival fonds, the old prints, the first photographs, the picturesque artefacts and everything that makes up the magic of the archives’ treasures. This interaction cannot leave the reader indifferent.

The selection of the documents proved to be extremely difficult. It was made among all of the 94 linear kilometres of documents stored in the state archives. I realise that this sounds vague and somewhat startling for the uninitiated. Sometimes even the professionals are struck with respect. In her remark-able archival work titled ‘The Allure of the Archives’, the French historian Arlette Farge recreates in an extremely emotional way her respect to the skills of the latter to cope with the vast information they keep. ‘Archivists and archive staff do not lose their bearings in this ocean’ – she says. – ‘They talk about the archives in terms of how many kilometers they span, of thousands of linear meters of shelves. This is another form of gigantism, or maybe it’s just a clever way of coming to grips with the archives, of taming them while at the same time recognizing the impossibility of ever taking full possession of them. These metric metaphors lead to a contradiction: stacked on shelves, measured in kilometers like roads, the archive seems infinite, perhaps even indecipherable. Can you read a highway, even if it is made of paper?’ – the author asked rhetorically. Of course, the answer is negative. Yet, as compilers, we have tried not to lose ourselves in these volumes. The selection here is largely a representative sample of the most valuable collections in the Bulgarian state archives, the majority of which are kept in the Central State Archives (CSA). Among them is the collection ‘Dr Simeon Simov’ with unique medieval maps, engravings and sketches that the Bulgarian emigrant bought with his personal funds

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6from auctions and antiques shops from all over Europe. The album also includes some of the most valuable Cyrillic texts (including in Wallachian language) of middle-Bulgarian version. Together with the copy of Paisiy’s ‘Slavonic-Bulgarian History’ they illustrate the great impact of this literature far beyond the ethnic boundaries of the Bulgarians in a prolonged historical perspective. The other par-ticularly valuable collection featured in the album is that of the thousands of early printed Jewish re-ligious books and documents, which contain hundreds of inscriptions. This is a huge literary heritage created between the sixteenth and the early twentieth centuries with extremely valuable information about the coexistence of Bulgarians, Jews and other peoples inhabiting the Ottoman Empire, as well as on the lives of large Jewish municipalities in the Bulgarian lands. With this collection, Archives State Agency is applying for inclusion in UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World Register’. The main massif of the submitted documents is from the fonds ‘Monarchic Institute’. They are also some of the most visually striking materials, made by professional artists with the use of expensive decoration materials. There are also documents from the State Military Historical Archives (SMHA) in Veliko Tarnovo and the 27 territorial state archives (SA).

Today, in the year of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and in the Year of Cultural Heritage, focusing on the most valuable documents from the Bulgarian state archives has an even deeper symbolic meaning. It allows not only to comprehend the secrets of the past but also to bridge the present and the future. In addition, it recalls the vocation of the archives to preserve and popularise the nation’s documentary memory, to take responsibility for its safe preservation for future generations, and to provide universal access to the archival wealth. Changing public perceptions, tech-nologies and needs will probably change the ways in which they are stored and used, and they will offer a new key to rationalising them. Surely, the key that we now offer to readers of the album ‘Bulgaria and Europe’ will keep its uniqueness.

Dr Mihail Gruev

President of the Archives State Agency

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І. Bulgarian Lands on the Map of Europe ............................................ 8

ІІ. Restoration of the Bulgarian State .................................................... 20

ІІІ. Monarchic Dynasties .......................................................................... 26

ІV. Cooperation with the European States ............................................ 38

1. Diplomacy ............................................................................... 38

2. Bilateral Agreements and Relations .................................... 42

3. International Exhibitions ..................................................... 46

4. Protection of Peace and Citizens’ Rights ............................ 54

V. Urban Development. Architectural Influences .............................. 66

VІ. Towards Modern Economy .............................................................. 92

VІІ. Educational Dimensions .................................................................... 98

VІІІ. Cultural Parallels .............................................................................. 110

ІХ. Citius, Altius, Fortius ....................................................................... 130

C O N T E N T S

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І. BULGARIAN

LANDS ON ThE MAP OF EUROPE

In the Middle Ages Bulgaria was one of the largest European states and established itself as the third empire next to the Byzantine and the Ger-man empires. In certain historical pe-riods its territory spread out from the river Dnieper to the river Tisza, from the Carpathian Mountains to the en-virons of Thessaloniki and Adriano-ple (Edirne), from the Black Sea to the Adriatic Sea. The natural course of its historical development was in-terrupted for nearly five centuries af-ter it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks at the end of the fourteenth century. However Western Europe retained its interest in the Bulgarian lands and although Bulgaria lost its political independence, it remained on the map of Europe. The concept of Western cartographers was influ-enced by the ancient (Ptolemy’s) tra-dition and medieval sources on the erstwhile Bulgarian state. This is why the existing cartographic nomencla-ture was based on the old Greco-Roman administrative and geo-graphic provinces ‘Mizia’, ‘Thrace’ and ‘Macedonia’, with an overlap of the medieval political concepts of ‘Bulgaria’ and ‘Romania’ (‘Thrace’ equalled ‘Byzantium’).With the development of diplomatic and trade relations between Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire, the knowledge about Bulgarian lands gradually increased. The Balkans

Map of Europe, depicted as an Em-press, by Sebastian Münster. Basel,

Switzerland, c. 1550CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 12

were crossed by reconnaissance par-ties, travellers, scientists and artists, who published notes and drawings, specifying names and locations of settlements, mountains, rivers, roads. Thus was shaped the European knowledge of the ethnic characteris-tics and the livelihood of the Bulgar-ian population.

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Map of the Danube River from Belgrade to the Black Sea,

by Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola, made in 1684 and included in the

atlas ‘Mercurio geografico’ of Giacomo de Rossi. Rome, 1687

CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 83

A Bulgarian. Engraving by Jacques de Franssieres, 1714CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 115

‘In the villages they (Bulgarians and Greeks) live quite apart from each other; this is where the costume of the Bulgar-ians differ most from those of the Greeks. The Bulgarian, because he is still proud of his victories, ploughs with a shirt, pad-ded jacket and broad breeches, embellished with embroidery of wool in different col-ours. This garment is always very clean, there is lustre and grace, especially in the summer; then the embroidery stands out on the white cotton fabrics woven by women in every home.’From the travel notes of the French way-farer E.-M. Cousinéry, 1783–1785.

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‘New and accurate map of Tran-sylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia

and Bulgaria’ by Georg Matthäus Seutter with illustration of the

Bulgarian coat of arms. Augsburg, Germany, after 1730

CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 167

Bulgarian girl. Engraving by Jean Baptiste Haussart, 1714CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 117

Collection ‘Dr. Simeon Simov’ (f. 2115K) in the Central State Ar-chives contains maps, atlases, en-gravings and books. The earliest maps are from the fifteenth cen-tury, the books from the sixteenth century, and the engravings – from the eighteenth century. The collection reflects the presence of the Bulgarian lands and Bul-garians in European history, geo­graphy and culture as part of the Euro pean civilization.

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Map of the Bulgarian kingdom with coat of arms by Johann van der

Bruggen. Vienna, Austria, 1737CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 173

Bulgarian woman. Engraving by Paul Schumann, nineteenth centuryCSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 131

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Map of Rumelia, Bulgaria and Wallachia by Lieutenant L. Renner, included

in Meyer’s Zeitungs­Atlas. Hildburghausen, Germany, 1850

CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 303

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Bulgarian peasant from Varna. Engraving by G. Montaut d’Oloron

based on a drawing by Jules Laurens, 1858

CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 114

Bulgarian shepherd. Drawing and lithography by Camille Rogier,

c. 1850CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 124

‘During the travel we were very surprised by the way of life of Bulgarian peasants. They have a rather decent look, and their houses are particularly clean inside and out. They dress well, and women’s adornments show a peaceful and fairly good subsist-ence. Bulgarians are a nice, healthy and hard-working people. They work the land, feed their flocks, raise livestock for sale, sell butter, cheese and poultry on the market, cut timber in the woods, which they sell in the bigger towns... In most cases, Bulgar-ians own the land that they cultivate.’From George Keppel’s ‘Narrative of a Jorney across the Balkan in the Years 1829–1830’, London, 1831

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‘In fact, Ruse is a very spacious and well-populated settlement. Few houses are located on the banks of the Danube River, where there are plenty of ves-sels that sail up and down by the coast... The city is, to be said, entirely situated in the heights, the houses are mixed with gardens, they are made of stone and earth without lime, as in all other places in these lands. Most of them are covered with tiles and the streets around them have pathways paved with gravel for walking with-out getting stuck in the mud, which is in the middle of the street... There are small shops everywhere in the town...’From the travel notes of Captain Shad on his travels to the Levant, 1740

‘Silistri is a fortress, located on the flat shore of the Danube River and in the foot of small hills... Some time ago it had more than 20 thousand inhabitants. Silistri is the seat of high ranking pasha, because it is centre of one of the biggest pashalics, enclosing the entire Turkish territory northeast along the Black Sea, reaching beyond the Balkan even to Burgas.’From the travel notes of the French traveller Ami Boué, 1836–1838

Town and Fortress of Silistra. Engraving by an unknown artist, 1854 CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 30

Rustschuk (Ruse) in Bulgaria. Lithography by an unknown artist, mid nineteenth century CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 21

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‘Burgas is one of the main Bulgarian ports for Black Sea trade. All wares from Tartary and other coastal provinces sent to Rumelia reach there. It is a big settlement with many merchants: the port is very good; the seabed is sandy and all kinds of vessels may be harboured there over the winter.’From the treatise of Claude-Charles de Peyssonnel on the commerce in the Black Sea, 1787

‘At the foot of the mountain chain (the Balkan) lies Kazan-lak, the Gyulistan of Europe, where rose bushes are grown and which is famous throughout the whole of Turkey with its rose oil... In the spring young Bulgarian girls gather into groups... and pick all the roses’ blossoms that are tak-en to the town in baskets... The freshness of these pickers, their elegant figures and clothes, their hair in long braids, falling down their shoulders, the light veil waving over their heads, reminds the traveller of scenes from the pas-toral life... Sometimes these girls leave their baskets on the ground and dance in a circle to the sound of a shepherd’s flute or their own songs.’From the travel notes of the French traveller Felix Beaujour, 1794–1799

Rose-picking near Kazanlak. Engraving based on a painting by Felix Kanitz, 1860–1885CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 123

Burgas – a safe haven for the ally ships prior to their de-parture for Odessa. Lithography by Eugène Cicéri and Phillippe Benoist based on drawing by Durand Brager, c. 1885 CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 3, a.u. 90

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Octoechos in Middle Bulgarian language, Slavonic script with red ink containing the divine services for all days of the week in the last four voices (5–8), 1492 SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 805K, inv. 1, a.u. 1

Prelate bishop’s service book, written by hieromonk Gervasiy of the Moldavian monastery Putna (Wallachian version in Middle Bulgarian language), 25 March 1676 SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 165K, inv. 2, a.u. 2

Old Bulgarian and Church Slavonic literature

After the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman domi-nation, the political and intellectual elite of the country was destroyed or forced to migrate from the country. The most prominent literary and cultural centres were destroyed. Scholars found shelter in the Mount Athos monasteries, in Serbia, Wallachia, Moldova and Ukraine. In these difficult times of foreign domination, literacy and education during the fiftheenth – sixteehth century gradually concentrated in monasteries. They preserved samples of Old Bulgarian and Church Slavonic literature, maintained the calligraphic tradition and kept alive the Bulgarian national consciousness.

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Transcript of ‘Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya’ by Paisiy Hilendarski, made by Vlad Poppetkov Gladichov, 11 August 1809 SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 165K, inv. 2, a.u. 3

Collection of notated polyeleoses (laudatory celebratory songs), c. 1860 SA – Blagoevgrad, f. 380K, inv. 1, a.u. 6

The book ‘Istoriya Slavya-nobolgarskaya’ (Slavonic-Bulgarian History) was written by the monk Paisiy Hilendarski from the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos in 1760–1762. It promotes the ideas of national self-awareness and liberation. It is con-sidered the first work of Bulgarian historiography, a symbolic boundary be-tween the Middle Ages to the Modern Age and the beginning of Bulgar-ian Revival. The book was hand copied many times, and currently we know of 70 transcripts.

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Sheets from the Slavonic Cyrillic book ‘Psalter’ printed in Venice

by Vicenco Vukovic in 1561. They were discovered in the binding

of the book ‘Nimukhai Shmuel’, printed in Amsterdam in 1718

CSA, f. 1568K

Foa, Vicenco Conti (Italy); David and Samuel Nahmias (Istanbul, Izmir); Soncino, (Istanbul, Thessaloniki); the Gedalia family (Thessaloniki). The majority of the early printed books are religious books.

The Jewish collection at the Cen-tral State Archives (fonds 1568K) encompasses significant part of the Jewish cultural heritage moved to or created in the Balkans – early print-ed books, manuscripts’ fragments found in book covers, and docu-ments related to the history of the Bulgarian Jews from 1878 to 1948. The books collection dates back to the beginning of the sixteenth cen-tury to the middle of the twentieth century, the earliest of which is Bib-lia Rabbinica from 1517. The main printing centres in Europe are represented in the collection. More distinguishable are the early printed Jewish books from Salonica (Thessaloniki), Constantinople (Is-tanbul), Smyrna (Izmir), Venice, Livorno, Amsterdam, Vienna, as well as other smaller printing cen-tres in Italy, Russia, Bohemia, Po-land, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. The collection includes early printed Jewish books from the printing houses of Daniel Bomberg (Venice); the Bragadini family, di Gara, Tobio

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Aaron Ben Chaym Avraham Hacohen Parchiya. Perach mateh aaron. Amsterdam, 1703

CSA, f. 1568К/2Г-3-06

Chayim Yaakov Ben Aakov David. Tzror hachayim. Amsterdam, 1738

CSA, f. 1568К/2Г-3-12

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ІІ. RESTORATION OF ThE BULGARIAN

STATE

Still under Ottoman rule in the nineteenth century, the Bulgarians began their struggle for national self-determination. One of their de-mands was aimed at the establish-ment of a national church – to have the authority to elect their own priests and bishops from the midst of the Bulgarian people, and to have their sermons in Bulgarian language. In 1870 the movement for national church came to an auspi-cious end. Just on the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the founda-tion of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Sultan Abdul Azis issued a firman (decree) for the establish-ment of an independent Bulgarian ecclesiastical hierarchy named ‘Bulgarian Exarchate’ (27 February 1870). The firman is an extremely important document, which re-stored the independence of the Bulgarian church that was lost in the early fifteenth century. The estab-lishment of the Bulgarian Exarchate is one of the most significant events in modern Bulgarian history. In its diocese were included almost all of the Bulgarian lands of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia.By virtue of the Sultan’s firman and the Exarchate’s statute, elabora­ted by the convened Council of ecclesiastical and laity notables in Constan tinople in 1871, the Bulga­rian Exarchate was recognised as an official representative of the Bul-garian nation within the bounda-ries of the Ottoman Empire.

Berat of Sultan Abdul Hamid II for the appointment of the first Bulgarian Exarch Yosif I, determining his authority and establishing the boundaries

of the Bulgarian Exarchate. Constantinople, 24 May 1877CSA, f. 989K, inv. 1, a.u. 2

Delegates at the first Council of ecclesiastical and laity notables in Constantinople in 1871 CSA, f. 3К, inv. 15, a.u. 78

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Reception of the Russian army in Tarnovo – based on the painting by Nikolai D. Orenburgsky, 30 June 1877 SA – V. Tarnovo, f. 932K, inv. 1, a.u. 318

The struggle for national liberation of the Bulgarians during the Revival led to the outbreak of the April Up-rising in 1876. With its cruel suppres-sion, the rebellion provoked a strong resonance across Europe. Prominent public figures and politicians from al-most all European countries declared their support for the Bulgarian na-tional cause of political independence. Following the uprising was declared the Russo­Turkish War of 1877–1878, which led to the liberation of part of the Bulgarians, the creation of the Third Bulgarian State and the restora-tion of Bulgaria on the political map of Europe. Romania, Serbia and Monte-negro also took part in the war, and a Finnish Guard Regiment and Bulgar-ian Volunteers’ Legion were included in the Russian army.On 19 February (3 March) Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the pre-liminary San Stefano Treaty, which established the Bulgarian state as an autonomous tributary principality. At the Congress of the Great Powers, which was convened in Berlin later that year on 1 (13) July 1878, was signed a treaty, which established the territory of the Bulgarian Principali-ty in the lands between the Danube River and Stara Planina Mountain, together with the Sofia sanjak (dis-trict). Between Stara Planina and the Rhodope Mountains was established the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia within the Ottoman Empire, while Macedonia together with the region of Thrace near Edirne and the Aegean Sea, remained under the Sultan’s direct authority. Some of the clauses of the Berlin Treaty and the international status of the Principality of Bulgaria were altered after the Uni-fication with Eastern Rumelia in 1885 and the declaration of Independence in 1908.

Map of Turkey in Europe according to the Berlin Congress Treaty,

July 1878CSA, f. 2115K, inv. 4, a.u. 375

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Memorial temple ‘Rozhdestvo Hristovo’ (Birth of Christ) in the town of Shipka, built in 1885–1902 to commemorate

the Russian and Bulgarian soldiers who died in the Russo­Turkish War (1877–1878), which led to the liberation of Bulgaria

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 321

Romanian chapel near the village of Grivitsa, Pleven district, built in the memory of the Romanian soldiers

who died during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 344

Opening of the monument of the Romanian soldiers who died during the Russo­Turkish War 1877–1878 near the village of Inovo, Vidin district,

with the participation of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens and officers, 12 January 1898 SA – Vidin, f. 122K, inv. 1, a.u. 329

Monument of the dead soldiers from the Finland Guard Regiment

at Gorni Dabnik, built in 1881CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 332

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Constitution of the Principality of Bulgaria (the Tarnovo Constitution), adopted by the Bulgarian Constituent Assembly in Tarnovo on 16 April 1879 CSA, f. 173K, inv. 6, a.u. 3116

Constitution of the Kingdom of Bulgaria (the Silver Constitution), adopted by the Fifth Great National Assembly in Tarnovo on 11 July 1911 CSA, f. 173K, inv. 6, a.u. 3118

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The Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia

The unjust decisions of the Berlin Congress and the fragmentation of Bulgarian lands provoked a power-ful unification movement during the 1880s. On 6 (18) September 1885 the Bul-garian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee declared in Plovdiv the Unification of Eastern Rumelia with the Principality of Bulgaria. Prince Alexander I accepted the Unification, and on 8 September issued a proc-lamation declaring himself ‘Prince of Northern and Southern Bulgaria’. Only a few days after the beginning of the futile Constantinople ambas-sadorial conference, convened to de-cide upon the fate of the Unification, on 2 November 1885, the Serbian King, with the support of Austria­Hungary, declared war on Bulgaria. The decisive victory of the Bulga-rians at Slivnitsa and the peace treaty signed in Bucharest put an end to the

war. The Unification received diplo-matic and international recognition with the Bulgarian-Turkish Agree-ment of 20 January 1886 and the Tophane Agreement of the Great Powers of 24 March 1886.

A memory from the battle at Dragoman on 10 November 1885CSA, f. 248K, inv. 1, a.u. 21

Lithography ‘Bulgarian Military Glory’ published in Vienna in 1885 – the solemn declaration of the Unification of Northern and Southern Bulgaria SA – Pazardzhik, PA 683

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Declaration of the Independence of Bulgaria

The Berlin Treaty established the Principality of Bulgaria as a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, which limited its capabilities in regard to managing its international relations. The country also had to adhere to the Regime of the Capitulations im-posed by the Great Powers on the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile the country experienced formidable ad-vance – economic, political and cul-tural. On 22 September (5 October) 1908 in the church ‘Sv. Chetirideset Machenitsi’ in Tarnovo Knyaz Ferdi-nand I proclaimed with a Manifesto to the Bulgarian people the Indepen-

dence of Bulgaria and adopted the title ‘Tsar of the Bulgarians’. On 6

April 1909, the Porte (Turkey), followed by the Great Powers,

officially recognised the in-dependence of Bulgaria.

Declaration of the Independence of Bulgaria Manifesto, 1908CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 314

Bulgarian-Turkish Protocol for recognition of the Independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul, 6 April 1909CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 132

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ІІІ. MONARChIC DyNASTIES

Knyaz (Prince) Alexander I of Bulgaria (1857–1893)

In accordance with the Tarnovo Con-stitution the Bulgarian Principality was a constitutional monarchy. The first Bulgarian monarch, elected by the National Assembly, was Alexan­der Joseph von Battenberg – born in Verona, Italy, son of the German Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine from his morganatic marriage with the Polish Countess Julia von Hauke, a court lady to the Russian Queen. He received military educa-tion and served in the Lifeguard Dra-goon Hesse Regiment of the Austria-Hungarian Army. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). Alexander I took an oath as a Knyaz of Bulgaria on 26 June 1879 in the old Capital city of Tarnovo. In 1886, after an attempted coup and pressure from Russia, he was forced to abdicate. Af-terwards he married the Darmstadt Theatre actress Johanna Loisinger and adopted the title Count von Hartenau.

Honorary Diploma for awarding Todor Hr. Galabov with a bronze medal in honour of the Serbian-Bul-garian War 1885, issued by order of Knyaz Alexander I. Sofia, 19 February 1887CSA, f. 788K, inv. 1, a.u. 4

Mausoleum of Knyaz Alexander I

The last wish of Knyaz Alexander I was to be buried in Bulgaria. After his death in 1893 in Graz his remains were interred in the church of ‘Sv. Georgi’ in Sofia. In 1895 in the centre of the capital began the construction of a tomb, based on the project of the Swiss architect Herman Mayer, deco-rated by the first Bulgarian painter­decorator Haralampi Tachev. In the middle of the mausoleum is a sar-

cophagus made of Carrara marble, and behind it is a marble monument with a sculpture of the Knyaz’s image. The Knyaz’s remains were interred solemnly in the newly build mauso-leum on 3 January 1898.

The mausoleum of Knyaz Alexander I in Sofia on ‘Ferdinand’ Blvd. (nowa-days ‘Vasil Levski’ Blvd.)CSA, f. 568K, inv. 2, a.u. 160

Countess von Hartenau (Johanna Loisinger) with her children

Krum­Asen and Vera­Tsvetana, c. 1894

CSA, f. 600K, inv. 3, a.u. 434

Knyaz Alexander I, 1886CSA, f. 600K, inv. 3, a.u. 433

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opeKnyaz Ferdinand I

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 573

‘...The pride in his French royal ances-tors which he had learned at his mother’s knee blazed brightly in his conscious-ness of his Bourbon ancestry, and most of all, in his constant awareness of the genealogical and biological link which connected him to the Sun King, Louis XIV, the embodiment and apotheosis of the monarchic idea. ...The elaborate court ceremonial, the fetes and the el-egance which Prince Ferdinand later in-stituted in peasant Bulgaria were not, as some contemporaries believed, based on the petty ceremonial of Germany prince-ly courts. They were an expression of Prince Ferdinand’s – and his mother’s – feelings for the Grand Siecle.’

Stephen Constant

A family tree of the dynasty of Knyaz Ferdinand I from an album about the European dynasties’ genealogy, written by Ioan Garleanu in 1891, with the dedication by Aristide Garleanu. Bucharest, 26 October 1897

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 26

Knyaz Ferdinand ICSA, f. 600K, inv. 3, a.u. 438

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861–1948)

Ferdinand, Prince of Saxe­Coburg and Gotha was born in Vienna. Son of the Austrian general Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Princess Clémentine of Orléans, daughter of the last French king Lou-is Philippe I. With the agreement of Germany, the United Kingdom and France in 1887, the Grand National Assembly elected him as the Prince of Bulgaria and on 2 August 1887 in Tarnovo he solemnly took an oath. After the proclamation of the Inde-pendence of the Principality of Bul-garia (22 September 1908), he was proclaimed Tsar. During his reign Bulgaria developed as a modern European country. The consequen-ces of the country’s participation in the two Balkan wars and the First World War forced him to abdicate in 1918 in favour of his son Knyaz Boris of Tarnovo. He left the country and lived in exile for the rest of his life in the German town of Coburg, where he devoted himself to his scientific pursuits and interests.

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Tsar Ferdinand I was well edu-cated with interests in ornithology, botany and entomology, as well as philately. He founded the Institute of Natural History with Museum, the Zoological and Botanical Gar-dens, the Entomological Station, and invited foreign specialists such as Ernst Hublein, the German or-nithologist Dr. Paul Leverkuhn (Director of the Zoological Garden and the Princely Museum of Natu-ral Sciences), Bernard Kurcius (Di-rector of the Sofia University zoo), Adolf Schumann (Chief Inspector of the Zoological Garden) and oth-ers. The Tsar collected animals and plants, discovered and described a new species of butterfly and created valuable entomological collections. Due to his numerous contributions and discoveries in ornithology and botany he was a member of many scientific societies in Europe, an honorary member of the German Ornithological Society.

Diploma, issued by Vienna Geographical Society for Honorary Member-ship of Knyaz Ferdinand I, 28 April 1896 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 589

Diploma, issued by the Grand Master of the Order of the

Holy Sepulchre and Patriarch of Jerusalem Luigi Piavi in the name of Pope Leo XIII for the proclamation of Knyaz Ferdi-nand I a member of the Order.

Jerusalem, 5 July 1893CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 588

Honorary Diploma, issued by Karl I, Emperor of Austria and King

of Hungary, to Tsar Ferdinand I, 12 November 1917

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 24

Congratulation letter to Tsar Ferdinand I as a symbol of the Bulgarian – Hungarian frater-nity, made by the Hungarian

jeweler András Šima of Pozsony (nowadays Bratislava),

1916CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 20

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On 8 (20) April 1893 Knyaz Ferdi-nand I married Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma. On the occasion of their wedding, the famous Austrian composer, violinist and conductor Johann Strauss (son) composed the ‘Hochzeitsreigen’ waltz (‘Wedding Dances’). Later on, in connection with the crowning of the Bulgarian mon-arch, he wrote another musical work devoted to the Bulgarian royal couple.

‘Hochzeitsreigen’ waltz by Johann Strauss dedicated to Princess Marie Louise’s wedding to Knyaz Ferdinand I. Vienna, 1893CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 307

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Princess Marie Louise, c. 1893CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 573

Congratulation letter from the Israelite people in Bulgaria to

Knyaz Ferdinand І on the occasion of his marriage to Marie Louise.

Sofia, 8 April 1893CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 241

Boris, Prince of Tarnovo and Kyril, Prince of Preslav and princesses Eudoxia and Nadezhda, 1899 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 239

Princess Marie Louise (1870–1899)

Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma was born in Italy. Daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Her Godfather was Pope Pius IX. The Princess was remembered by the Bulgarian people with her deep reli-giousness, astonishing modesty and generosity for charitable causes. She died only twenty­nine years old, the day after giving birth to her fourth child. She was buried in the catholic Cathedral of Saint Ludwig in Plov-div. The sarcophagus was made by the Italian sculptor Tommaso Gentile, and underneath it were inscribed her last words to Prince Ferdinand I: ‘I am dying, but from heaven I will watch over you, over our children and over Bulgaria.’

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opeTsaritsa (Queen) Eleonore

of Bulgaria (1860–1917)

Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz was born in the Trebschen palace (nowadays Poland). She was the daughter of Prince Heinrich IV of Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz. She married Knyaz Ferdinand I in 1908 in Coburg, Germany. In her new homeland she devoted herself to acquaintance with the Bulgarian culture, restoration of the Boyana Church and charity. On her initiative in 1910 was created the fund ‘Tsaritsa Eleonore’, set up to raise money for the construction of build-ings for the institutions caring for chil-dren with hearing and visual impair-ments. She created the sanatorium for treatment of children diagnosed with bone tuberculosis near Varna. She was major donor to the Bulgarian Red Cross and founded the women’s so-ciety ‘Samaryanka’. During the wars she spent time at the front as a volun-teer nurse – named ‘the white angel with the red cross’. After a prolonged illness she died in 1917 in Euxinograd. In accordance with her last will she was buried near the southern facade of the Boyana Church.

The wedding of Knyaz Ferdinand I and Princess Eleonore in Coburg,

Germany, 8 February 1908.CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 38

Tsaritsa Eleonore together with Prince Boris, Prince Kyril and

princesses Eudoxia and Nadezhda dressed in national costumes, 1908

SA – Gabrovo, f. 764K, inv. 3, a.u. 28

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Tsar Ferdinand I and his relatives from Germany on a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden in Sofia, 1908CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 614

Tsar Ferdinand I and the French President Armand Fallières in Com-

piègne (France) during a hunt, 17 October 1909

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 34

The family of Tsar Ferdinand I at the Palace of Ebenthal (Austria) – Boris, Knyaz of Tarnovo, Tsar Ferdinand I,

Archduke Joseph (son of Princess Clotilde), Prince Leopold von

Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (son of Prince Philipp), Princess Clotilde

(sister of Tsar Ferdinand I), Prince Philipp von Sachsen-Coburg und

Gotha (brother of Tsar Ferdinand I), Princess Elisabeth (daughter of

Princess Clotilde) and Kyril, Knyaz of Preslav, 3 June 1911

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 41

Tsar Ferdinand I and King Ludwig III of Bavaria during his visit to Bulgaria in September 1918

CSA, f. 1301K, inv. 1, a.u. 5

Coat of Arms of the Bulgarian Principality

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European courts’ representatives at the celebrations on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of Knyaz Boris

of Tarnovo in Sofia, 1912CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 2011

Coming of age of Knyaz Boris of Tarnovo

On 30 January 1912 the coming of age of the Knyaz Boris of Tarnovo was solemnly proclaimed. Serbian, Greek and Montenegrin crown princ-es were present at the celebrations on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the heir to the crown in Sofia to-gether with representatives of all Eu-ropean monarchic courts. On that day, Knyaz Boris took a soldier’s oath for honest and faithful service to Tsar and Country, was commissioned as Com-mander of the 1st Company of the 6th Tarnovo Infantry Regiment and awarded the highest degree Order of ‘Saints Cyril and Methodius’.

Tsar (King) Boris III of Bulgaria (1894–1943)

The Catholic godfather of Tsar Boris III was Pope Leo XIII, and his Ortho-dox godfather was Emperor Nicolas II. He participated in the Balkan wars (1912–1913) and World War I as a li-aison officer; Colonel (1916), Major­General (1918). Knyaz Boris of Tar-novo was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria in 1918. He died unexpectedly after a brief illness on 28 August 1943 and was buried in the church of the Rila Monastery. In 1946, his remains were re-buried in a small chapel in the park of the Vrana palace, which later was destroyed. In 1993, only his heart was reinterred on the site of the restored grave in the Rila Monastery.

Diploma announcing Tsar Boris III Doctor Honoris Causa in Natural

Sciences of Sofia University. Sofia, 8 December 1928CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 93

Tsar Boris IIICSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 96

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On 25 October 1930, Tsar Boris III married Princess Giovanna of Italy in the Papal Basilica ‘Saint Francis’ in Assisi in accordance with the catholic ritual. On 31 October of the same year, in the Memorial temple ‘St Alexander Nevsky’ in Sofia their marriage received the blessing of the Bulgarian Ortho-dox Church.

The wedding of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna in Assisi,

25 October 1930CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 149

Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna leaving St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, 31 October 1930SA – Yambol, f. 1161, inv. 1, a.u. 29; CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 154

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Tsaritsa (Queen) Giovanna (1907–2000)

Princess Giovanna of Savoy was the daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Princess Elena Petrović­Njegoš of Montenegro. She developed an active charity work, which is why she was called Tsaritsa of Compas-sion. As soon as she arrived, she took over her obligations to the Bulgarian Red Cross and the patronage of the School of volunteer nurses, where she employed foreign instructors and teachers. After the 1946 referendum, which led to Bulgaria becoming a republic, Tsaritsa Giovanna and her two children were forced to leave the country. Initially they settled down with her father in Egypt and then moved to Spain. Since 1962, she lived in her Villa ‘Yantra’ in the Portuguese resort of Estoril. She died in 2000 and, at her request, was buried at the Fran-ciscan graveyard in Assisi, Italy.

Tsaritsa Giovanna and Princess Eudoxia on a visit to the Children’s Clinic of Alexandrovska Hospital in Sofia, carrying Christmas presents, 7 January 1932SA – Yambol, f. 1161, inv. 1, a.u. 30

Tsaritsa Giovanna and Princess Eudoxia on a visit to the Red Cross School of Nursing,

28 June 1942CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 114

Tsaritsa Giovanna CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 97

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Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna at the Sofia Station upon their

return from a tour round Europe, 18 September 1933

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 149

Tsar Boris III welcomed by King Carol II of Romania in Giurgiu, Romania, 1933CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 194

Tsar Boris III welcoming King Alexander I of Yugoslavia at the Sofia

Station, 27 September 1934SA – Yambol, f. 1161, inv. 1, a.u. 30

Tsar Boris III together with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Arthur Neville Chamberlain at

the London Station, 1938 CSA, f. 77K, inv. 4, a.u. 1691

Tsar Boris III, Prince Kyril and King Alexander I of Yugoslavia on

a walk near the palace in Dedine during the visit of the Tsar

in Yugoslavia, 1933CSA, f. 3K, inv. 16, a.u. 20

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Tsar (King) Simeon II of Bulgaria

Simeon II was born in 1937 and af-ter the sudden death of Tsar Boris III, only 6 years old he ascended to the throne on 28 August 1943. On his behalf the country was gov-erned by a Regency Council. After the referendum, which led to Bul-garia becoming a republic, he was forced to leave with his family on 16 September 1946. They settled initially in Alexandria, in Egypt, with the father of Tsaritsa Gio-vanna – the Italian king Victor Em-manuel III – who also lived there in exile. Since 1951, he has lived in Spain, and in 2001 he returned to his homeland. Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2001–2005).Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is one of the biggest Archives State Agen-cy donors. In 2006, he deposited the personal archives of his grand-father – Tsar Ferdinand I – which was previously kept temporarily at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in the United States. Several years later, in 2009, he made a new donation, depositing to the state archives his substantial personal and family archives.

Crown Prince Simeon of Tarnovo in guards uniform, c. 1941CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 103

Tsar Simeon II, 1944CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 103

Tsar Simeon II, Tsaritsa Giovanna and Princes Marie Louise at

a memorial service of Tsar Boris III in Rila Monastery, 28 February 1944

CSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1404

Crown Prince Simeon of Tarnovo with soldiers on a training, c. 1941CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 305

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ІV.1.Diplomacy

Following the election of Alexan -der I as Knyaz of the restored Bulgarian state, on 5 July 1879 was formed the first government. The official relations with the European states were arranged and the for-mer Consuls of the Great Powers received new appointments in Sofia. The Bulgarian government initially sent representatives only to the neighbouring Balkan states and after 1889 – to the capitals of the Great Powers. Due to the vas-sal position of the Principality un-der the Ottoman Empire, Bulga rian representatives were titled diplo-matic agents and general consuls. The recognition of Bulgaria’s In-dependence placed the country on an equal footing with the other Eu-ropean states. With a decree dated 21 May 1909, the agencies abroad were renamed legacies, and the representatives were ranked as en-voys and plenipotentiary ministers.

ІV. COOPERATION

wITh ThE EUROPEAN

STATES

Designs of Bulgarian Diplomatic Officials Uniforms, made by

’A. Uzel & Sohn‘ in Vienna, 1898CSA, f. 176K, inv. 21, a.u. 778

Decree of Tsar Ferdinand I turning the Bulgarian diplomatic agencies into legations and the diplomatic agents into envoy extraordinary

and minister plenipotentiary. Sofia, 21 May 1909

CSA, f. 176K, inv. 18, a.u. 2341

The building of the Italian Legation in Sofia (nowadays Embassy of Austria), designed by the Italian architect Enrico Bovio, beginning of the twentieth centuryCSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 9

39

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opeThe English Legation in Sofia, beginning of the twentieth

century CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 8The English Legation in Sofia, the 1920s

CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 8

Letters of credence of Count Adam Tarnowski for his appointment as an Austro-Hungarian Envoy extraordi-nary and Minister plenipotentiary in

Sofia. Vienna, 30 April 1911CSA, f. 3K, inv. 17, a.u. 45

Letters of credence of Diego Saavedra Magdalena for his appointment as a Spanish Envoy extraordinary and

Minister plenipotentiary in Sofia. San Sebastián, 27 September 1915

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 17, a.u. 62

Letter from King Edward VII regard-ing the appointment of Sir Mansfeldt

Findlay as an Envoy extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary in

Sofia. London, Buckingham Palace, 17 May 1909

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 17, a.u. 49

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Letter from the Swiss President Giuseppe Motta to Tsar Ferdinand I

regarding the acceptance of the letters of credence of Andrei Toshev as a

Bulgarian Envoy extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary in Switzer-

land. Bern, 15 November 1915CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 1737

Bulgarian and foreign diplomats in front of the ‘St Alexander Nevsky’ cathe-dral in Sofia, the 1930s CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 2891

Simeon Radev, the Envoy extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary in Lon-don, with the Adviser to the German Embassy, Dr. Woermann, at an official dinner, 1935 CSA, f. 77K, inv. 4, a.u. 1663

The Chairman of the Romanian Parliament, the Romanian Minister plenipoten-tiary and the staff of the Romanian legation in Sofia, the 1930s

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 2891

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opeMaurisi Arnold Rogalski – consul of

Poland in Varna, 1904SA – Varna, PA 862

The consuls in Burgas with their families, May 1907SA – Burgas, f. 811K, inv. 1, a.u. 30

Certificate of ratification by King Vic-tor Emmanuel III of Italy of the Con-sular Convention between Bulgaria

and Italy, signed in Sofia on 25 February (10 March) 1910.

San Rossore, 26 July 1910CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 66

Certificate of ratification by Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, of the Consular Convention between Bulgaria and Austria­Hunga-

ry, signed in Sofia on 18 May (31) 1911. Vienna, 15 April 1912CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 4

Diploma issued by King Oscar II of Sweden for the appointment of Richard Fanta as Consul general in Sofia. Stockholm, 26 October 1906

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 1208

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ІV.2. Bilateral Agreements

and Relations

Certificate of ratification by the Presi dent of France Jules Grévy of the Postal Convention between France and European countries, signed in Paris on 3 November 1880. Paris, 20 March 1881CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 167

Mail steamer in the Black Sea, beginning of the twentieth centuryCSA, f. 178K, inv. 4, a.u. 14

Certificate of ratification by King Christian X of Denmark of the Arbi-tration and Conciliation Agreement

between Bulgaria and Denmark, signed in Sofia on 7 December 1935.

Christiansborg, 7 May 1937CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 56

Certificate of ratification by Tsar Boris III of the Mutual Legal Protection and Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Law Convention between Bulgaria and Slovakia, signed in Sofia on 11 December 1942. Sofia, 22 February 1943CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 123

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Italian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Giacomo Acerbo welcoming a Bulgarian delegation at the Interna-tional Agriculture Institute in Rome,

16 October 1940CSA, f. 389K, inv. 1, a.u. 349

Minister of Agriculture and State Properties Dimitar Kushev on a visit to Budapest, March 1941CSA, f. 1625K, inv. 1, a.u. 20

Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös on a visit to Sofia, 1934

CSA, f. 1464K, inv. 1, a.u. 112

Dinner given by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in honour

of Bulgarian representatives of the Bulgarian- Polish Press

Committee, 1936CSA, f. 1464K, inv. 1, a.u. 120

Bulgarian delegation, led by Prime Minister Nikola Mushanov, on a visit to Yugoslavia, 1933 CSA, f. 1464K, inv. 1, a.u. 178

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Letter from the Mayor of Geneva to the Mayor of Sofia about documents

on the administrative structure of the Geneva Municipality.

Geneva, 4 February 1886SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 633

Letter from the Mayor of Paris to the Mayor of Sofia regarding the partici-pation in the Municipalities’ holiday

in Paris. Paris, 25 August 1900SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 647

Delegation of the region mayors in Paris and Sofia Municipal Council writing their impressions in the Golden Book of the Sofia Municipality, 1911

SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 649

Representatives of the Sofia Municipality at a meeting of the World Labour Con-gress in Prague, 1924 SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 1313b

‘Aquila Bianca’ honorary diploma of the General Committee for Inde-

pendence of the Enslaved People awarded to Sofia Municipality.

Milan, 24 May 1925SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 9

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Visit of Sofia Mayor Eng. Ivan Ivanov to Frankfurt, 1942

SA – Sofia, f. 1352K, inv. 2, a.u. 25

Letters from the Municipalities of Liege and Antwerp to the Sofia Municipality with an invitation to attend a conference of the International Union of Cities and Local Authorities, dedicated to the 100th anniversary

of the independence of Belgium, 1930SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 292

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ІV.3. International exhibitions

The first Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition was held in Plovdiv in 1892. It’s goal was to stimulate the economic development of Bulgaria by establishing contacts with producers and traders from Europe and the world. Albeit in a rather modest way, the exhibition presented the ‘fashionable trends’ in Europe at the time. The Exhibition pavilions were located in the specially designed Tsar Simeon’s Garden designed by the municipal gardener – the Swiss Lucien Chevallaz. Chief architect was another Swiss – Jacob Heinrich Meyer. The Plovdiv Exhibition opened on 15 August 1892 with a big military parade in the presence of Knyaz Ferdinand I, representatives of the government and foreign diplomats. The total number of participants was 24 – among them Bulgarian, German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech and other foreign producers and traders.

Poster of the first Bulgarian Agri-cultural and Industrial Exhibition in

Plovdiv, 1892SA – Plovdiv, f. 959K, inv. 1, a.u. 896

Project by the Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi of the Demeter’s

Fountain at the Exhibition SA – Plovdiv, f. 29K, inv. 4, a.u. 33

The Pavilion of Karlovo, designed by Jacob Heinrich MeyerCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 327

The Austrian-Czech PavilionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 327

Plan of the Exhibition in Plovdiv, 1892

SA – Plovdiv, f. 1200K, inv. 1, a.u. 39

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CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 327

Diploma for awarding Konstantin Marangozov, owner of ‘Svetlina’ Printing House in Yambol, with a bronze medal for the industrial products shown at the Exhibition.

Plovdiv, 15 October 1892SA – Yambol, f. 1031K, inv. 1, a.u. 73

The first International Samples Exhibition in Varna opened on 24 July 1932. There were 101 companies­participants from all over the country. The exhibition was located on the three floors of the Commercial School. Within a short period of time it gained prominence and became a member of the Union of International Fairs. The Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry built special exhibition palaces in the Sea Garden. The IX International Varna Exhibition in 1940 was attended by representatives from Romania, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Greece and the USSR.

Officials at the opening of the 7th International Samples Exhibition

in Varna, 1939SA – Varna, f. 733K, inv. 1, a.u. 19

‘Prince Simeon of Tarnovo’ Central Exhibition Hall

SA – Varna, f. 733K, inv. 1, a.u. 19

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world Exhibitions in Paris,

1889 and 1900

Showcase of ‘Shipkoff & Co.’ Rose Essence Factory in Kazanlak and the prize awarded for the qualities of the produced rose oil, 1889SA – Stara Zagora, f. 43K, inv. 1, a.u. 12

The world Exhibition in Paris in 1900 marked the arrival of the new century, bringing together the technical and industrial achievements of humankind. Bulgaria took part with its own pavilion, designed and built by the Parisian architects Saladin and Sévelinges in the modern Art Nouveau style, mixed with traditional national elements. 530 Bulgarian industrialists, tradesmen, artisans and artists participated in the exhibition. Bulgaria exhibited mostly agricultural produce, including a collection of 100 types of magnificent rose oil from all production areas in the country, presented by the company ‘Shipkoff & Co.’.

Todor Kanchev Shipkoff SA – Stara Zagora, f. 43K, inv. 1, a.u. 39

Honorary Diploma for awarding Vasil Bachvarov with a bronze medal

at the World Exhibition, Paris, 18 August 1900

SA – Ruse, f. 637K, inv. 2, a.u. 183

Awards of ‘Shipkoff & Co.’ Rose Es-sence Factory in Kazanlak from world exhibitionsSA – Stara Zagora, f. 43K, inv. 1, a.u. 11

At the Paris International Exhibition in 1889 participated the company ‘Shipkoff & Co.’ from the town of Kazanlak. It was one of the oldest Bulgarian companies and the biggest producer and trader of rose oil. In 1855, its founder Kancho Shipkoff and his son Todor opened branches in Paris, London and New York. The company won many international awards and received three gold medals from the international exhibitions in Paris in 1889, Chicago (USA) in 1893 and Antwerp (Belgium) in 1894.

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world Exhibition in Antwerp (Anvers), Belgium,

1894

Medal from the International Exhibition in AntwerpCSA, f. 549K, inv. 1, a.u. 8

The Bulgarian pavilionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 503

The central lobby of the Bulgarian pavilionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 503

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world Exhibition in Liège, Belgium,

1905

The facade of the Bulgarian Pavilion CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 508

‘Rose Valley’ composition – a fountain with rose water, sculpture of a girl in the middle and diorama of the Kazanlak valley

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 508

Bulgarian fine art sectionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 508

Column, artistically designed, with alcoholic beverages

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 508

The cereals sectionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 508

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world Exhibition in Milano,

1906

Diploma of the General Directorate of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones

from the ExhibitionCSA, f. 178K, inv. 4, a.u. 2

The facade of the Bulgarian PavilionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 505

The facade of the Bulgarian PavilionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 505

The cereals stallCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 505

Project of stained glass by Haralampi Tachev for the Bulgarian Pavilion

CSA, f. 2005K, inv. 1, a.u. 369

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Balkan exhibition in London,

1907

The Balkan exhibition in London in 1907 was organised to stimulate the United Kingdom’s economic exchange with the states from the Balkan Peninsula. The famous artist and decorator Haralampi Tachev decorated the Bulgarian pavilion. The curators’ group included the Czech Josef Vondrak, and Andrey Protich published in English the book ‘Fine Arts in Bulgaria’. At the exhibition were presented Gabrovo leather and textiles industry, the stone wares from Troyan, the beautiful carpets from Chiprovtsi and lace from Kalofer, producers of rose oil, as well as cultural institutions and works of art. The participation of Bulgaria was very successful. Bottled mineral water ‘Merichleri’ and the Breznik mineral water received gold medal, cheese and honey were awarded too.

Diploma of Tsar Ferdinand I as patron of the Balkan Exhibition in London, 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 585

The gold medal awarded to the ‘iron water’ from Bardoto near Breznik

SA – Pernik, f. 358K, inv. 1, a.u. 79

Parade lobby of the Bulgarian sectionCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 338

The stall of the Primary, Secondary and Higher Schools

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 338

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opeThe painter Tsanko Lavrenov finishing the wall decoration of the Bulgarian

Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris, 1937SA – Plovdiv, f. 2094K, inv. 1, a.u. 17

The Greek Royal Family in the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 14th International Exhibition in Thessaloniki, 1939 CSA, f. 1150K, inv. 1, a.u. 7

Letter from the Paris Exhibition Administrator to the representative

of the French Chamber of Commerce in Sofia regarding the organization

of the World Exhibition in 1937,Paris, 30 January 1936 CSA, f. 776K, inv. 1, a.u. 2

The Bulgarian Pavilion at the Spring Fair in Leipzig in March 1940

CSA, f. 139K, inv. 2, a.u. 149

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Letter from the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs de Beaufort to the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religions Dimitar Grekov regarding the participation of Bulgaria in the First Hague Peace Conference. The Hague, 24 April 1899 CSA, f. 176K, inv. 1, a.u. 1170

ІV.4. Protection of Peace and Citizens’ Right

At the end of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, Bulgaria took part in all international conferences and initiatives that aimed to overcome political disunity and hostility among peoples and to re-solve conflicts through mutual con-sent. After the First World War the country joined the League of Nations only a few months after its creation. A number of public non-governmental human rights, feminist, humanitarian and professional organizations were established, working closely with and as part of international organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation for Human Rights, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, etc.

Bulgarian delegates at the Genoa Conference, 12 May 1922CSA, f. 1668K, inv. 1, a.u. 426

Letter from the Inter-national Peace Bureau, signed by President Henri La Fontaine, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religions Atanas Burov regar-ding the organization of the First Balkan Conference. Geneva, 30 April 1930CSA, f. 176K, inv. 5, a.u. 597

Plan of the building and of the hall of the Second Hague International Peace Conference, with the seats of the Bulgarian delegates marked, June 1907

CSA, f. 176K, inv. 1, a.u. 1945

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The Balkan Committee in London was a non-governmental organization under the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1903 by initiative of the brothers Noel and Charles Buxton, prominent representatives of British social and political life, with the goal to support the Balkan policy of the English governing circles. It operated until 1946, undertook an active work and advocated the Bulgarian cause after the Second Balkan War (1913) and the First World War (1915–1918).

‘The progress which the Bulgarians have made since the creation of their State in 1878 is merely a symbol, and an instalment, of the aim which they have constantly set before themselves – the building up of an economic fabric based on firm foundations and com-plete at every point, dominated by finance in its most modern form, and strengthened and buttressed by universal education. They are, in a sense, the Scotchmen of the Balkans.’Noel Buxton. War and the Balkans, 1915

Sir Edward Boyle (1878–1945) is a British politician, lawyer, professor, and active observer of the events on the Balkan Pen-insula from 1903 until the end of the Second World War. He was consecutively a member, secretary and chairman (1925–1946) of the Balkan Committee in London.

Sir Edward Boyle, 1934SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 897K, inv. 1, a.u. 88

James Bourchier (1850–1920) is an Irish journalist and political activist, Balkan correspondent for the Brit-ish daily newspaper ‘The Times’. He lived in Sofia from 1892 to 1915 and was an honorary member of the Sofia Journalist Society, as well as interme-diary between the Balkan states at the end of the Balkan Wars (1912–1913).

Young people at the grave of James Bourchier in Rila Mountain,

May 1938SA – Pernik, PA 573

Correspondence between Noel Bux-ton and the Balkan Committee in Lon-don with Bulgarian politicians and public figures in regard to the resolv-ing of disputes on the Balkans.CSA, f. 2031K, inv. 1, a.u. 76; f. 568K, inv. 1, a.u. 733, 1014

Sir Edward Boyle together with students from the First Secondary School in Tarnovo and their teacher Elena Al. Zhekova, 1938

SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 897K, inv. 1, a.u. 90

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Nikola Stoyanov Dimkov (1859–1937) is a Bulgarian engineer and public figure. During the First World War, he published the book ‘Star of Consent’ in which he de-veloped the idea for establishing a world peace organisation and pro-moting scientific and cultural coop-eration between all nations, peoples and religions. The project was print-ed in French, German, Turkish and Greek and has been sent to many government’s representatives via the embassies in Constantinople.

‘I am convinced that the Supreme Council or the Permanent World Coun-cil, gathered with the sole purpose to maintain universal well-being, will achieve its holy purpose before the end of this twentieth century!’

On 4 November 1920, the Bulgar-ian government submitted applica-tion for admission to the League of Nations (LN). Thanks to the British politician and diplomat Lord Robert Cecil and of Fridtjof Nansen on 16 December the General Assembly ac-cepted Bulgaria as a member state. With the mediation of the LN the country also raised Refugees and Stabilization Loans, which helped providing shelter to thousands of refugees after the war and support-ed the financial recovery and eco-nomic development of the country.

Project of the World Organization Badge by Nikola Dimkov, 1916

CSA, f. 1828K, inv. 1, a.u. 1

Nikola DimkovCSA, f. 1828K, inv. 1, a.u. 4

Extract from the agenda of the first General Assembly of the UN

regarding the admission of Bulgaria as a member of the organization.

Geneva, 3 December 1920CSA, f. 176K, inv. 4, a.u. 1632

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opeProf. Nikola Milev – historian,

publicist, diplomat, adviser of the Bulgarian delegation to the UN

in Geneva, c. 1930SA – Gabrovo, f. 746K, inv. 5, a.u. 44

Letter from the Austrian Association to the UN to the Mayor Vladimir Vazov with an invitation to take part in the celebration of the 10th anniversary

of the organization. Vienna, 13 April 1929SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 826

Kiril Vasilev. Portrait of Nikola Momchilov – Permanent Represen-

tative to the UN (1935–1938) CSA, f. 362K, inv. 1, a.u. 33

Bulgarian ratification of the Protocol amending the UN Charter.

Geneva, 15 September 1939CSA, f. 176K, inv. 7, a.u. 602

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Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) is a well­known Norwegian polar explorer, sci-entist, traveller, diplomat and human-ist. He supported the idea of setting up the LN and was the first High Com-missioner for Refugees. In 1922, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. As a Commissioner, he prepared a special document granting the right to wartime, political, and other refu-gees to settle wherever they felt safe. With the so called ‘Nansen Passport’, thousands of Bulgarians from West-ern Thrace, who were deported from the Aegean islands during the Greek-Turkish War of 1919–1922, managed to go home and many Russians and Armenians found their second home in Bulgaria.

Armenian refugee children with the staff of the German Evangelical Insti-tute in RuseCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 321

Personal data register of Armenian refugees in Bulgaria, waiting for

Nansen Passports, 1941CSA, f. 370K, inv. 1, a.u. 821

Bulgarian refugees from Eastern Thrace (Turkey) in a temporary camp on their way to Bulgaria

CSA, f. 176K, inv. 22, a.u. 177

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Refugees’ children and orphans from Macedonia in a temporary campCSA, f. 771K, inv. 3, a.u. 98

Dimitar Mishev – a man of letters, publicist and politician, one of the

organizers and head of the Bulgarian League for the Defence of the Rights

of Man and the CitizensCSA, f. 1546K, inv. 1, a.u. 1088

The Bulgarian League for the De-fence of the Rights of Man and of Citizens under the LN was estab-lished in Sofia on 9 November 1924. It maintained contact with the Inter-national Federation of Leagues for the Defence of the Rights of Man and of Citizens and with the French League and received their support for the care of Bulgarian refugees after the Balkan wars and the First World War. The Refugees Loan was raised with its ad-vocacy.

An appeal from the Women’s Interna-tional League for Peace and Freedom for disarmament and against the War. Geneva, November 1921CSA, f. 1546K, inv. 1, a.u. 827

Refugees from the village of Bozets, Yenice­i Vardar District, near Svilengrad, 22 October 1924 SA – Blagoevgrad, f. 1599, inv. 1, a.u. 168

Bulgarian refugees from Greece in a half-destroyed house in Nevrokop (Gotse Delchev)CSA, f. 176K, inv. 22, a.u. 177

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The Bulgarian Red Cross Society is a voluntary organisation, which con-tributed significantly to the building of the Bulgarian healthcare system. During the wars the organisation provided medical care, conducted medical training courses for Samari-tans and volunteer nurses who took care of the sick and wounded dur-ing the wars. It also participated in a number of humanitarian missions in other countries. In 1921, the society was accepted as a member of the In-ternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. During the refugee wave from the Aegean Sea and the Edirne region of Thrace, the Red Cross managed to save thou-sands of people from hunger and mis-ery. It also helped the people suffering from the big earthquake near the town of Chirpan in 1928.

Tsaritsa Eleonore as a nurse during the Balkan War, 1912

SA – Gabrovo, f. 764K, inv. 3, a.u. 28

Rescript of Tsar Ferdinand I for the establishment of an honorary decora-

tion (medal) of the Bulgarian Red Cross Society and designs of the hono-

rary decoration. Sofia, 30 May 1917CSA, f. 3K, inv. 11, a.u. 533

A certificate for awarding Parashkev Stoyanov with the Special Merits Decoration of the Bulgarian Red Cross Society. Sofia, 20 May 1911

CSA, f. 1001K, inv. 1, a.u. 32

Representatives of the International Red Cross in Veles, 1918CSA, f. 1897K, inv. 1, a.u. 32

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In 1943, the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross Colonel Edouard Chapuisat and David de Traz, carried out humanitarian mission during the raging war in the ‘Danube countries’. The purpose of their mission was to protect people who were persecuted on racial, national and other grounds, particularly in regard to the Jewish population. In Sofia, they were welcomed by representatives of the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, Sofia Metropolitan bishop Stefan, and a num-ber of politicians and public figures, and Colonel Chapuisat was received by King Boris III. One of the issues they discussed was the situation of the Jews and clarification of the possibility for their emigration from European countries and crossing through the territory of Bulgaria.

Certificate of the Danish Red Cross authorizing Hristofor Kilifarski to evacuate Russian prisoners of war from Turkey and Bulgaria. Kiev,

26 April 1919CSA, f. 1444K, inv. 1, a.u. 79

Letter from the Bulgarian Red Cross Society to the Minister Plenipotentia-ry in Stockholm Alexander Nikolaev for awarding thirteen Swedes with gold medal for helping Bulgarian prisoners of war in Russia during

the WWI. Sofia, 26 April 1943CSA, f. 319K, inv. 1, a.u. 27

Czernin, the Austrian Representative to the Red Cross, 1917–1918

CSA, f. 831K, inv. 1, a.u. 60

Swiss Colonel Edouard Chapuisat – a member and Vice President (1946–1947) of the International Committee of the Red CrossCSA, Library

Materials from the 14th International Red Cross Conference, held in

Brussels in October 1930CSA, f. 323K, inv. 1, a.u. 75

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Saving the Bulgarian Jews

In the spirit of its inherent toler-ance the Bulgarian people strongly opposed the anti-Jewish policy led under the pressure of Germany in the years of the Second World War, which was deeply alien to its tradi-tions and national psychology. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, human rights and professional organiza-tions, politicians and public figures united in defence of the human and civil rights of the Jews who have lived for centuries in the Bulgarian lands, freely practicing their religion and customs, forming their own mu-nicipalities with their specific organi-sation and administration.

Bilingual prayer read in the Sofia Synagogue on the occasion of the 20th an-niversary of Knyaz Ferdinand’s accession to the Bulgarian throne. Sofia, 25 August 1907 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 78

The Central Synagogue building was officially opened in 1909. It was designed by the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger, who used as a model the Vienna synagogue, which was later destroyed by the Nazis. The synagogue in Sofia is the larg-est on the Balkan Peninsula and the third largest in Europe (after the synagogues in Budapest and Am-sterdam), as well as the largest Sep-hardic synagogue in Europe.

The Central Jewish Synagogue in SofiaSA – Sofia, f. 65K, inv. 1, a.u. 1416

Sanctification of the Ashkenazi Synagogue in Ruse, 19 February 1928

CSA, f. 1568K

The Synagogue in VidinSA – Vidin, f. 1207, inv. 1, a.u. 147

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Alliance Israelite Universelle is an international Jewish organization es-tablished in Paris in 1860 to protect the civil rights of Jews and to pro-mote their greater autonomy through education and professional develop-ment. Alliance Israelite’s first school in Bulgaria was opened in 1870 in Shumen.

Students and teachers from the last class of the Alliance Israelite in Ruse, 1910–1911 CSA, f. 1568K

The symbols of the Twelve Tribes of Israel from an album, dedicated to the Jews who died in the Balkan Wars and WWI, created by Joseph Shlombora. Sofia, 25 February 1921.CSA, f. 1284K, inv. 1, a.u. 336

Star of David on a prenuptial agreement (ketubah)CSA, f. 1568K, inv. 1, a.u. 241

David’s Star (Magen David, Shield of David, Seal of Solomon) is a star de-picted on the shield of the legendary Jewish King David, a hexagram. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it was a symbol of the Jewish people, and became a symbol of Judaism in the nineteenth century. During the Holocaust it was used as a mark for Jewish people.

Jewish children with distinctive starsSA – Plovdiv, f. 1194K

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Protest letter by 21 Bulgarian writers to the Prime Minister and the Chair-man of the National Assembly against the Protection of the Nation Bill. Sofia, 17 October 1940CSA, f. 1335K, inv. 1, a.u. 120

‘... Our legislation should not include a law that will enslave part of the Bulgarian subjects and will remain a black page in our modern history.... Our goal is rather to protect the good reputation of our peo-ple created in the cultural world and to warn those who make the decision – not to allow the creation of such law that would undermine the country’s prestige and the established traditions of tolerance and hu-maneness ...’

‘... We cannot find any justification – in regard to the interests of the state and the people – in undertaking such restric-tive and degrading measures towards the Jewish minority in Bulgaria. Not only are they not justified, but they are at odds with the democratic and liberal spirit of the Bulgarian...’ Protest Statement of the Bulgarian Bar Association, 30 October 1940 (CSA, f. 173K inv. 6, a.u. 1087)

Members of the Bulgarian Bar Union, 1940

CSA, f. 833K

At the end of 1940, a Protection of the Nation Bill, which limited the civil rights of the Jews was submitted to the National Assembly. The Bulgar-ian Orthodox Church expressed its position against the policy of ethnic and religious persecution, together with the unions of the writers, artists, lawyers, doctors, traders, various arti-san associations, youth organisations, journalists, artists, workers, and others who objected the policy of persecu-tion based on ethnic and religious grounds. The most dramatic events took place in the first half of 1943, when attempts were made for the deportation of Jews from the pre-war territory of Bulgaria. They provoked a strong public reaction against the Holocaust and anti-Semitism from the Bulgarian society which led to the saving of the Bulgarian Jews from the Nazi death camps.

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cian and public figure, Minister of Justice (1935–1936), member of Parla-

ment and Deputy Chairman of the 25th National Assembly

CSA, f. 1335K, inv. 1, a.u. 196

‘The honor of Bulgaria and its people is not only a question of feeling – it is above all an element of its policy. It is the politi-cal capital of greatest value and therefore no one is allowed to scatter it without justification, which would be shared by the whole people.’ Petition by D. Pe-shev against the intention to deport the Jews from Bulgaria, signed by 42 Members of Parliament, 17 March 1943 (CSA, f. 1335K inv. 1, a.u. 126)

Holy Synod, 1937 CSA, f. 1318, inv. 1, a.u. 5927

Menorah, drawn by Nissim Elia Sidi in gratitude and memory of the moving of the Jews from Sofia and

Kazanlak in 1943 and their residence in Vratsa. 1943

CSA, f. 1568K, inv. 1. a.u. 193

‘... This principle of racism cannot be jus-tified from the point of view of Christian doctrine, and the fact that it is at odds with the basic mission of the Church of Christ in which all who profess the faith of Jesus Christ are equally valuable men ... The principle of racism, according to which well-known members of the com-munity can be persecuted, aggravated and deprived of rights only because they belong to a particular race, in this case the Jewish one, cannot be justified by the view of the Christian morality ... Our people in its spirit and conscience, mind and per-suasion cannot tolerate insanity, violence and atrocities against anyone ...’Statement of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to the Prime Minister against the Law on the Protection of the Nation. Sofia, 5 April 1943 (CSA, f. 166, inv. 6, a.u. 10)

Letter from Archbishop Angelo Ron-calli to Tsar Boris III, asking to stand up for the Bulgarian Jews. Istanbul,

30 June 1943CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 964

‘... This is a visual confession of the unprecedented position of ordinary citizens and leaders of the church who said ‘No’ to evil, refusing to comply with its laws, and said ‘No’ to their own government, stopping the deportation of their Jewish community in the spirit of Bulgarian compassion, which made Bulgaria a safe haven for the Jewish exiles who were persecuted for years in search of shelter in Europe and elsewhere in the world.’ Shimon Peres, President of Israel (from the Catalogue ‘Tough Choices that Make Difference: The Fate of the Bulgarian Jews’, 2013).

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V. URBAN

DEVELOPMENT. ARChITECTURAL

INFLUENCES

The public and housing architec-ture and public works from the first two decades after the Libera-tion were mostly done by foreign specialists – prominent artists and architects from different European states. The lack of qualified Bul-garian professionals required a variety of specialists – architects, builders, decorators and gardeners from Austria, Germany, Poland, It-aly, etc. Most of the buildings they created are historical, architectural and artistic monuments of national importance today. This was followed by a period of intense aspiration of Bulgarian ar-chitecture to find its own path in the context of modern European styles. At the end of the nineteenth century, the first Bulgarians who graduated from elite polytechnics in Europe (Vienna, Graz, Paris, etc.) returned to the country. Trained in the spirit and traditions of modern European architecture, they creat-ed an architectural school at the in-tersection between East and West, following the European building models, tailored to the local specif-ics and scale, combined with their native artistic taste and aesthetic heritage. The large-scale construc-tion created particular spirit and atmosphere in the big cities – Plov-div, Rousse, Varna, Burgas and especially in the new capital Sofia.

The National Assembly in Sofia, c. 1892 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 326

The National Assembly was one of the first public buildings in Sofia after the Liberation. It was designed by the Serbian architect of Bulgarian descent Konstantin Jovanovich, who was in-vited to draw up a plan for the renew-al of Sofia. He designed the buildings of the First Sofia High School for boys (now Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication of the Sofia Univer-sity ‘St Kliment Ohridski’) and the High School in Lom. In 1884 he cre-ated the first and main project of the National Assembly building. The con-

struction and furnishings continued until 1886 under the supervision of the chief architect of the Public Con-struction Directorate – the Austrian Friedrich Grünanger, and his assistant the Czech Joseph Proshek. The elegant interior of the National Assembly is a true masterpiece, created by the Aus-trian sculptor Andreas Greiss.

‘United we Stand Strong’ is the national motto of Bulgaria. It was written on the first Bulgarian coins after the Liberation, on the facade of the National Assembly building, and from 1927 officially became part of the state emblem of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.

Opening of a session of the National Assembly, 1909

CSA, f. 1330K, inv. 1, a.u. 128

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The former Turkish konak (official residence) was reconstructed as the residence of the Knyaz in the new capital Sofia. An imposing part of the building was initially constructed under the supervision of the Austrian architect Viktor Rumpelmayer and with the par-ticipation of the Czech architect Antonin Kolar, the German archi-tect Theobald Leers and the Swiss architect Hermann Maier. The sec-ond reconstruction stage was guid-ed and supervised by the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger. The plaster ornaments and sculptural figures were made by the Austrian sculptor Andreas Greiss. Gilded details of the interior decoration and some paintings in the salons were created by the French artist Antoine Barbier. The German ar-chitect Franz Eisler also took part in planning the architectural works. The metal decorations and facings were produced by Viennese, Ger-man and French companies, and the oak doors were made in the ‘marquetrie’ technique with exotic wood, mother of pearl, brass, silver and gilt, bearing the stamp of Franz Michel from Vienna. The palace was the first European­style repre-sentative building in the capital.

The Royal Palace in Sofia from the side of the east entrance,

c. 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

The Royal Palace in SofiaCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 326

Tsar Ferdinand I in the winter garden of the palace in Sofia

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 41

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68Vrana Palace with part of the park CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 442

The idea for building the Vrana Palace on the land of the former Ottoman farm ‘Chardaklia’ in the outskirts of Sofia came from Tsar Ferdinand I himself. The palace complex consists of two buildings. The first is a hunting lodge built between 1903 and 1904. It was made by the Austrian architect Vulf who designed a combination of the ‘Secession’ style with features typical for the Bulgarian house from the Revival period. The new palace was built between 1909 and 1912 by architect Nikola Lozanov, resembling the palaces of the nobles in Tarnovo, with carved wood ceilings, gilded oak

panelling, embedded metal plates and ceramics ‘Delftvare’. The inner col-umns were made in the famous Italian technique Stucco. The Karelian dining room was a gift from the Russian Em-peror. The palace is surrounded by a beautiful park with exceptional wealth and variety of tree and plant species. It was created by foreign specialists – the Czech Anton Kraus, the Austrian Johann Kelerer, the German Reichardt Neufert and others. The park was la-ter maintained by the palace gardener Wilhelm Schaht. The park and palace are masterpieces of Bulgarian park art and landscape architecture.

US diplomatic agent Dominic Mur-phy and his secretary Archibald Walker at Vrana Palace, c. 1918

CSA, f. 135K, inv. 3, a.u. 305

Vrana Palace, 1912CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 614

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The Euxinograd Palace is located on the Black Sea coast near Varna. It was built as a summer residence for Knyaz Alexander I and was named after him Sandrovo (the name was changed to Euxinograd (‘hospitable town’) in 1893). The main building was origi-nally designed by the Austrian ar-chitect Viktor Rumpelmayer in the French chateau style ‘Louis XIII’. The building was completed by the Swiss architect Herman Meyer with the par-ticipation of Nikola Lazarov in 1890. It is considered one of the most exquisite examples of architecture in Bulgaria after the Liberation. Below the main terrace was built in the central pedi-ment of the French castle Saint-Cloud (eighteenth century), transported in 1891 when the building near Paris was destroyed. Near the main alley is the unique sundial, which was a gift from the British Queen Victoria as a token of gratitude for the rescue of English ships in the Bay of Varna. The furniture was made by mahogany and walnut tree and the huge chandelier is a gift from the House of Bourbon. The complex includes greenhouses with over 310 plant species, together with French and English gardens. The German park-builder Carl Eduard Pet zold, who worked as Park Direc-tor for the Prince of the Netherlands was invited in 1884 to design a plan of the park. In 1888 Kind Ferdinand I in-vited the French park builders Eduard Andre and Henri Martinet. In the period 1890–1892 was completed the modelling of the terraces with vegeta-tion imported from Constantinople, Hungary, France and Italy. The works were supervised by the French den-drologist Max Neumayer from the Forest academy in Tarrant, Germany. Many other foreign park builders also worked on the gardens – the French Jean Moriset, the Czech Anton Kraus and Joseph Krezhan, and others. In 1929 the gardener – mountaineer Joseph Zolikoffer built a rockery on the steep bank of the Kestrichka Bara River.

Euxinograd Palace, 1922CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 218

The lake in the palace park, 1922CSA, f. 3K, inv. 14, a.u. 218

Watercolour landscape painting of the palace, painted

by Princess EudoxiaSA – Varna, PA 277

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The Ministry of war was designed by the Czech architect Antonin Kolar – Sofia’s city architect – and built in 1885. Initially it was a two-storey building, but in 1939–1945 was ex-panded and substantially rebuilt. The exterior decoration was cre-ated by the famous sculptor Lyuben Dimitrov, the author of the interior was the prominent sculptor Mihailo Parashchuk – a Ukrainian, who worked and lived in Bulgaria. A sig-nificant part of the 1939 furnishing is still preserved today.

The Military Club is one of the most beautiful and majestic buildings in the centre of Sofia with an impressive facade and incredible interior. It was designed by Antonin Kolar in neo-renaissance style and its construction began in 1895. It was completed by Nikola Lazarov and officially opened in 1907. The building has three main floors, two wings and three towers, many beautiful terraces and columns. The staircase is lined with Italian black marble with silver threads. The con-cert hall is in Baroque style, and the unique acoustics is achieved through built-in acoustic pots. It is adorned with plaster mouldings and ceiling elements in typical Renaissance style. The majestic chandeliers were deliv-ered from Vienna.

The Military Club in SofiaCSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 6

Nikola Lazarov (1870–1942) was initially a draftsman in the Public Build-ings Directorate under the prominent architects Friedrich Grünanger, Aleksi Nachev, Mihail Hashnov and Karl Heinrich. He graduated as a state scholarship student in Paris. Architect Lazarov worked on the maintenance of government buildings and later opened a private archi-tectural bureau in Sofia. He designed over 60 remarkable buildings in the capital and many other across the country.

The Ministry of Defence in Sofia, at the beginning of the Twentieth CenturyCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

Architect Nikola Lazarov in his officeCSA, f. 120K, inv. 1, a.u. 187

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Friedrich Grünanger (1856–1929) is an Austrian architect, a representative of late Historism, the eclectic style and the Vien-nese baroque and secession. He graduated from the School of Ar-chitecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna (1877–1879). From 1879 to 1908 he worked at the Public Buildings Directorate, as a town architect of Razgrad and a court architect. He is the author of many remarkable residential and public buildings. He de-signed the second part of the re-construction of the Royal Palace, the Theological Academy, built with the decorations of Richard Hardy and Angelo Filotti, the Sofia Seminary and the ‘St Ivan Rilski’ Church, the Synagogue, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the park on the territory of the Military Academy, the build-ing of the National Insurance Company ‘Balkan’, the houses of the lawyer Haralampi Sarmad-zhiev and the financier Dimitar Yablanski, as well as buildings in Razgrad, Ruse, Varna, Kyusten­dil, Bourgas.

The Seminary in Sofia, c. 1938 SA – Varna, f. 741K, inv. 2, a.u. 7

‘Balkan’ National Insurance Company in Sofia, 1910SA – Stara Zagora, f. 790K, inv. 2, a.u. 32

The house of Haralampi Sarmadzhiev in Sofia

CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 8

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The building of ‘Slavyanska Beseda’ Society in Sofia, built in 1890, designed by the Swiss architect Heinrich Meyer, 1906SA – Sofia, f. 4080, inv. 1, a.u. 96

The building of the State Printing House in Sofia (nowa-days National Gallery), built in 1882–1884, designed by the architect from Vienna Friedrich Schwamberger, 1907SA – Haskovo, f. 1525, inv. 1, a.u. 124

The Building of the German Credit Bank in Sofia, built in 1897, designed by the Italian architect

Mariano PernigonyCSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 9

The building of First Sofia High School for boys, built in 1881–1882, designed by the Serbian architect of Bulgarian origin Konstantin Jovanović, c. 1907 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

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opeAdolph (Antonin) Kolar (1841–

1900) – Czech, chief architect of the new capital Sofia from May 1878. He is the author of its first urban plan (known as plan ‘Battenberg’). He combined strict Renaissance forms with a rich variety of clas-sic and baroque details and orna-ments. Kolar participated in the creation of the first green areas in Sofia. A number of significant pub-lic buildings have been built by his projects.

Sofia Military School, 1908CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 429

The Military School was built in 1888–1894 by Antonin Kolar’s design. The three-storey building in Neo-Roman style has unique architecture. The facade resembles an ancient fortress with arched windows and vaults, and military ornaments in the form of battle towers were built on the roof cornice. On the eastern wall on a marble slab are depicted the borders of Bulgaria. The school park was designed by the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger.

Sofia Central Station, built in 1882–1888 under the design of the architects Antonin Kolar, Bohdan Prošek and T. Markov, 1903

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

The main entrance of Sofia Military School, 1908

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 429

The canteen of Sofia Military School, 1908

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 429

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Lavov (Lions’) Bridge was built over the Vladayska River and connects the city centre with the railway station and the bus station. On this place was previously located the Sharen (Motley) Bridge. Shortly after the Liberation came the idea of building a monument commemorating the four booksellers – revolutionaries who were hanged there. It was built in 1889–1891 by the firm of the Proshek brothers – Jiří (Georgi) and Bogdan (Theodore), and designed by the Czech architect Vaclav Proshek. The contractor of the proj-ect was ‘Todor Velyan and Co.’ under the supervision of Engineer Kont. The Viennese company ‘Rudolph Philip Waagner & Biro’ produced the four bronze lion figures that symbolize the four hanged Bulgarians.

Orlov (Eagles’) Bridge is built over the Perlovska River, next to ‘Borisova’ Garden. It was named af-ter the bronze eagles figures. The bridge was built as a symbol of freedom – here in March 1878 were welcomed the Bulgarians liberated from Diyar-bakir (in Anatolia). The bridge was designed by Vaclav Proshek and built in 1891. The metal parts were designed, cast and delivered by the Vien-nese company ‘Rudolph Philip Waagner & Biro’.

Lavov (Sharen) Bridge in Sofia, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century SA – Varna, f. 740K, inv. 1, a.u. 31

Orlov Bridge in Sofia, 1908 SA – Stara Zagora, f. 790K, inv. 2, a.u. 32

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The monument of Vasil Levski in Sofia, c. 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

A sketch of the monument of Vasil Levski, made by architect Antonin

Kolar, 29 July 1878SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 3, a.u. 169

The Monument dedicated to Va-sil Levski was built in 1895 in Sofia near the place where he was hanged in 1873. The funds for building the monument were col-lected from voluntary donations. It was officially opened on 22 Oc-tober 1895. The monument repre-sents a 13 m high column, made of gray granite, designed by the Czech engineer and architect An-tonin Kolar. The main part of the column was made by the Italian stonemason Abramo Peruchelli, the sculptural elements – by the Czech Frantisek Novak, the cen-tral bas-relief bronze portrait of the Apostle of Freedom was made by Rudolf von Weyr, and the can-delabra and the chains around the monument – by the Viennese com-pany ‘Rudolph Philip Waagner & Biro’.

Vasil Levski (1837–1873), called the Apostle of Freedom, is a Bulgarian national hero, organ-iser and ideologist of the internal revolutionary organisation for liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman domination. He preached the cre-ation of a ‘pure and holy republic’ where all should have equal rights regardless of their nationality and religion. In 2007 he was named ‘the greatest Bulgarian’ of all time.

Drawing of candelabra with 4 lamps, part of the decoration of the monument of Vasil Levski in Sofia, 1891SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 3, a.u. 188

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The ‘Tsar Osvoboditel’ (Tsar Libera-tor) Monument is among the most im-pressive in Sofia. It is located opposite the National Assembly building. It was erected as a symbol of Bulgarian freedom in honour of the Liberation of Bulgaria and as an expression of gratitude to the Russian people and Emperor Alexander II. At the compe-tition for monument design partici-pated 32 sculptors and the winner was the Florentine Arnaldo Dzoki. The monument was built between 1901 and 1903 and was officially opened on 30 August 1907. The monument rep-resents Alexander II on a horse, made of bronze and laid on a pedestal of black polished granite. The surround-ing relief of bronze in the middle de-picts the people led in battle by the goddess of victory Nike. More than 30 military commanders, statesmen and public figures are portrayed in the re-lief. Three other smaller bronze reliefs depict important events – the Battle of Stara Zagora during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the sign-ing of the San Stefano Peace Treaty and the convening of the Constituent Assembly. The frontal part of the monument is crowned with a bronze laurel wreath, which was a gift from the Romanian King Carol I in memory of the dead Romanian soldiers.

A model, representing the people led in a battle by Nike –

the goddess of victory, a project by Arnoldo Zocchi, 1900

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 534

‘Tsar Osvoboditel’ Monument in Sofia, 1906SA – Haskovo, f. 1525, inv. 1, a.u. 124

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The memorial temple ‘St Alexander Nevski’ is a cathedral of the Bulgar-ian patriarch. It was built as an expres-sion of gratitude to the Russian people with funds raised by voluntary dona-tions. It was designed by the Russian architect Prof. Alexander Pomerant-sev, an Italian graduate. It was erected at the highest location in Sofia at the time. The main stone was solemnly laid on 3 March (19 February) 1882. In the foundations of the temple is laid a metal box, containing the names of the members of the government. The construction began in 1904 and ended in 1912. Bulgarians, Russians, Germans, Austrians, Czechs and Italians – specialists, architects, art-ists and stonemasons – took part in the construction. All of the stone-masonry work and the tracery mo-tif with the ornamented cross over the western pediment were done by the sculptor Wilem Glos. Louis Eilers from Hannover made the

roof iron structures and those of the windows. The Ragaller Company in Munich covered the domes with copper sheets and made the crosses for the domes. The Viennese factory ‘Zentralheizungswerke’ installed the heating system. The wooden doors were made by the furniture factory of Karl Bamberg in Vienna, the plastic arts of the metal doors were made in Munich, and the royal gates, the crosses, the cornices of the iconostasis, the crown of the royal throne, the chandeliers, the candela-bras and the fittings – by the German company ‘Schmidt Zone’.In the construction of the memo-rial temple as a member, and later as chairman of the Construction Committee, actively participated the well-known Bulgarian architect Yordan Milanov, a graduate of the Higher Technical School in Vienna and an assistant of the famous archi-tect Koenig.

Some of the builders of ‘St Alexander Nevsky’ Cathedral

in SofiaSA – Sofia, PA 1353, inv. 1, a.u. 1

‘St Alexander Nevsky’ Cathedral in Sofia

CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 7

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The Central Market hall opened in 1911 and became an important commercial site in the city centre, a symbol of the economic and urban development of the capital at the be-

The National Theatre in Sofia, 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 328

The National Theatre was designed by the Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, and built in the period 1904–1907. The sce-nic layout of the ceiling and the walls in the viewing room were assigned to the famous Viennese painter Rudolf Fuchs. In 1923, the building was de-stroyed by fire and reconstructed in 1924–1928 based on the design of the German architect Martin Dülfer and Kiril Chaparov – Bulgarian civil en-gineer who graduated in Munich. In addition to the new reinforced con-crete construction was delivered stage mechanics, produced by ‘Krupp’ and MAN in Germany.

ginning of the twentieth century. The construction of the building began in 1909 based on the design of the prominent Bulgarian architect Naum Torbov, who graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest in 1904. Called ‘master of the compass and drawing’, he created over 100 public and residential buildings – the hotels ‘Continental’ and ‘Paris’, the Sofia Casino (today Sofia Art Gallery), etc. His project for the Central Market Hall is in his typical secession style. A distinguished feature of the building is the carved coat­of­arms of Sofia on the facade, made by the stonemason Georgi Kiselinchev.

Sofia Central Market Hall CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 6

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Petko Momchilov (1864–1923) is a Bulgarian architect who graduated as a scholarship student at the German Technical School in Prague. As an employee at the Ministry of National Education, he developed model proj-ects for six types of municipal and county school buildings. From 1884 to 1906 he was Head of the Architecture Department at the Ministry of General Buildings, Roads and Communica-tions. He designed some of the most prominent buildings of Sofia from the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Central Mineral Bath in Sofia was built in 1913 by the architects Petko Momchilov and Yordan Mila-nov, based on the conceptual design of the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger. The building is unique for the architectural development of Bulgaria, not only because of the new styling of decorations and the interaction with the architectural elements, but also because of its facade - an attempt to capture the spirit of the early Bulgarian Middle Ages. The mosaics are made by the artist Haralampi Tachev.

The Sofia University Rectorate is one of the architectural symbols of Sofia. The original project of the French architect Henri Breasson, was not realised – it was revised by Yordan Milanov, who altered the representative character of the building, created a large audito-rium and increases the rooms from 39 to 75. He also changed the facade and placed the statues of the do-nors Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi by the sculptor Kiril Shivarov on both sides of the parade entrance. The interior is implemented in Ba-roque style, expressive and ornate. The floor mosaic is from the Czech Republic and the marble tiling was imported from Italy. The stained glasses were made by Marin Penkov and the German Franz Mayer. The exterior decoration was created by the sculptors Mihailo Parashchuk, Lyuben Dimitrov and Lyubomir Dalchev. The main stone of the Rectorate was laid on 30 June 1924, and it was solemnly opened on 16 December 1934.

Sofia Central Mineral Baths CSA, f. 1K, inv. 5, a.u. 102

Sofia University, 1937SA – Varna, f. 741K, inv. 2, a.u. 7

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Adolph Muesmann (1880–1956) is a German architect, professor of urban planning at the Dresden High School of Technology (1921), direc-tor of the German Urban Institute. Muesmann won the international contest for the new urban plan of Sofia, organised by the Sofia Munici-pality. He arrived in the city in 1935 and remained there for 3 years. He elaborated the Sofia urban plan (the so-called ‘Muesmann Plan’).

Plan of the city of Sofia marked with the city sights, at the beginning of the twentieth centurySA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 3, a.u. 671

Signing of the ‘Mussman’s Plan’ at Sofia Municipal Administration, 1938SA – Sofia, f. 134K, inv. 1, a.u. 320

The City Casino and part of the City Garden in Sofia CSA, f. 132K, inv. 3, a.u. 6

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Josef Vaclav Sniter (1852–1914) is a Czech architect, engineer and surveyor. He studied at the Poly-technics Institute in Vienna. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) as a volunteer and lived and worked in Plovdiv after the Liberation. His presence in Bulgarian architecture, bear-ing the hallmarks of the classical wave in European architecture, is impressive. He designed and built private and public buildings – the Plovdiv High School for girls, the High Schools in Sopot and Asenovgrad, churches in Plovdiv and Batak, hotels, private houses, etc. He prepared the general urban plan of Plovdiv (1888–1891) and outlined the new water-main from Dermen dere (Parvenets) to Plovdiv.

Architect Josef Sniter’ family, 1902

SA – Plovdiv, f. 1190K, inv. 1, a.u. 39

Urban Planning of Plovdiv, 1896SA – Plovdiv, f. 1190K, inv. 1, a.u. 37

Plovdiv High School for girlsSA – Plovdiv, f. 1190K, inv. 1, a.u. 39

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Mariano Pernigony (1857–1938) is an Italian architect with exceptional contribution to the architectural de-velopment of Plovdiv. He arrived in Bulgaria after the Liberation at the invitation of the Catholic Church. He designed the buildings of the Central Station in Plovdiv (1908–1912), the bell tower of the Catholic Cathedral ‘St Ludwig’ (1898), the new building of the Catholic College for boys ‘St Augustine’ (now Rectorate of the Plov-div University ‘Paisii Hilendarski’), built in the period 1914–1920, the Seminary, private houses and others.

Plovdiv Central Station, c. 1912SA – Plovdiv, f. 1214K, inv. 1, a.u. 267

The first building of ‘St Augustine’ French College for boys in Plovdiv (nowadays Plovdiv Seminary), 1908SA – Plovdiv, photo collection No 16160

The architect Mariano Pernigony with builders of the first building of the French College for boys ‘St Augustine’ in Plovdiv, 1904SA – Plovdiv, f. 186K, inv. 1, a.u. 693

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opeThe District Administration in Ruse

(nowadays Historical Museum) – the first building in the country, built for administrative purposes in 1882, de-signed by the Austrian architect Fried-rich GrünangerSA – Ruse, f. 788, inv. 7, a.u. 67

‘St Paul of the Cross’ Cathedral in Ruse, c. 1930SA – Gabrovo, f. 1155, inv. 1, a.u. 462

‘St Paul of the Cross’ is a Roman Catholic church in Ruse, the cathed ral of the Nikopol Diocese. The temple is a rare example of Gothic archi-tecture in Bulgaria. It was designed by the Italian architect Valentino Dell’Antonio from Moena, who also designed the Catholic church in Var-na, and built in 1890–1892. It was fur-

The former School of Music in Ruse (the orphanage of Pastor Wangel-mann), built in 1900–1901, designed by the architect Udo Ribau SA – Ruse, f. 1479, inv. 1, a.u. 199

‘Dohodno Zdanie’ in RuseSA – Ruse, PA 897

nished with beautiful wood carving and the furniture was supplied from Bohemia. The artistic stained glass windows were made by the master-artist Nagy Sandor from Budapest. In the cathedral is the oldest organ preserved in Bulgaria, supplied by the German company ‘Voit’ in Karlsruhe and installed in 1907.

Dohodno Zdanie (‘Profitable Build-ing’, today’s ‘Sava Ognyanov’ Thea-tre) is the architectural symbol of the city of Ruse. It was designed by the Viennese architects Peter Paul Brang and Frank Scholz and built in 1901. The project for the theatre salon was made by the arts teacher Tournichek and Joran Romeo – main artist of the National Theatre in Bucharest. The seven figures on the roof symbolize art, science, agriculture, crafts, trade, defence and free flight of spirit, and at the top is the symbol of commerce – the Roman god Mercury.

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The centre of Varna facing the ‘Holy Assumption of the Virgin

Mary’ Cathedral, the Officers’ Club and the ‘Unification of Bulgaria’

Monument, 1902SA – Varna, f. 711K, inv. 1, a.u. 13

Memorial temple ‘Sv. Uspenie Bo-gorodichno’ (‘St Assumption’) is one of the symbols of Varna, cathe-dral of the Varna and Veliki Preslav Dioceses of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The main stone was laid by Prince Alexander I on 22 August 1880 and the first sod was turned with specially made silver pick and shovel. The foundations were erected according to the design of the architect Vasiliy Maas’s origi-nal design, based on the model of the temple ‘St St Peter and Paul’ in Peterhof. It was later completed by the design of the Czech municipal architect P. Kupka. Construction was completed in 1885.

‘Maria Louise’ High School in Varna (nowadays Varna Archaeological Mu-seum), built under the design of Petko MomchilovSA – Varna, f. 99K, inv. 2, a.u. 62

The construction of Varna City Theatre, designed by the architect

Nikola LazarovSA – Varna, f. 711K, inv. 1, a.u. 32

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Rekardo Toscany (1857–1928) is an Italian architect with a significant contribution to the urbanization and modernisation of the city of Burgas. He arrived in Bulgaria in 1883. He was President of the Relief Society, found-ed by Italian engineers and workers who participated as volunteer medi-cal orderlies during the Serbian-Bul-garian War (1885–1886). He designed the project for the cathedral ‘St St Cyril and Methodius’ in the centre of Burgas, one of the city’s symbols. He designed many other public and private buildings – Hotel ‘Imperial’, Modern Theatre, private houses and others. In 1918 together with architect Svetoslav Slavov he designed the ‘St Yosif’ boarding school for girls with a Catholic chapel. Ricardo Toscani when the foundations of ‘St St Cyril and Methodius’ church in

Burgas were laid, 15 August 1895 SA – Burgas, f. 860K, inv. 1, a.u. 19

‘St St Cyril and Methodius’ Church

SA – Burgas, f. 811K, inv. 1, a.u. 34

‘St Archangel Michael’ Community Centre in Shumen, the 1930s State Military Historical Archives, f. 42M, inv. 1, a.u. 45

Chitalishte (community centre) ‘St Archangel Michael’ and the mon-ument of the benefactor Nancho Popovich were designed by the French architect Jean Antonin Mercier. It was built in 1896–1898. Construction of the foundations was supervised by architect Kushich. The pine beams for the roof were delivered from Heraclea (Asia Minor), iron beams for the floor – from Germany, and the coloured glazed bricks – from Vienna. The artwork of the side-scenes and the curtain was created by the Vien-nese artists Max Hagendorf and Vodyanski.

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Citizens walking on the bridge in front of the Officers’ Club in Vidin, 1929SA – Vidin, f. 1166, inv. 1, a.u. 79

Toma Varhota (1872–1936) is a Czech civil engineer who lived and worked in Bulgaria. He designed many residential and public build-ings in the towns of Vidin and Shumen. He designed the Military Club in Vidin (today ‘Nikola Petrov’ Art Gallery), the State Hospital in Shumen and others.

‘Holy Trinity’ Church in Pleven, built under the design of the urban architect Vyacheslav Gavarda, Austrian of Czech origin 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 344

The District High School for boys in Razgrad, built in 1885 under the

design of the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger, architect of

Razgrad at the time, 1900SA – Razgrad, f. 1139, inv. 1, a.u. 86

Razgrad Municipality building, built in 1893 under the design of the Czech engineer Jan Buffa, 1927–1930SA – Razgrad, PA 1026

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opeDobrich Municipality building, built in 1892 under the design of

the urban architect Adolf Peer, 1928SA – Dobrich, f. 181K, inv. 1, a.u. 201

The Courthouse in Kyustendil (nowadays Kyus-tendil Municipality), built for School of Pedagogy under the design of the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger, 1938 SA – Kyustendil, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 178

School of Pedagogy in SilistraSA – Silistra, PA 274

The Pedagogic School (today Art Gallery) is a symbol of Silistra. It was designed by the architect Edvin Pietricky in late secession style and was built in 1891–1892. A statue of Prometheus, holding torch in his hand, rises above the roof.

The Stambolov Bridge in Ve-liko Tarnovo is the first significant manifestation of modern European bridge building in Bulgaria. Its con-struction began in 1892. The bridge was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Musuti. It was built by the Austrian metal foundry company ‘Rudolph Philip Waagner & Biro’, who supplied parts and castings for the Lions’ and Eagles’ bridges in So-fia and the Iron Church in Constan-tinople. Stambolov’s Bridge over Yantra River, Tarnovo

SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 18K, inv. 1, a.u. 181

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Balchik Palace is a landmark on the Northern Black Sea coast with an ar-chitectural monument of culture and a monument of garden and park art status. The palace complex was built in 1924–1934 as a summer residence of the Romanian Queen Marie Alex-andra Victoria (1875–1938), a Scottish royalty, who called it ‘The Quiet Nest’ (‘Tenha Yuva’). It was designed by the Italian architects Amerigo and Au-gustino. Its original architecture com-bines elements of the Old Bulgarian, Gothic, Oriental and Mauritanian styles, based on the Queen’s ideas, in-fluenced by Bahá’í Faith. Later the Or-thodox chapel ‘Uspenie Bogorodich-no’ (‘Assumption’ or ‘Stella Maris’ in Romanian) was built together with new detached villas, a traditional house from the Revival period, inner courtyards in Moorish style and foun-tains depicting mythological heroes. The coastal park was created by the Swiss gardener Jules Janin and was finished by the Swiss Carol Gutman. The garden impresses with a huge va-riety of species, with its colours and tasteful compositions.

The Palace in BalchikCSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1540

The garden of the palace in Balchik

CSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1540The chapel at the palace in BalchikCSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1540

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Bulgarian park building in the first years after the Liberation was associated with foreign specialists who worked at the time in Bul-garia and created the most signifi-cant gardens and green areas in the bigger towns and cities. The aim was to achieve synergy between tradition and European styles in park art. The first specialists were invited to arrange the Royal Gar-dens, and gradually qualified park builders were invited to build gar-dens and landscapes in different cities in the country. Following the initial influx of foreign specialists, there was increased interest in the country towards specialized edu-cation in agricultural institutions and schools in Europe – Vienna, Versailles, Aysburg, and new sec-ondary agricultural schools in the country where courses were taught by foreign specialists. Bulgarian specialists also appeared.

Borisova Garden is the largest park in Sofia. Initially, it was named Razsadnik and Pipinier (nursery­garden), and after the birth of the Crown Prince was re-named ‘Knyaz Borisova Garden’. The beginning was set in 1882 by decision of the City Council and the Swiss Daniel Neff, gardener of the Romanian royal court, prepared the first plan of the garden. His work was continued by his son Carl Neff and the Frenchman Emil Aman. In 1906, the Alsatian Josif Fray, who was appointed Chief Municipal Gardener, redeveloped the garden according to his own plan. He created the Rose garden. At the beginning of the twentieth century was created the Ariana Lake, where the elite of the city gathered in an alehouse of the same name, listening to the sounds of military music. After 1920 monuments of prominent Bulgarians began to appear in the garden. There are also a number of sports facilities – Scout Playground, tennis courts. Since 1903 in the north-western part of the garden was permitted the building of a play-ground of the gymnastic society ‘Yunak’, the hunting society ‘Sokol’ and the cycling and tourist societies. In 1924 the municipality provided a place in the western part of the Borisova garden to the sports club ‘Levski’, where a stadium was built in 1926 by volunteers. In 1937–1939 was built the public bath ‘Knyagi­

nya Maria Luisa’ designed by the architect Boris Dalchev.

The lake in ‘Borisova’ Garden in Sofia, 1932 SA – Vratsa, f. 1428, inv. 1, a.u. 66

Anton (Antonin) Novak (1860–1945) is a Czech park build-er. He specialised in the parks of Schönbrunn and Belvedere palaces in Vienna. In 1892 he arrived in Bulgaria and was originally a landscape worker in Tarnovo, where he created the Town Garden and the Municipal nursery-garden. Subse-quently, the municipality of Varna contracted him to build parks in the city. He designed the Sea Garden, considered to be the most beautiful park on the Balkans at the time, of which he was governor since 1895. He created more than 30 parks around and in Varna, and a small nursery­garden in today’s Borovets area near Varna. In 1915 he was assigned the management of a vine nursery-garden and the park of the childrens’ sanatorium near the monastery ‘St Konstantin’.

Honorary Diploma, awarding Anton Novak with the People’s Order of Civil Merit, VI rank, Sofia, 24 May 1893SA – Varna, f. 739K, inv. 1, a.u. 4

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The building of the Sea Zoo with Aquarium, 1914.

SA – Varna, f. 711K, inv. 1, a.u. 29

View from the Sea garden of Varna, the 1930s.SA – Varna, f. 1K, inv. 1, a.u. 118

In 1881 Varna municipality provided 26 decares for the creation of a seaside park. The Czech park builder Anton Novak was invited to create the park, following the design of engineer Henri Martinet. The site was cleaned, mapped, a plan for landscaping and creating flower alleys was developed, the first rare plants were planted, and trees were supplied from foreign countries. Rare trees and flowers were delivered with carts from Istanbul and the Mediterranean. Some were delivered from Asia by ships. In 1908, it was decided for Alley of prominent Bulgarians from the Revival period to be created and many monuments were erected.

The new sea baths in Varna, 1926‒1930SA – Varna, f. 810K, inv. 1, a.u. 64

In 1921 Varna was declared a resort town and the building of new baths by the sea began. The contract was awarded to the Czech company ‘Pittel Brausewetter’. The main stone was laid in 1925, and on 12 July 1926 the baths were solemnly opened. The massive building was ‘Ш’ shaped and has two floors with about 1000 cabins.

The stairs in front of the new sea baths and the sea garden in Varna

SA – Varna, PA 277

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Tsar Simeon garden in Plovdiv was built for the First Bulgarian Agricul-tural and Industrial Exhibition in 1892. In less than a year, the Swiss Lucien Chevallaz, with the help of his fellow countryman – the designer Heinrih Meyer, shaped the exhibition grounds and turned them into a mag-nificent garden.

Lucien Chevallaz (1840–1921) is a Swiss gardener and park builder. He worked in Paris and Istanbul, in the palaces of Napoleon III and Sultan Abdul Azis. He arrived in Plovdiv in 1880 at the invitation of Aleko Bogoridi as a gardener to the prince and remained there for the rest of his life. He was in charge of the municipal landscaping service, created the Tsar Simeon’s Garden, the Knyazheva Garden (near the Maritsa River, at the place of ‘Saed-inenie’ Square and the Military Pa-vilion), the ‘Pepiniera’ (in the place of ‘Stochna’ Station), landscaped the streets and the hills Bunardzhika, Sahat tepe and others. He designed and took part in the building of the first nursery­gardens in Sofia, Var-na, Veliko Tarnovo and Krichim. In 1893 he created the first garden in the resort town of Hissar near the present-day bath of Toplitsa.

Tsar Simeon Garden in Plovdiv, 1908SA – Plovdiv, f. 1214K, inv. 1, a.u. 216

The Ruse City Garden was created in 1890 on an area of 15 decares, owned by the prominent manufacturer André Turillot. Ferdinand Holubar was invited to plant some vegetation in the next year, and the park builder Josef Richard Neuwirt added exotic plants (palms, banana bushes, etc.).

The City Garden and the Theatre in Ruse, 1908 SA – Ruse, f. 59, inv. 1, a.u. 265

Danail Gyulemetov (1873–1948) gradu-ated from the Gardening School in Geneva in 1895 and specialized in the National Gardening School in Versailles, France (1895–1896). He worked as a lecturer at the Second-ary Vine and Fruit growing School in Pleven. Of particular interest are the landscaped parks created by him in Pleven – the extension of the City Gar-den, the Skobelev Park, the Ossuary and the House-Museum of Tsar Libe-rator Alexander II.

The City Garden in Pleven, c. 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 344

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VІ. TOwARDS MODERN

ECONOMy

Ratification Deed from the French President Félix Faure of the Trade Convention between Bulgaria and France, signed in Sofia on 23 May

(4 June), 1897. Paris, 5 December 1897CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 168

Ratification Deed from the German Emperor Wilhelm II of the Trade, Customs and Navigation Convention between Germany and Bulgaria, signed in Berlin on 1 August 1905. Berlin, 6 January 1906CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 17

The creation of an independent state provided conditions for Bulgaria to achieve remarkable results in all spheres of social, political and eco-nomic life. The state led a protec-tionist policy in defence of its young industry, undertook the building of a unified transport and communica-tion system, set the foundations of banking and credit. The predomi-nantly developed industrial branch-es were agriculture, textiles, milling, ceramics and cement production, power plants, mining. There were also a number of industrial compa-nies founded with foreign invest-ments. Foreign trade was reoriented to the modern European market. The first trade agreements regulating the relations with European countries were also signed. In three decades, the economy gained strength and experienced a vigorous upsurge, defined in Europe as the ‘Bulgarian economic miracle’, which was inter-rupted by the 1912–1918 wars.

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Opening of the railway bridge over Teke dere River near Shumen, the construction of which was made,

delivered and installed by the ‘Lauhamer’ Factory in Germany, 1896

SA – Shumen, f. 33K, inv. 3, a.u. 91

Ratification Deed from the English King Edward VII of the Trade, Cus-toms and Navigation Convention between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Bul-garia, signed in Sofia on 26 Novem-ber (9 December), 1905. St James‘s Palace, 28 February 1907CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 16

Formal meeting of the Chamber of Commerce together with members of a Romanian delegation, the 1930s CSA, f. 3K, inv. 12, a.u. 2891

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Ratification Deed from the Finnish President Pehr Evind Svinhufvud of the Trade Convention between

Bulgaria and Finland, signed in Sofia on 27 October 1936.

Helsinki, 30 December 1936CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 163

Agreement regulating the trade and the payments between Bulgaria

and Spain, signed in Sofia on 26 June 1931

CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 64

Agreement on the Payments between Bulgaria and Estonia, signed in Sofia on 12 February 1938CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 59

Convention leveraging the trade between Bulgaria

and Belgium, signed in Sofia on 1 April 1936

CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 15

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Czech citizen Joseph Komeštik, founded in Sofia in 1893

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 511

The Alcohol and Rice Factory of the Swiss citizen Christian August Bomonti, founded in Plovdiv CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 511

‘Kamenitza’ Brewery, founded by the Swiss citizens Rudolf Frick, Friedrich Sulzer and

Christian August Bomonti in Plovdiv in 1882

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 511

The Brewery of the Czech brothers Prošek, founded in Sofia

in 1884CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 511

‘Granitoid’ JSC (successor of the First Bulgarian Concrete and Asphalt Company, established in 1908), founded by a group of industrialists and traders, and the German entrepreneur Eduard Naudascher in Sofia in 1912

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 511

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Projects of cigarette cases by Haralampi Tachev for

‘Orel’ Tobacco Factory in Stara Zagora

CSA, f. 2005K, inv. 1, a.u. 37

Correspondence between the tobacco cooperatives

‘Macedonian Tobacco’ in Nevrokop (Gotse

Delchev), ‘Bulgarian Djebel’ – village of Raikovo, etc.,

for the tobacco sale in Poland, the Czech

Republic, Germany and other European countries,

the 1920s and the 1930sSA – Blagoevgrad, f. 108K

SA – Smolyan, f. 135K

Projects of cigarette cases by Haralampi Tachev for ‘Rila’

Tobacco Factory in SofiaCSA, f. 2005K, inv. 2, a.u. 40

Trade mark project by Haralampi Tachev for ‘Zora’

Tobacco Factory in PlovdivCSA, f. 2005K, inv. 1, a.u. 548

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Diorama of the Rose Valley at the Bulgarian Section of the Balkan Exhibition in London in 1907CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 338, sheet 12

Correspondence of ‘Shipkoff & Co.’ in Kazanlak with English, Italian, German and other rose oil trading

companies, at the turn of the twenti-eth century

SA – Stara Zagora, f. 43К, inv. 2, а.u. 7, 9, 11, 12, 14

‘Shipkoff & Co.’ Company in Kazanlak, 1893

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Konstantin Jirecek (1854–1918) is a Czech historian, well known as the author of ‘History of the Bulgarians’. He was invited to organize the edu-cation in the country. He arrived in Bulgaria as early as 1879 and was ap-pointed Chief Secretary of the Min-istry of National Education. In the

Dr. Konstantin Jireček, 1874 CSA, f. 600K, inv. 1, a.u. 1852

The members of the Archaeological Society in Varna, among them Karel Škorpil, 1936SA – Veliko Tarnovo, f. 959K, inv. 2, a.u. 47

Karel Skorpil (1859–1944) was a teacher of mathematics, natural sci-ences, technical sciences and draw-ing in Plovdiv, Sliven, Varna, Ruse and Veliko Tarnovo. He was di-rector of the Varna Archaeological Museum. He taught at the Marine Technical School and the Commer-cial School in Varna.

At the tomb of Hermann Škorpil in the area of Dzhanavara near Asparuhovo, VarnaSA – Varna, f. 711K, inv. 1, a.u. 55

period 1881–1882 he was Minister of National Education and after that – Chairman of the Academic Council and Director of the National Library in Sofia. He contributed significantly to the creation of a number of cultur-al institutes and for the preservation of the Bulgarian antiquities.

Vaclav hermengild Skorpil (1858–1923) was a teacher in Plovdiv, Sliven, Sofia, Ruse and Varna, curator of the Varna Archaeological Museum and chairman of the Varna Archaeologi-cal Society. He prepared the first geo-logical map of Bulgaria and prepared a collection of minerals and plants from the country.

Bulgarian education after the Libera-tion preserved its high public prestige and secular character. It was founded on the good traditions of the Revival period and modern European models and programs. Due to the lack of trained Bulgarian teachers were invi-ted foreign specialists – mostly Czechs, Slovaks and Croats. Among them the Czech brothers Skorpil contributed the most as founders of the Bulgarian archaeological science and museum work. The foreigners taught mainly in specialised disciplines – classical languages, natural sciences, physics, etc., and prepared learning aids. Jan Brózska wtote Latin textbooks and dictionaries, Frantisek Splitek – Ger-man language, descriptive geometry and mathematics textbooks, Ludvig Lukas – Chemistry, Physics, Geometry and Drawing textbooks, and Antonin Shourek – Geometry and Penmanship textbooks. New subjects were being studied under European influence. The labour education system of August Abrahamson’s was introduced and Swiss teachers were employed in physical education. Evening and Sun-day schools based on the Scandina-vian model were created too.

VІІ. EDUCATIONAL DIMENSIONS

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Theodor Monin – Czech, Mathematics teacher in Sliven, since 1889 lecturer at the Higher School in SofiaSA – Sliven, f. 93K, inv. 2, a.u. 18

Vladislav Šak – Czech, Mathematics and Physics teacher in Sliven, Sofia and at the Higher School, founding member of the Bulgarian Physics and Mathematics Society, long­standing chairman of ‘Czech’ Company in SofiaSA – Sliven, f. 93K, inv. 2, a.u. 18

Karl Lübeck – German, teacher in Latin and German at ‘Aprilovska’ High School in Gabrovo (1894–1899) SA – Gabrovo, f. 288, inv. 7, a.u. 39

Leon Barbar – Austrian, teacher in Latin and German at ‘Aprilovska’ High School in Gabrovo (1906–1907)SA – Gabrovo, f. 288, inv. 7, a.u. 39

Angel Bukoreshtliev, Anton Bezenšek and members of the Plovdiv Singers Society together with guest musicians from Croatia, June 1886 SA – Plovdiv, f. 1193K, inv. 1, a.u. 28

Anton Bezensek (1854–1915) is a Slovenian linguist, publicist, stenog-rapher and teacher. He adapted the Gabelsberger stenographic system to the South Slavic languages. At the invitation of the Bulgarian govern-ment in 1879, he arrived in Sofia as Chief stenographer of the National Assembly. In the period 1884–1905 he was a high school teacher in Plov-div, where he introduced the subject ‘ethics’ in the curriculum and applied modern methods for teaching foreign languages. Since 1911 he taught at the Sofia University and published a number of books on Bulgaria in Slove nian language.

Géza Fehér (1890–1955) is a Hungarian archaeologist, who worked in Bulgaria from 1921 to 1944. He was a member of the Bulgarian Archaeological Society (1924) and a foreign member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1943). He was one of the founders of Proto-Bulgarian studies. He took part in the archaeological excavations in Aboba (Pliska), Preslav, Mumdzhilar, Enidzhe and studied in depth the Madara Horseman.

Professor Géza Fehér with members of the Governing body of the ‘Bulgarian Old Age’ Association in Shumen, 1929 SA – Shumen, f. 654K, inv. 1, a.u. 210

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The tradition of young Bulgarians re-ceiving their education in reputable European universities existed since the Revival period. After 1878, this tendency grew, and the state encour-aged them by granting scholar ships and benefits. Most young Bulgar-ians went to the major universities in Germany, France, Russia and the Czech Republic. Since the mid 1880s, graduates of the first pedagogical classes in Europe returned to Bul-garia and gradually replaced foreign teachers, making significant contri-bution to education.

PhD in Law Diploma of Vasil Radoslavov (Prime Minister 1886–1887, 1913–1918) from Heidelberg

University, 1882CSA, f. 313K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

Certificate of Neno Dimov for com-pleted training from the Leipzig Con-servatory, 6–30 July, 1902SA – Ruse, f. 629K, inv. 1, a.u. 6

Members of ‘Brotherhood’ Bulgarian Student Society in Lausanne, Switzer-land, 1910SA – Sofia, f. 1345K, inv. 1, a.u. 309

Diploma of Alexander Stoykov for completed education

in Chemistry from Geneva University, 13 May 1911

SA – Plovdiv, f. 1018K, inv. 1, a.u. 4

Rosa Belcheva with medical students in Swiss national costumes in Geneva, 1912SA – Sofia, f. 1387K, inv. 1, a.u. 47

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Student book of Petko Gerasimov from the Higher Engineering School in Prague, 1913SA – Pazardzhik, f. 1313, inv. 1, а.u. 279

PhD in Law Diploma of Nedelcho Kuyumdzhiev from New Brussels University, 1882SA – Targovishte, f. 496K, inv. 2, a.u. 3

Bulgarian students’ ball in Prague, 1914SA – Pazardzhik, f. 1313, inv. 1, a.u. 339

Diploma of Ivan Vodenicharov for completed education in Medicine

from Naples University, 2 July 1921SA – Burgas, f. 826K, inv. 1, a.u. 3

Diploma of Boyan Chinkov from the University of Engineering in Berlin, 11 July 1925SA – Plovdiv, f. 1196K, inv. 1, a.u. 3

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Certificate of Dr. Tonka Toneva for a completed course in skin and venereal diseases from ‘St Louis’ Hospital in Paris, 30 October 1926SA – Kardzhali, f. 268K, inv. 1, a.u. 14

Participants in the course in skin and venereal diseases, held at ‘St Luis’ Hospital in Paris, 1926SA – Kardzhali, f. 268K, inv. 1, a.u. 14

Declaration on Mutual Cooperation in Education and Intellectual Rela-

tions between Bulgaria and Czecho-slovakia, signed in Sofia on

19 December 1935CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 190

Education Convention between Bulgaria and France, signed in

Sofia on 17 December 1936CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 176

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Sofia University, 1940SA – Blagoevgrad, f. 1406, inv. 2, a.u. 11

Invitation from Göttingen Univer-sity to Sofia University to partici-pate in the celebration of its 200th anniversary, 1937SA – Sofia, f. 994K, inv. 2, a.u. 62

Letter from the Chairman of the Athens Academy to the Rector of Sofia University regarding the honorary medallion awarded on the occasion of the 50th an-niversary of the University. Athens, 1 September 1939SA – Sofia, f. 994K, inv. 2, a.u. 90

Correspondence between Sofia University and universities abroad on the occasion of the celebration of its 50th anniversary in 1939SA – Sofia, f. 994K, inv. 2, a.u. 90, 96

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The French College for boys ‘St Au-gustin’ in Plovdiv was founded by the Congregation of the Assumption-ists and is one of the most important Catholic cultural centres in the coun-try. It was founded on 3 January 1884, and from the 1893–1894 academic year a boarding house was also available to students. In 1904–1908 was built a new, modern three-storey building (today’s Plovdiv seminary), designed by the Italian architect Professor Mariano Pernigony. In 1914, the main stone of a new five­storey building outside the city was laid, also designed by Profes-sor Mariano Pernigony, which official-ly opened in 1921 (today’s Rectorate building of the University of Plovdiv ‘Paisiy Hilendarski’). In 1923 was built the ‘St Augustine’ playground, where football, basketball, volleyball and tennis matches were held (today on this place is located the ‘Hristo Botev’ stadium). The college has a big library, brass band, chemical labora-tory, sports facility, and pedagogi-cal museum. Graduates created the charity ‘Saint-Vincent-de-Paul’ and the Student Religious-Ethics Society ‘Young Guards’. Initially there were two college departments – science and literature, and since 1908 was created a commercial department, arranged in accordance with the program of the Marseille High School of Commerce.

Professor Per Placid with the students in commerce studies, 1922–1923SA – Plovdiv, f. 186K, inv. 1, a.u. 681

The College Building, built in 1914–1919 SA – Plovdiv, f. 1026K, inv. 1, a.u. 34

Students from the College church choir, 1905–1906

SA – Plovdiv, f. 186K, inv. 1, a.u. 666

Performance of young college artists on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the school, 1934SA – Plovdiv, f. 1026K, inv. 1, a.u. 34

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The French Catholic Lyceum ‘Sv. Andrei’ (‘St Andrew’) in Plovdiv was opened by the Congregation of the Assumptionists before the Libe-ration on the initiative of Bishop Andrea Canova. Until 1907, the school was managed by the Fathers-Assumptionists, and after that was entrusted to the priests of the dioce-san clergy.

‘St Andrew’ French Catholic Ly-ceum CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 327

Students from ‘St Joseph’ French College for Girls in Plovdiv at a solemn procession for the consecration of a memorial plaque of Alphonse

de Lamartine in Plovdiv, 1923SA – Plovdiv, f. 186K, inv. 1, a.u. 680

The French College for girls ‘Sv. Yosif’ (‘St Joseph’) in Plovdiv was opened in 1899 and managed by the sisters of the Virgin Congregation of St Joseph of the Apparition. There were four classes, two preparatory classes and six high school classes. It had its own building with bedrooms, a dining room and a big library.

Certificate of the Italian School in Plovdiv, 1934

SA – Plovdiv, photo collection No 2014

The Italian School ‘Vittorio Alfieri’ in Plovdiv was opened at the begin-ning of the school year 1926/1927 in its own building on ‘Ivan Vazov’ St. Later it developed into an Ital-ian King’s Mixed High School with a commercial department. Its aim was to develop the trade and economic links between Bulgaria and Italy by teaching the language.

The boarding housed of the French college for girls ‘St Joseph’ in Plovdiv, 1925SA – Plovdiv, photo collection No 8736

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The German School (Deutsche Schule) in Plovdiv opened in 1901 initially with a kindergarten and primary classes, and later with three junior school classes. The training was in German and the geography of Bulgar-ian lands, literature and history were taught in Bulgarian. The first direc-tor was Alfred Böckl, and later Alfred Achterberg came from Berlin. The cost of maintaining the school was covered entirely by the students’ fees. In 1927 a new building was opened.

Anniversary book of the German School in Plovdiv, 1926

SA – Plovdiv, f. 59K, inv. 1, a.u. 28

Students from the primary school, c. 1926SA – Plovdiv, f. 59K, inv. 1, a.u. 71

A poster for a sports event in the school, 1935

SA – Plovdiv, f. 59K, inv. 1, a.u. 29

Certificate of Metodi Batselov from the Private German Primary School in Plovdiv, 17 June 1936

SA – Plovdiv, f. 59K, inv. 2, a.u. 10

Opening of the new school building, 1927SA – Plovdiv, f. 59K, inv. 1, a.u. 71

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The French College ‘Sv. yosif’ (‘St Joseph’) in Sofia is a Catholic school for girls. Founded by the Capuchin father Timoteo Strona, with the help of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition in 1880. The cur-riculum was compiled in the spirit of the French educational system. In 1915, the school was recognized as a primary school and in 1925 – as a secondary school. The college was housed in a complex of buildings near the Catholic Cathedral ‘Sv. Yo-sif’ in Sofia.

Certificate of Sekula Sekulov for completed 2nd grade from the German

department of ‘St St Cyril and Methodius’ Catholic School

for boys in Sofia, 1914CSA, f. 2010K, inv. 1, a.u. 1

Graduates of the Italian High School in Sofia, 1940SA – Kyustendil, f. 302K, inv. 1, a.u. 18

Graduates of the Romanian Lyceum in Sofia, 1943SA – Vidin, f. 835B, inv. 1, a.u. 34

Schoolgirls in front of ‘St Joseph’ College in Sofia SA – Pernik, f. 1035, inv. 1, a.u. 47

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Diploma from ‘Notre Dame de Sion’ French boarding school for girls in Ruse, 1927SA – Ruse, f. 763, inv. 1, a.u. 1

Zaharinka Zahari Stoyanova as a stu-dent at ‘Notre Dame de Sion’ French boarding school in Ruse, 1906SA – Ruse, f. 12K, inv. 2, a.u. 31

The French College ‘Notre Dame de Sion’ in Ruse was a Catholic school for girls. It was founded in 1897 by French nuns from the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion. Mother Maria Tade was appointed director. The school existed as an externat ‘Santa Maria’, attended by the girls from the city, and a boarding school where they lived and taught children from other cities. The College building (to-day’s English Language School) was designed by Mariano Pernigony and built in 1908. Almost all disciplines were taught in French and textbooks were delivered from France. Besides studying foreign languages, the girls studied housewifery too.

Tonka Nikola Obretenova as a stu-dent at ‘Notre Dame de Sion’ French boarding school in Ruse, 1906SA – Ruse, f. 12K, inv. 2, a.u. 22

French College ‘Sv. yosif’ (‘St Joseph’) in Burgas is a Catholic school for girls that existed at the end of the ninetienth and the first half of the twentieth century. It was founded by the sisters of the Congregation of Sv. Joseph of the Apparition. In 1918 were built a boarding house and the Catholic chapel ‘Sv. Yosif’ in Neo­Gothic style, designed by architects Rekardo Toscany and Svetoslav Slavov. In 1931 was introduced education up to sixth grade.

The boarding school building, build in 1918SA – Burgas, f. 1755, inv. 1, a.u. 8

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opeThe French College for girls ‘St An-

dré’ in Varna was supported by the Sisters from the congregation of Ob-lates de l‘Assomption. Students were taught in French. It was originally situated in a house belonging to the Italian Consulate. In 1897, nun Maria André arranged the construction of a two-storey building for the primary school, which later grew into junior high school. In 1902 and 1909, based on design by Mariano Pernigony was erected a new building for the College. In 1922, the school moved back to its original building, which had an additional storey built, and in 1940 the German school was also accommodated there. In 1933 the col-lege was recognised as a high school.

Schoolgirls of the ‘St André’ boarding school – Varna

SA – Dobrich, f. 293K, inv. 2, a.u. 75

Schoolgirls of the College with their teacher archimandrite Innokenty

(Iliya Petrov Sofiyski), 1937SA – Varna, f. 744K, inv. 1, a.u. 10

Schoolgirls of the College in front of the school building, the 1930sSA – Varna, f. 744K, inv. 1, a.u. 8

The French College ‘Sv. Mihail’ (St Michael) in Varna is a Catholic school for boys. It was founded as a branch of the Plovdiv college in 1899 by monks from the Congregation of the Assumptionists. The school was designed by Mariano Pernigo-ny and built in 1905. The chapel ‘St Archangel Michael’ was built in the schoolyard. Curricula was taught in French with French textbooks, while in Bulgarian were taught Bulgarian language, history and geography. College choir and fanfare music, football, basketball and volleyball teams were organized to the school. The college was closed in 1934 and the building – demolished.

Graduates of the College with their teacher archimandrite Innokenty (Iliya Petrov Sofiyski), 1932–1933 SA – Varna, f. 744K, inv. 1, a.u. 8

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VІІІ. CULTURAL PARALLELS

The foreign presence in the area of cul-ture was particularly strong during the first two decades after the Liberation of Bulgaria. Due to the lack of qualified personnel for the military brass bands, a contract was signed for employing musicians and renting instruments from the Jan Pavlis’s school of military music in Prague. The newly arrived Czechs were appointed army band-masters. They used Bulgarian folklore and created musical interpretations for the needs of the first instrumental ensembles – a style that is preserved by the brass bands throughout the twentieth century. Bandmasters were also Germans, Hungarians, Russians, Greeks. The foreign musicians be-came music teachers, created military and civilian orchestras, performed in prestigious halls, provided musical ac-companiment to films, composed and laid the foundations of symphonic and opera work.

Czech kapellmeisters Josef Chochola, Karel Jermarž, et al., at the end of the Nineteenth Century State Military Historical Archives, PA 306

Josef Chochola (1845–1918) graduated in double bass at the Jan Pavlis’s school of military music in Prague. He arrived in Bulgaria in 1879 and founded the first Bulgarian military brass band in Tarnovo. He was bandmaster of the brass band of Sofia First Infantry Division, formed only by Czech musicians. In 1892 he founded the Guards’ Orchestra and was its conductor until 1904. He was music pedagogue and composer. In 1885, during the Serbian­Bulgarian war, he wrote the orchestral work ‘The Fight at Gurgulyat’.

Henrich Wisner’s official book, issued by the State School of Music in Sofia, 12 December 1920SA – Sofia, f. 1001K, inv. 2, a.u. 72

henrich Visner (1864–1951) graduated in piano at the Prague Conservatory, where he stud-ied Harmony, Composition and Conducting. He arrived in Sofia in 1887 and started working as a bandmaster. A pedagogue and pianist, for many years he has been the only chorus master of foreign and Bulgarian instrumen-talists and singers. He was one of the founders of the Private Music School, later a lecturer at the State Music School and professor at the newly founded Music Academy in 1921.

After the political liberation in 1878, Bulgarian culture was provided op-portunity for extensive and free de-velopment. The institutional system of culture was built and the begin-ning of the Bulgarian theatre and opera was set. The State promoted literature, fine arts, music and theat­re, supported their popularisation abroad at international fairs, artistic and ethnographic exhibitions. Bul-garian performers and artists, dance and song folk ensembles triumphed on the international stage and con-veyed European culture achieve-ments in the country. Cultural de-velopment was strongly influenced by the specific Bulgarian spirit and worldview, but also by the constant desire for synchronisation with Eu-ropean tendencies.

111

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opeCzech Toma Kulhavý, conductor of the orchestra at the 8th

Marine Infantry Regiment, the royal photographer Karl Al-brecht, et al., 1884SA – Varna, f. 961, inv. 1, a.u. 39

The family of Edgar Blümel – German from Sudetenland, kapellmeister of the 7th Preslav Infantry Regiment, who elaborated Bulgarian national folklore in instrumental music SA – Shumen, f. 655K, inv. 1, a.u. 26

Iwan Cibulka, Hristina Morfova, Lyudmila Prokopova, Todor Torchanov, Panayot Dimitrov and Nikola Stefanov during a rehearsalCSA, f. 488K, inv. 1, a.u. 203

A report by the Minister of Education Yanaki Mollov to Tsar Ferdinand I with a proposal Prof. Iwan Cibulka to be awarded for his contribution to the development of the music in Bulgaria. Sofia, 10 December 1934CSA, f. 177K, inv. 2, a.u. 517

Iwan waclaw Cibulka (1880–1943) is a Czech violoncellist and music peda­gogue. He arrived in Bulgaria in 1900 and started working at the Guards Orchestra, then became the first violoncellist in the Orchestra of the National Opera in Sofia. In 1901 he founded one of the first string quartets in Bulgaria. He is co-founder of the Bulgarian Opera Amity (present-day National Opera and Ballet) and in 1924 – of the Bulgarian National Philharmonic Orchestra (present­day Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra) and its chairman of many years. In 1921 he graduated from the Leipzig Conservatory in the class of Julius Klengel. He participated in concert tours in Germany and Czechoslovakia.

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Delegation at the departure of the conductor Herman Strange from

Sofia Station, 12 June 1932CSA, f. 373K, inv. 1, a.u. 691

hermann Stange (1884–1953) is a German conductor who contributed to the development of Bulgarian opera and symphonic art. He lived and worked in Bulgaria in the early 1930s. He staged for the first time Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘Magic Flute’ on Bulgarian opera scene in the Sofia Opera. In the period 1930–1932 he was the chief conductor of the Opera House.

The child prodigy Sasha Popov at the beginning of his musical career, 1911

SA – Plovdiv, f. 2578, inv. 1, a.u. 66

Sirak Skitnik. Portrait of the violinist and conductor Sasha PopovCSA, f. 44K, inv. 1, a.u. 2

Sasha Popov (1899–1976) began playing violin at the age of four. He went to Vienna where he stud-ied with Professor Karl Pirl and violin educator Otakar Sevcik. He graduated at the Vienna Conserva-tory. After his return in Bulgaria he became a lecturer at the Music Academy, and from 1932 was the conductor of the Sofia Opera. In 1936 he founded the Royal Sym-phony Orchestra (present-day So-fia Philharmonic Orchestra), where he performed numerous concerts in Bulgaria and abroad. He later worked in Israel, Egypt and the United States.

Laying of a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Sol-dier in Rome by Vasil Stefanov and Sasha Popov, Principal Conductor of the Bulgarian Royal Symphony Orchestra, 1939SA – Sofia, f. 1001K, inv. 2, a.u. 17

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Ivan Vulpe (1876–1929) was an opera singer (vocalist) and vocal pedagogue. He was born in Cheshmekioy, south-ern Bessarabia. In 1902, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory at the classes of Camille Everhardy and Umberto Masetti. In 1907 he arrived in Bulgaria and became one of the founders of the Bulgarian Opera Am-ity, where he worked until 1926. Since 1912 he was a lecturer in singing at the State Music School and professor at the State Conservatory.

Ivan Vulpe in stage clothes, 1924CSA, f. 419, inv. 1, a.u. 21

Elsa Karitch – an opera singer of Hungarian origin, lived in Plovdiv, performed in Plovdiv, Sofia and abroad

(Berlin, Vienna, etc.) SA – Plovdiv, f. 1064K, inv. 1, a.u. 98

Program of a concert in Berlin on 14 October 1908, participating Elsa KaritchSA – Plovdiv, f. 1064K, inv. 1, a.u. 54

Songs by German composers dedicated to Elsa Karitch, 1925SA – Plovdiv, f. 1064K, inv. 1, a.u. 51

Opera singer Martha Jursfield – wife of the Plovdiv physician Chipev

SA – Plovdiv, f. 1666, inv. 1, a.u. 19

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Petar Raychev (1887–1960) is the most famous Bulgarian opera singer (tenor) from the first decades of the twentieth century. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the class of the Italian Professor Umberto Masetti, later specialized with the famous tenor and peda-gogue Fernando De Lucia in Naples (Italy). He captivated the world opera scenes, performed in the most renowned theatres and concert halls throughout Europe, Asia and America.

Petar Raychev as Goro from Puccini‘s opera ‘Madama Butterfly’

CSA, f. 880K, inv. 1, a.u. 104

Petar Raychev together with his colleagues in front of a poster of ‘Carmen’ opera with the participation of Bulgarian tenors in Berlin CSA, f. 880K, inv. 1, a.u. 105

hristina Morfova (1889–1936) is a Bulgarian opera singer (soprano). She studied in Prague at the private academy of Maria Pivoda, where she met the Czech pianist Lyudmila Prokopova. In 1910 they toured to-gether all over Bulgaria and after that Hristina Morfova continued her education in Paris with Jacques Isnardon. From 1917 to 1931 she was a permanent member of the Prague Opera and had concerts in Moscow, Paris, Milan, London, Prague, Brno, Stuttgart, Cologne, Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Bratislava, etc. She performed both opera arias and popular Bulgar-ian folk songs, which she ardently popularised in the country and abroad. She also worked as a vocal pedagogue and director.

D. V. Radev, A. Stoyanov, P. Dimitrov, Sava Ognianov, Hristina Morfova and Lyudmila Prokopova on a tour in Germany

CSA, f. 503K, inv. 1, a.u. 383

Hristina Morfova as Princess Libuše from Smetana’ opera, 1917

CSA, f. 488K, inv. 1, a.u. 165

Hristina Morfova and Lyudmila Prokopova

CSA, f. 488K, inv. 1, a.u. 156

115

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cini‘s opera on the stage of Vienna State Opera

SA – Targovishte, PA 344

Lyuba Velichkova, Feodor Chaliapin and the chorus of the National OperaCSA, f. 1697K, inv. 1, a.u. 17

Lyuba Velichkova (Lyuba Velich) (1913–1996) is a Bulgarian opera sing-er (soprano) and actress. She graduat-ed from the Music Academy in Vienna and debuted on the Sofia stage. Since 1937 she worked in the Graz Opera and since 1940 in the Vienna Opera. After 1944, she settled permanently in Vienna, had roles in films and televi-sion series.

Elena Doskova-Riccardi as Cho-Cho-san in Puccini‘s opera

‘Madama Butterfly’, c. 1928SA – Gabrovo, f. 801K, inv. 1, a.u. 23

A contract between Elena Doskova and La Scala in Milan for her partici-pation in opera performances. Milan,

February – March 1929SA – Gabrovo, f. 801K, inv. 1, a.u. 17

Elena Doskova-Ricciardi (1898–1987) is a Bulgarian opera singer and music pedagogue. She received state scholarship to study at Alfre-do Martini’s school in Rome, and graduated from Giuseppe Fattua’s school in Milan. She sang in the theatres of Civitavecchia, Bari and Naples (Italy) (1920–1928). On 10 December 1928, she signed a con-tract with the world-famous Teatro alla Scala, where she triumphed as Liu from Puccini’s ‘Turandot’.

Penka Toromanova-Radeva (1892–1961) is a Bulgarian opera singer (so-prano) and vocal pedagogue. She at-tended the Conservatory in Geneva (1909–1913) in the opera singing class of Leopold Ketten and S. Ryosgen-Leodetti and in De Flany piano class. She returned in Bulgaria and joined the Bulgarian Opera Amity. In 1915–1915 she went again on a specializa-tion in Geneva. After returning, she joined the company of the Sofia Na-tional Opera, performing in concerts in the country and abroad. Lecturer at the State Music School and the Berlin Higher Music School (1929–1930).

Penka Toromanova-Radeva as Charlotte in

Jules Massenet’s opera ‘Werther’CSA, f. 616K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

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Konstantsa Kirova (1896–1991) is a Bulgarian opera singer (mezzo-sop-rano). She graduated from the French College in Sofia, studied singing with Ivan Vulpe. From 1921 she performed at the National Opera in Sofia, and in 1931–1932 in the Lille Opera in France.

Konstantsa KirovaCSA, f. 46К, inv.1, а.u. 18

Neli Karova as Antonida in Glinka’s opera ‘Ivan Susanin’SA – Kyustendil, PA 823

Neli Karova (1911–2003) is a Bulgari­an opera singer (soprano) and vocal pedagogue. She graduated from the State Music Academy in Sofia. She debuted in 1936 on the stage of the Sofia Opera. In 1939 she specialized in the Grand Opera in Paris. In 1942, she was on the stage of the Zagreb Opera, and after 1944 she performed in other Euro pean countries.

Elisaveta Jovovic, 1928CSA, f. 419, inv. 1, a.u. 25

Elisaveta yovovich (1901–1996) is a Bulgarian opera singer (soprano). She graduated from the Music School in Sofia, and in 1927 she graduated from the master class of P. di Pietro in the Roman Conservatoire ‘Santa Cecilia’. She also specialized in Paris, and in the period 1937–1942 she performed in opera theatres in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

Programs of theatres in Paris and Lille, participating Konstantsa Kirova, 1930–1931CSA, f. 1146K, inv. 1, a.u. 16

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Poster of a concert of Philippine von Edelsberg in the hall of ‘Slavyanska Beseda’ Society in Sofia. Philippine von Edelsberg, 21 December 1882SA – Sofia, f. 1001K, inv. 2, a.u. 74

Letter from the Head of the Frankfurt Opera to the Mayor of Sofia Eng. Ivan Ivanov regarding a charity perfor-mance in Sofia in favour of the poor citizens of the city. Frankfurt, 13 November 1938SA – Sofia, f. 1K, inv. 2, a.u. 872

Dinner for the artists from the Theatre of San Carlo opera house in Naples, given by the Minister of Education Boris Yotsov, 1942CSA, f. 846K, inv. 1, a.u. 85

Vladimir Vasilev together with stars of the Frankfurt Opera on a trip to Dragalevtsi, 1938 CSA, f. 373K, inv. 1, a.u. 691

Vienna Opera visiting KazanlakSA – Pernik, PA 573

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Feo Mustakova in a dressing room in Paris, the 1930sCSA, f. 980K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

Feo Mustakova dancing, the 1930sCSA, f. 980K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

Teodora (Feo) Mustakova-Genadieva (1909–2011) is a famous ballerina and choreographer, one of the legends of Bulgarian ballet. She studied in Paris with the Russian ballerina Olga Preobrajenska. She participated in the German group ‘Spark Ballet’, performed in the famous Folies Bergère and Le Lido in Paris, as well as some of the most famous stages in Europe and South America. On the stage she met the comedian Fernandel and the ballerina Josephine Baker. After her return in Bulgaria she was a ballet pedagogue and choreographer.

Dora Popova together with artists in Barcelona, Spain, 1929SA – Burgas, f. 798K, inv. 1, a.u. 19

Dora Popova together with her hus-band Condrat Vishnyakov in Burgas Sea Garden, 1934SA – Burgas, f. 798K, inv. 1, a.u. 22

Dora Popova (1902–1976) is one of the most famous Bulgarian actresses in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. She began her career in 1920 in the Varna Theatre Company. In 1927, she went to Paris, where she graduated a dance course and became a dancer of orien-tal dances in the famous Cabaret Folies Bergère. She performed in Spain, Switzerland, Australia, Morocco and other countries.

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Sava Ognyanov as Napoleon I from ‘Madame Sans-Gêne’ by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau, 1908SA – Ruse, f. 641K, inv. 1, a.u. 62

Sava Ognyanov (1876–1933) is a fa-mous actor and director, a prominent figure from the Bulgarian theatre. In 1896 he went to study architecture in Munich, Germany, but soon moved to the dramatic school of Otto Koenig. He graduated from the Dramatic Art School of Emmanuel Reicher. His de-but on the Sofia scene was in 1902 in ‘Salza i Smyah’ (‘Tear and Laughter’) Theatre, and later he became a mem-ber of the National Theatre’s company in Sofia. Sava Ognyanov performed in many countries around the world.

Josef Šmaha performing CSA, f. 86K, inv. 1, a.u. 37

The National Theatre’s troupe with Josef Šmaha and Peyo Yavorov,

1909–1910CSA, f. 10K, inv. 3, a.u. 681

Josef Šmaha (1848–1915) is a Czech actor, director and theatrical peda-gogue. He was appointed by the Min-istry of National Education as artistic director of the National Theatre in Sofia. During the period of his man-agement (1906–1909), more than 30 performances took place.

A photo collage of Josef ŠmahaCSA, f. 86K, inv. 1, a.u. 37

Sava Ognyanov as Wurm from ‘Intrigue and Love’ by Friedrich

SchillerCSA, f. 138K, inv. 1, a.u. 27

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The National Theatre’s troupe in Bitola, 1908CSA, f. 86K, inv. 1, a.u. 40

Welcoming of the National Theatre’s troupe at Berlin Station, 26 June 1941 CSA, f. 589K, inv. 1, a.u. 243

Bulgarian theatre troupe at a festival in Nice, 1935

CSA, f. 980K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

Bulgarian artists who took part in the 24 May celebrations in Bucharest, 1930SA – Burgas, f. 868K, inv. 1, a.u. 55

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Artists from the National Theatre in Sofia together with the Polish director Leon Schiller, who directed the play ‘Dziady’ by Adam Mickiewicz, 1937CSA, f. 46K, inv. 1, a.u. 27

The actors from ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by Shakespeare, directed by the Croatian Dr. Branko Gavella, on the stage of the National Theatre, 1938–1939CSA, f. 51K, inv. 1, a.u. 185

Evelyn Holt – popular German actress of Jewish origin, years active

1926–1932.CSA, f. 51K, inv. 1, a.u. 199

Representatives of Tobis Film Studios visiting Berlin, 1941

CSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1289

Letter from ‘Tobis’ Bulgarian Film Company in Sofia to the cinema owners and directors regarding the distribution of the European film production in Bulgaria. Sofia, 1 September 1941 SA – Smolyan, f. 79K, inv. 1, a.u. 20

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The Plovdiv Singer’s Society was founded on 4 March 1896 and is one of the first music societies in the coun-try. Its main goals are to develop and popularise Bulgarian and Slav singing and music. The chairman of the first Board of Trustees was the Slovenian Anton Bezenshek. His important con-tribution was the establishment of creative contacts with similar singing organisations abroad.

Consecrating the Plovdiv Singers Society’s flag, made in the Flag Factory in Bonn, Germany, 1897SA – Plovdiv, f. 1193K, inv. 1, a.u. 29

Plovdiv Singers Society in front of the palace in Belgrade quarter of Dedine,

1934SA – Plovdiv, f. 1666, inv. 1, a.u. 29

Stella Kuteva-Zdravkova (1887–1958) graduated from the Royal Conserva-tory of Music and Theater in Dresden, where she specialized piano. She was the Chairman of the Bulgarian-Ger-man Cultural Society in Plovdiv. She taught piano at the first music school in the city, which opened in 1921. She was actively involved in charitable and cultural events in the city.

Project of Honorary Diploma by Haralampi Tachev for members

of Plovdiv Singers Society CSA, f. 2005K, inv. 2, a.u. 72

Stela Kuteva-ZdravkovaSA – Plovdiv, f. 1066К, inv. 1, a.u. 98

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First Prize Honorary Diploma, Gold Medal and Cup for ‘Balgarska kitka’ dance group at the Olympic Festival in Berlin, 31 July 1936SA – Pernik, f. 993, inv. 1, a.u. 11

Performance of ‘Balgarska kitka’ dance group and their soloists Boris

Tsonev and Adriana Andreeva on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, 1937

SA – Pernik, f. 993, inv. 1, a.u. 11

‘Balgarska kitka’ dance group in Munich, Germany, 1937 SA – Pernik, f. 993, inv. 1, a.u. 55

The first Bulgarian dance group ‘Balgarska Kitka’ was created by the choreographer Boris Tsonev. The ensemble triumphed in European scenes, competitions and festivals in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Serbia and other countries. It won the first prize at the International Congress of Folk Dances in Hungary (1928), the 1936 Dances Competition in Vienna, Lon-don (1935), the Gold Medal at the ac-companying cultural programme at the Berlin Olympics (1936). The group participated in the films ‘Most faithful guard’ (1928) and ‘The Song of the Bal-kan’ (1932–1933).

‘Sredets’ musical ensemble during the filming of the first Bulgarian colour film (musical) ‘Bulgarian­Hungarian Rhapsody’, 1944SA – Pernik, f. 993, inv. 1, a.u. 11

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Professor Ivan Mrkvička with col-leagues from the School of Painting, including Alphonse Mucha, in front of ‘Bulgaria’ Grand Hotel in Sofia, 1940CSA, f. 1510, inv. 1, a.u. 1337

Ivan Markvichka (Jan Vaclav Mark-vichka) (1856–1938) is an artist of Czech origin, one of the founders of the modern Bulgarian fine art. He studied at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts and at the Munich Academy of Arts. In 1881 he came to Bulgaria as a teacher in Plovdiv. From 1889 he settled in Sofia and was appointed a director and arts teacher at the new-ly established Art School in 1896. In 1892 he participated in the exhibition arranged in the Main Pavilion of the First Bulgarian Agricultural and In-dustrial Exhibition in Plovdiv.

Joseph Oberbauer (1853–1926) is an Austrian engineer and artist who spent most of his life in Bulgaria. He studied engineering and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He arrived in Sofia in 1889, where he worked as a technician in the cadastral office of the Sofia Municipal-ity and participated in the elaboration of the first urban plan of the capital. He created a significant collection of works reflecting the life and appear-ance of old Sofia, the architecture of churches, monasteries, inns, streets, market streets, archaeological sites, etc. He drew watercolours with views from the Rila Monastery, Nessebar, Kyustendil, Mazarachevo, Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa and their surroundings.

Ivan Mrkvička. ‘Zadushnitsa’ (All Souls’ Day) CSA, f. 150K, inv. 3, a.u. 7

Joseph Oberbauer. The old ‘Chifte Banya’ in KyustendilSA – Kyustendil, f. 308K, inv. 1, a.u. 26

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Honorary Diploma for awarding Jaroslav Věšín with a medal for his participation in the 10th Internation-al Art Exhibition in Munich in 1909

with ‘The Manoeuvres at Shipka 1902’ painting

CSA, f. 878K, inv. 1, a.u. 20Honorary Diploma for awarding Jaroslav Věšín with the Order of St Alexander, Sofia, 5 April 1902

CSA, f. 878K, inv. 1, a.u. 9

The students of Professor Jaroslav Věšín in the School of Painting in Sofia, 1900CSA, f. 878K, inv. 1, a.u. 412

Jaroslav Věšin (1860–1915) is a Czech painter, one of the creators of Bulgarian art in the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. He studied at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He arrived in Bulgaria in 1897 and until 1904 he taught at the State Art School. During this period he worked mainly in the field of genre painting and the main theme in his work is the life and labour of Bul-garian peasants. In 1904 he worked as an artist at the Ministry of War, during the Balkan War (1912–1913), when he was a military artist at the headquarters. He became famous for his military art masterpieces.

Honorary Diploma for awarding Jaroslav Věšín with the Order of

Franz Joseph I. Vienna, 6 July 1907CSA, f. 878K, inv. 1, a.u. 15

Jaroslav Věšín. Bivouac CSA, f. 878K, inv. 1, a.u. 358

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Professor Josef Pitter together with his students in the School of Painting in Sofia, 1914 SA – Blagoevgrad, f. 369K, inv. 2, a.u. 16

Josef Pitter (1881–1925) is a Czech graphic artist. He was invited and arrived in Bulgaria in 1909 to teach graphic techniques at the newly es-tablished State Art School in Sofia. Author of etchings and lithographs depicting folk stories and views from Sofia and its surroundings. In 1913 he published an album with colour lithographs ‘Views from the Capital of Sofia’.

Bas-relief of Prince Boris of Tarnovo, made

by Boris Schatz on the occasion of the Prince’s

baptism in Orthodox Faith in 1896

CSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 248

Boris Schatz (1867–1932) is a Lithuanian sculptor of Jewish origin, one of the founders of contemporary Bulgarian sculp-ture. He studied at the Kaunas branch of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, in Warsaw and in Paris. In 1895 he settled in Bulgaria and taught moulding at the Art School. In 1900 he participated with his sculpture ‘Gaidar’ (‘Piper’) at the Paris World Exhibition and was awarded silver medal. He created busts of Ivan Vazov, Todor Kirkov, Karl Marx, Louis Pasteur and series of bas­reliefs. He also worked in applied art, design-ing medallions, chandeliers and decorative items in Bulgarian style. In 1905, he went to Jerusalem, where he founded the ‘Be-zalel’ Art School.

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Ratification Deed from the Polish President Ignacy Mościcki of the Cul-tural Cooperation Convention be-tween Bulgaria and Poland, signed in Warsaw on 8 April 1935. Warsaw, 26 June 1935CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 85

Bulgarian cultural delegation on a visit to Belgrade, 1934CSA, f. 373K, inv. 1, a.u. 691

Letter from the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Alexandar

Malinov to the Chief of the Secret Office of the Tsar and Chancellor

of the Bulgarian Orders Strashimir Dobrovich for the awarding of Bulgarian Order to the Swedish writer and translator Dr Alfred

Jensen, the chief rabbi of Stockholm Dr Mordecai Ehrenpreis and the

publisher Zaharias for popularizing Bulgarian culture. Sofia, July 1918

CSA, 176K, inv. 3, a.u. 796

Writer and journalist Lachezar Stanchev – an Assistant of Professor Léon Beaulieux at the Paris School for Eastern Languages in Paris, 1938SA – Montana, f. 1288, inv. 1, a.u. 19

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Bulgarian cultural delegation on a visit to Greece, 1940

CSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1283

The Exhibition Hall of the Bulgarian Pavilion at the XIII International Art Exhibition in Venice, 1930sCSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 465

The Exhibition Hall of the Bulgarian Pavilion at the XIII International Art Exhibition in Venice, the 1930sCSA, f. 3K, inv. 15, a.u. 465

Ratification Deed from the Italian Emperor Victor Emmanuel III of

the Cultural Cooperation Conven-tion between Bulgaria and Poland,

signed in Sofia on 5 June 1939. Rome, 3 October 1940

CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 71

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opeInvitations to Stoyan Vasilev‘s

exhibitions in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, 1940–1941SA – Pazardzhik, f. 965, inv. 1, a.u. 46, a.u. 58

Cultural Cooperation Agreement be-tween Bulgaria and Hungary signed in Sofia on 18 February 1941. CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 158Cultural Cooperation Agreement between Bulgaria and Croatia, signed in Sofia

on 8 December 1941 CSA, f. 284K, inv. 2, a.u. 181

Prof. Vasil Zahariev together with professors from the State Academy of Art in Nuremberg, 1941CSA, f. 1510K, inv. 1, a.u. 1287

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In the end of the nineteenth cen-tury Bulgarians who graduated from Western European schools, became the proponents of the idea of introducing physical education in schools and in public life. At the invitation of the Minister of Na-tional Education Georgi Zhivkov, ten Swiss gymnastics teachers ar-rived in Bulgaria, setting the foun-dations for sports education in the country. During the school year 1894/1895 they were appointed in different schools: Daniel Blanchoud – in Kyustendil, Alois Bunter – Tarnovo, Jacques Fardel – Kazanlak, Charles Champaud – Sofia, Louis­Emil Eyer – Lom, August Veker – Plov div, Georges de Regibus – Var-na, Victor Roberti – Silistra, Emile Kupfer – Gabrovo and Charles Duvanel – Ruse).

The Swiss gymnastics teachers, 1894 SA – Ruse, f. 636K, inv. 1, a.u. 19

Louis Eyer as a volunteer in the Balkan War, 1914

SA – Ruse, f. 636K, inv. 1, a.u. 25

Most popular among the Swiss teach-ers was Louis-Emil Eyer (1865–1916). He taught sports education in Lom, Silistra and Ruse. He was actively involved in the work of the ‘Yunak’ (‘Hero’) union and was the chief coach of the ‘Yunak’ societies in the country. He introduced athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, and boxing and brought to Bulgaria the first boxing gloves. He participated as a volunteer in the Balkan Wars and initiated the creation of the ‘Yunak’ legion. After the wars, he published in French the book ‘Pro Bulgaria’, in which he defended the Bulgarian viewpoint and donated all profits to the veterans’ of the wars. He fought during the First World War and died at the defence of Doiran in 1916.

Daniel BlanchoudSA – Kyustendil, PA 286

The Swiss gymnastics teachers, 1894 SA – Silistra, PA 423

ІХ. CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS

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The Bulgarian gymnastics society ‘yunak’ (Sokol Society) was founded at the end of the nineteenth century following the example of the Swiss gymnastic societies. The first society was organised in 1895 in Sofia and headed by the Swiss Charles Cham-paud. By the end of the century more than 20 societies were established in Plovdiv, Kyustendil, Kazanlak, Gab-rovo, Varna, Lom, Plovdiv, Ruse and other places. Their members were students and intellectuals, clerks, craftsmen and peasants. In 1898 was convened a congress and the soci-eties were united in a Union. The uniforms of the rebels led by ‘Hristo Botev’ were adopted as parade uni-forms. The Union moto was ‘Healthy and Strong – together for the Father-land’. The union was developed as a public non-partisan organisation that dealt with the patriotic educa-tion of young people, similar to the Scout organizations in England, fal-conry in the Czech Republic and the Turnverein in Germany. Adolescent and ladies’ companies were created. Public games, lectures, meetings, dinners, outings were organized. Since the founding of the Union until 1939 were held nine general councils, including foreign sports delegations, and on the 8th Yunak gathering in Sofia participated 6000 Yugoslav, 310 Czech, 400 Russian and Polish ‘falcons’. Bulgarian ‘Yunak’ Delegation in Lucerne, Switzerland

SA – Ruse, f. 636K, inv. 1, a.u. 26

Members of ‘Yunak of Osogovo’ – Kyustendil on a trip to Italy, 1935SA – Kyustendil, f. 300K, inv. 1, a.u. 16

Athletes from 6th ‘Yunak’ Region in Sofia, 1925–1926CSA, f. 135K, inv. 3, a.u. 348

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yunak Gatherings

Poster of the 6th Regional Assembly of ‘Yunak’ in Sofia in 1932 with the participation of the Italian Gymnas-tics Federation and other guests from abroad SA – Vratsa, f. 103K, inv. 2, a.u. 16

Letter from the Chairman of ‘Yunak’ Union Stefan Vatev, part of a photo album dedicated to the 7th Assembly of ‘Yunak’, given as a present to Tsar Boris III, 1930 CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 339

Welcoming of the Czechoslovak Falcons at Sofia StationCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 339

Participants in the Swiss Assembly including Aloise Bunter and Jacques Fardell – Swiss teachers in BulgariaCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 339

Laying of wreaths and bestowing the winners with diplomas CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 339

Young people from the ‘Black Sea’ Yunak organisation – Varna at the Assembly in Sofia in 1931SA – Varna, PA 722

Tsar Boris III and Dr. Urban, member of the Czechoslovak official delegationCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 339

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The Athens 1896 Summer Olympic Games

Bulgaria is one of the 14 countries, which participated in the First Sum-mer Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The Bulgarian delegation was led by Todor Yonchev and included four other athletes from the gymnas-tics union ‘Yunak’. Charles Cham-paud was the only one to compete. He participated in three individual gymnastic disciplines. On the pom-mel horse configuration he was ranked in the prestigious fifth place and won the first two points for the country.

International Olympic CommitteeCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 422

Hungarian athletic team CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 422

Greek and French fencers CSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 422Schuhmann – pommel horse winnerCSA, f. 3K, inv. 7, a.u. 422

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Departure of the national cycling team to the Olympics in Paris, 1924

SA – Ruse, f. 778, inv. 3, a.u. 127

Honorary Diploma of Bozhidar Maxi-mov, issued by the Bulgarian National Sports Federation for his participation in the ‘Olympic relay races 1500 m’ Athletic competition, 1937SA – Varna, f. 783K, inv. 1, a.u. 2

Letter from the Bulgarian Olympic Committee to the Bulgarian Gymnas-tics Societies Union ‘Yunak’ and Pro-gram of the Balkan Games in Sofia, 1931CSA, f. 262K, inv. 1, a.u. 82; f. 176K, inv. 11, a.u. 289

Poster of the Balkan Games in Sofia, 1931 SA – Vratsa, f. 103K, inv. 2, a.u. 16

The national football team upon their return from the Balkan Games in Bu-charest, 1937SA – Dobrich, f. 1201, inv. 1, a.u. 18

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Competition with the participation of the national athletics team SA – Varna, f. 845K, inv. 1, a.u. 35

Captain Mihail Minchev during a training for the Olympics

in Amsterdam, 1928SA – Plovdiv, f. 1178K, inv. 1, a.u. 16

‘Ticha’ Football club – Varna before meeting an English football team, 1922SA – Varna, f. 845K, inv. 1, a.u. 44

Cyclist Anton Dzhambazov travelled the distance between Sofia and Paris

in 17 days, 25 August 1901SA – Haskovo, f. 714K, inv. 1, a.u. 76

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Dan Kolov (Doncho Kolev Denev) (1892–1940) is a legendary Bulgarian professional wrestler, considered to be the greatest fighter of all time. He succeeded in defeating many of the well-known professional wrestlers at the time – Jeff Lawrence, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Jack Shirey, Rudy Dusek, Jo Stecker, Ed ‘Strangler’ Lewis, Jim Browning and many others. He was invited to a tournament in Japan, where he defeated the idol of the Japanese wrestling Djiki Hegen ‘The Strangler’. At the big wrestling tour-nament in Paris he defeated the then European, World and Olympic cham-pion, Henri Deglane and won the title ‘European Champion’ and the prestigious ‘Diamond Belt’. This was followed by numerous successful matches around the world – in New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Asia. In his memory the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation organises an international free-wrestling tournament.

Bulgarian athletes and public figures, including Dan KolovCSA, f. 135K, inv. 3, a.u. 294

Tennis match between Bulgaria and Romania (Boris Yordanov vs. Karalius) in Ruse, on the first clay

courts in Bulgaria, 22 July 1934SA – Ruse, f. 778, inv. 3, a.u. 127

Permission granted to Dan Kolov from the French Professional Wrestling Federation, 1933 SA – Gabrovo, memory 297B