On 17 September, the Eastern Orthodox Church venerates St. Sophia the Martyr and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Charity. On the same date the Bulgarian capital of Sofia marks its holiday. Sofia was selected administrative centre of Bulgaria back in 1897. Its motto is the city that grows but does not age. The capital’s fate is intertwined with the ancient Thracians, the state of Philip and Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, Byzantium, Medieval Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the new Bulgarian state. In recent years the construction of a new metro line in the heart of the city has led to archeological excavations that have cast more light on the city’s past from the times of the Roman Empire to 19 century. After the excavated ancient streets and buildings are conserved and restored, they will be exhibited so that the citizens of Sofia strolling in the centre can absorb the capital’s ancient history.
In the same area Sofia nestles the orthodox church of St. Nedelya (Holy Sunday), the Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph, the historical Banya Bashi Mosque and the biggest synagogue in the Balkans. The President’s Building and and the Council of Ministers, which are emblematic of Bulgaria’s modern history, are also located in the area. If from there you head eastwards, along the aristocratic yellow-cobbled Tsar Liberator Boulevard, you will enjoy beautiful vintage buildings, such as the former king’s palace, (the present-day National Art Gallery), the National Assembly, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia University, a number of embassies, as well as the magnificent houses of some of Sofia’s richest citizens.
Keeping the same direction, waling under the shades of Sofia’s famous chestnut trees, you get to Eagles’ Bridge and the capital’s oldest park called Boris’ Garden. Today the boulevard has got a lot of traffic, but in the past it used to be the residents’ favourite walking area form meetings, flirts and showing off new clothes. If you wan to feel its one-time spirit you’d better take a walk there on a Saturday afternoon or on a late Sunday morning, when it is much calmer and quieter, and you can discover interesting things that you are likely to miss on a working day.
So for example, many years ago, a famous writers’ coffee shop existed between the Military Club and the graceful Russian Church on Tsar Liberator Boulevard. It received not only writers, but also painters, musicians, scientists, singers, etc. Many of the legends about Sofia’s bohemian life stem back from the place. The spirit of that unique spot was captured in a picture by Bulgarian artist Alexander Dobrinov who depicted 106 people from the capital’s elite of the 1930s.
In the immediate vicinity of Tsar Liberator Boulevard you can see even more emblematic edifices, such as the St. Sofia Church, the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, which is Bulgaria’s largest orthodox church, Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Academy of Art, the National Library, etc. In the streets around the Doctors’ Garden, which lies just behind the National Library, you can enjoy some of Sofia’s most interesting old-style houses.
In 1880, 2 years after the country’s liberation from Ottoman Rule, Sofia had some 20000 residents. According to the last census, the capital’s citizens number 1 300 000. In the years after the transition to democracy, the city experienced a true construction boom. Many shopping malls, office buildings and new residential buildings mushroomed in the capital, in some cases, at the expense of the city’s green areas. The upside of the new housing development is that it looks somewhat cosier and closer to Earth. The fascination with the many-storey blocks from Socialist times has disappeared. The most sought after buildings at the moment are those located near the current and future underground stations. Naturally, the residents hope that the extension of the underground system will relieve the traffic and spare time. Thus, the people living in the remote neighbourhoods will visit in less time the capital’s culture attractions. In the same vein, the residents living downtown will get faster to the mountain paths of Mount Vitosha and Mount Lyulin.
English version: Vyara Popova
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