Vidin, a town of venerable history

The town of Vidin lies in northeastern Bulgaria, by the Danube River. Located next to strategic European routes, the town played an important role throughout history. The oldest remains on the territory of Vidin date back to ancient Rome and the early 2nd century AD. One of the town's popular landmarks is Bononia Fortress, erected by Roman authorities. Its massive walls enclosed an area of 20 hectares. Ms. Fionera Filipova, head of the History Museum in Vidin, tells us more about the fortification.

“Unfortunately, the fortress is located in what’s today the most densely populated neighbourhood in Vidin, Kaleto, so it’s hard to run systematic archeological research. Still, we’ve discovered individual sectors from the fortress and 8 towers that are 20 meters in diameter. We are planning now to continue the research in the most western part of the ancient Bononia. A most precious artifact we found is the bronze head of a young man, believed to be a depiction of Emperor Trajan”, Ms. Filipova comments.

During the Roman Period, Bononia was one of the strongest fortresses in the area. Archeological research has shown the town was not fatally affected by the Avar raids in the second half of the 6th century. It is believed that its convenient location next to a river and high fortification had attracted the Slavs, and so by the 7th century, a solid Slavic settlement had already emerged there. Archeologists reckon it was within the borders of Bulgaria which was established by khan Asparukh in 681 AD.

Kaleto Fortress

“At the time, the western borders of Bulgaria were disputable, but Vidin was for sure part of the country”, continues Ms. Filipova. “In the period of the First Bulgarian Empire (618-1018), Vidin was the centre of one of its 10 districts and after the 9th century, it had an Episcopal church. “

According to the chronicles of Greek historian John Skylitzes, present-day Vidin was enormous. When Byzantine emperor Basil II came to conquer the town in 1002, he was impressed with its huge fortification. His siege is believed to have lasted 8 months. Some 16 years later, Bulgaria fell under Byzantine rule, up until 1185, when the uprising of nobles Assen and Petar led to the country's liberation. During the late 13th century and early 14th century, Vidin was ruled by Michael Shishman, founder of the last ruling dynasty of the Second Bulgarian Empire before Bulgaria’s fall under Ottoman rule. Then Veliko Tarnovo was led by Ivan Shishman, and Vidin was under the rule of Ivan Sratsimir. Vidin was captured by the Ottomans in 1397. In the early 15th century, Konstantin and Frujin, the sons of Ivan Shishman and Ivan Sratsimir, organised an uprising in the district of Vidin, but the Ottomans crushed it in a couple of years.

The cross-like military barracks

“The new conquerors saw the strategic location of Vidin”, Fionera Filipova continues. “In the 17th century, the town was on the borders of the Ottoman Empire. At the time, a huge Turkish fortress, named Kaleto, was being built to guard the empire from northwest invasions. From an agriculture hub and port, Vidin became a military centre. One of its most interesting periods was during the time of Osman Pazvantoglu, who broke away from the Turkish power and ruled Vidin between 1793 and 1807”.

Pazvantoglu grew up in a wealthy family of janissaries. Janissaries were chosen as children among the Christian population in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula at large to become the elite fighting force of the Ottoman Empire. A portion of these selected children, as they were considered to be more talented, received a higher standard of education to become members of the Ottoman ruling class.
A complex and controversial figure, Pazvantoglu governed the town independently for 14 years. He was known for his innovative ideas and religious tolerance, patronizing Muslims and Christians alike. Two remarkable monuments were left from his rule: a mosque and a library, whose domes ended not in a crescent, but in a stylized lance, a symbol of Pazvantoglu's infantry unit.

The Osman Pazvantooglu library

After Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, Vidin did not establish itself as a big industrial centre, although it was growing pretty fast. In 1891, the first theatre in Bulgaria opened doors in the town. Five years later, Vidin would invite opera singers from Europe. Back to Fionera Filipova with more on the town's monuments.

“Vidin has historical monuments, unique in Bulgaria. One is the medieval fortress Baba Vida, on the Danube bank, which is the town’s symbol. An average of 50000 tourists visits it every year. One fifth is foreigners. The emblems of our town are the mosque and library of Osman Pazvantoglu. We also boast a wonderful work of art by the old railway station. This is the Monument of the Mourning Solider, which is associated with the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. The soldier is sitting and reflecting sadly on the fratricide in the war. An English journalist, who visited Vidin in the 1930s, wrote that enlightened Europe had not yet seen such a monument. In my view, this is one of the symbols of Vidin”.

The "Konak" Museum

Some of the town’s most interesting heritage sites are the churches of St. Petka and St. Pantaleymon, dating back to the 17th century, the synagogue, the art gallery, etc. Vidin is also the birthplace of great painters Jules Pascin and Nikola Petrov, renowned opera singer Stefan Elenkov and well-known Bulgarian linguist Stefan Mladenov.

English version: Vyara Popova

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Vidin, a town of venerable history

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