Bulgarian Royal Residences

[popov_2000]

Do you mean the Rila monastery?

No. In Rila Mountain there are a couple of royal palaces. Tsarska Bistritsa is the biggest. The wedding of Princess Kalina was in 2002 at Tsarska Bistritsa There are also a few small once. We are talking about them.

[dvoretzky]

I was in Sitnyakovo once, long time ago, when it was run by the Writers' Union. It was nothing exceptional, a one-storey wooden hut. I guess there were several deer heads above the doors... It was very cold inside. I didn't carry a camera, unfortunately.

[gleb]

In the book of Robert Massie about the european Royals there is a pic showing King Ferdinand and his mother in a place called Rila Monastery.

It seems strange they lived in the Monastery. Is it true or the caption was uncorrected?

Gleb

[popov_2000]

In the book of Robert Massie about the european Royals there is a pic showing King Ferdinand and his mother in a place called Rila Monastery.

It seems strange they lived in the Monastery. Is it true or the caption was uncorrected?

Gleb

Rila Monastery is a MONASTERY. This is a place where monks live. Its very old and very popular among the Bulgarian royal family. The Bulgarian royal family had an apartment there. From time to time they would stay in the monastery. Now they no longer have the apartment. Tsar Boris III is buried inside Rila Monastery. When Pope John Paul II visited Bulgaria in 2002 he also visited Rila Monastery. The Pope prayed on the grave of Tsar Boris III together with Simeon II. Later the Pope John Paul II met with the Bulgarian royal family in one of the rooms in the monastery.

[cimbrio]

I was twice in Rila monastery in the year 2002 (once before and the other after Pope JP 2 visited it) and it's absolutely breathtaking. It's surrounded by forested mountains, there is a quiet little sort of village right next to it where streams of cold clear water run, and the peace is overwhelming. I also lit a candle on Boris III's tomb each time I visited... no wonder the RF had appartments there, I'd love to retire to a place like that just for the sake of some peace and quiet

Go Bulgaria!

[popov_2000]

I got a picture of Saragiol. It is from Bulgarian newspaper from 24 October 2005. The picture is on my cimputer, but I do not know how to add it to this forum.

[palimpsest]

Movie director Francis Ford Coppola, right, and the actor Tim Roth walk at the old palace in the Black Sea town of Balchik [Missy's palace], some 490 kilometers (304 miles) northeast of Sofia, Bulgaria on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005. After an eight-year absence, Francis Ford Coppola returned to the director's chair to make his new film "Youth Without Youth" in Romania and Bulgaria. Starring Tim Roth, the film is adapted from a novella by Romanian philosopher-author Mircea Eliade. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov)

[VN]

Can anyone tell me the name of the architect who build/planed  the Palace in Sofia (now National Art Gallery)?



Greetings from DA

VN

[dvoretzky]

The Royal (originally Princely) palace in Sofia was designed by the Viennese architect Rumpelmayr (sp?) in 1879 on the basis of the old Ottoman Konak. In 1887 another Viennese architect, Gruenanger, designed an annex where the Royal famuly suites were allocated.

[VN]

So the first part was build 1879 by Rumpelmayr for Alexander and the annex was added 1887 for Ferdinands family by Grünanger/Gruenanger!? This is how I would understand it.

And the palace was build on the ground where the old Ottoman Konak stood? (What was the Ottoman Konak, another "royal" place?

Thanks for your help

Greetings from Darmstadt

VN

[dvoretzky]

Konak is a generic term for any residence of public official. In this case, it was the residence of the Ottoman governor of Sofia. I am not sure what kind of administrative unit Sofia was the centre of, but anyway it was a major town of 30 thousand inhabitants (a lot at that time). The Sofia Konak was also used as a court of law. The 1873 trial of Vassil Levsky, the Bulgarian national hero, was held there.

[popov_2000]

Konak is a generic term for any residence of public official. In this case, it was the residence of the Ottoman governor of Sofia. I am not sure what kind of administrative unit Sofia was the centre of, but anyway it was a major town of 30 thousand inhabitants (a lot at that time). The Sofia Konak was also used as a court of law. The 1873 trial of Vassil Levsky, the Bulgarian national hero, was held there.

Hello dvoretzky.

are you in Bulgaria? If you are do you know what Tsar Simeon II plans to do with his palaces? Is there something in the press?

Tony

[dvoretzky]

Yes, I am ib Sofia and don't intend to move. The only news about Simeon's property is that the ruling coaltion expressed its desire (probably after consulting the ex-monarch) to set up an ad hoc parliamentary committee to deal with the issue.
One more thing: Simeon let the National History Museum show for a preiod of 1 year two Marshall's batons owned by his Grandfather, King Ferdinand.

[popov_2000]

Yes, I am ib Sofia and don't intend to move. The only news about Simeon's property is that the ruling coaltion expressed its desire (probably after consulting the ex-monarch) to set up an ad hoc parliamentary committee to deal with the issue.
One more thing: Simeon let the National History Museum show for a preiod of 1 year two Marshall's batons owned by his Grandfather, King Ferdinand.

Thank you.

I know about the two Marshall's batons. I was hoping that Simeon II had donated them to the museum and that they should stay there from now on. Unfortunately he would want them back.

Tony

[dvoretzky]

I remember Simeon auctioned several of Ferdinand's orders and medals about a dozen years ago. There were critical remards in the Bulgarian press because those orders and medals were given not to him persoonally but to the King of Bulgaria.
Speaking of regalia, Ferdinand was very vain and had ordered an Emperor's crown before the unsuccessful all-out attack on Istanbul during the First Balkan War.