We began our walk from what is considered to be the street with the most beautiful view in Plovdiv – “Veliko Tarnovo” Street, where two houses that are associated with Lucien Chevallaz are located. Known as the "Minister of Flowers", Chevallaz was the creator of the Tsar Simeon’s Garden. Prince Bogoridi invited him to help design a small park near the governor-general’s palace. Chevallaz was truly tempted by the opportunity to personally oversee the construction. Most of all, he was drawn to the idea of shaping the future direction of Plovdiv's parks by connecting the City Garden (Dondukov Garden) near the current Natural History Museum to the Maritsa River. This is how the Royal Garden was created, which today has been completely destroyed.
Although his initial intention was to stay for about 20 days, the Swiss eventually settled in Plovdiv and became actively involved in afforestation of the Bunardzhika and Sahat Hills, the creation of Tsar Simeon’s Garden, and the Pepiniera nursery (located where the current Central Railway Station stands). Since 1901, he has been an honorary citizen of Plovdiv where he eventually died.
He owned several properties, all very close to the garden, built in different periods. Two of them, almost next to each other, were designed by Italian architects.
The smaller one was by Pietro Montani, known for his work on the plan for the First Boys’ High School (today the High School of Humanities), and the other was by an architect named V. Tavani, associated with the blueprint for the bell tower of the Catholic Church in Plovdiv.
As we continue down the street toward the park, we find another example of the eclectic architecture of “Veliko Tarnovo” Street — two neighboring properties in totally different styles.
The architect of the first building was Stefan Dzhakov, owner of the famous House with the Little Tower above the Ancient Theater. This house was built between 1925–1926, and it is characterized by its typically tall, narrow windows and richly decorated facade.
Next to it is the home of the Syarov family, who owned a perfume factory in Sofia and produced industrial soaps in Plovdiv. Their activities earned them a gold medal at the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition. Their house was designed by Boyan Chinkov and built around 1933–1934 in a more modernist and minimalist style.
We continue on to the Lichev family house and the famous gazebo which Ivan Vazov loved. Nearby, in another well-preserved building, lived the artist Encho Pironkov for some time.
On the same side of the street is the Doctor’s House, built in 1924. After nationalization, it served as the House of the Soviet Army, a surgical wing for the First City Hospital, the building of the Tobacco Workers’ Union, and more… It was originally municipal property given as a donation with the condition that it should be used for medical purposes. Today, it is used by the Regional Medical Association of the Bulgarian Medical Union and the dental association.
We cross the garden to reach the area near the Turkish Consulate, designed by Plovdiv architect Petar Belev. He won the design contest, and the building was completed in the 1980s. The clients were very satisfied with the result, including with how the interior turned out, which was also his work.
We stop in front of a house with a modest facade, built during the Balkan War. It is noteworthy as possibly the only project by architect Kiro Marichkov in Plovdiv. Its owner was Father Stefan Kodzheykov, a teacher at the High School of Humanities and priest to the legendary 9th Infantry Regiment of H.R.H. Clementina.
Records show the site was purchased in 1910, the project was approved in 1912; construction began the same year and it was completed in 1913. The interwar period may have led to the loss of its original ornate appearance. And that's exactly what makes it beautiful, as Theo puts it: "...though it doesn't catch the eye immediately — it has a unique (if not entirely one-of-a-kind) fate and specific cultural layers".
We also examine two seemingly different buildings, which, upon closer inspection, are actually identical in their original designs, although one has been visibly built up and altered over time.
Our tour ends in front of the Children's Department of the “Ivan Vazov” National Library. The building was a donation from the Metropolis, and records suggest they likely received it as a donation from two heiress-less sisters.
The architecture is also modern, with typical stylistic features such as a bay window balcony and the repetition of exterior elements in the interior.
Adi from Free Plovdiv Tour and Teo from the Bulgarian Architectural Modernism Foundation once again amazed us with fascinating stories, while their guest lecturer Nevena Petkova shared intriguing facts about the park — more of which will be featured in our next article.
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