Plovdiv… a city full of metaphorical jewels. They are not flashy stones or gilded patina but a natural and architectural values. The ones you can’t find in stores. They are free to breath the city space and we can touch them – archeological monuments, houses with centuries of history and more important objects for the
development of the cultural center.
The bright spiritual symbols of Plovdiv are plenty and the truth is that it is very difficult to define which of them stands on the top.
Pavilion “Ivan Vazov”! The amazing wooden construction is located in the back yard of a private property at “Veliko Turnovo”st., which is considered to be one of the most beautiful city streets. The houses are imbued with countless stories and its former inhabitants are those locals or aliens who have changed the face of the city and helped its prosperity.
The history behind the bower is clear and yet uncertain. It is situated in the house of former exporter of fresh fruits – Licho Lichev, build in 1913. Most certainly the bower was built because it was near the “Tsar-Simeon’s garden”, where there was an exhibition, harboring similar pavilions. The national poet Ivan Vazov visited Plovdiv on November 22, 1920. The citizens welcomed him at the railway station. He stayed in the house of Lichev, falls in the pavilion and spends long hours in it. This is how it is named by him. There were tables and chairs in the pavilion. In front there was a charming garden with a fountain and flower beds.
Besides Grandpa Vazov, the pavilion accepted under its dome the elite of spiritual and industrial life of the city. If it could speak, it can tell so many amusing and inspirational stories. Unfortunately, as we said, the pavilion is in a private property and the access is limited. Never the less, its influence is still palpable, though a bit forgotten.
