Citizens Asked the EU Commissioner for Culture to Protect Heritage Buildings - Monuments in Bulgaria

The European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracić, should pay attention to and intervene on the issues surrounding the "alarming state of buildings - cultural monuments in Bulgaria". This is what is insisted in an open letter to the commissioner by the Civil Initiative for the Protection of the Cultural and Historical Heritage.

"Help to preserve this so important for the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria and Europe and to preserve it for future generations, help to start complying with and enforcing the provisions of the law as in any other European country," they call on the organization in the document sent to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the Minister of Culture Boil Banov, the Sofia Municipality and the media.

The reason for this letter is the immediate threat of the "sure and inevitable destruction of two architectural jewels in the central part of the Bulgarian capital", both designed by the famous Bulgarian architect Nikola Lazarov.

The first building - meters from the National Theater in Sofia, 3, Kuzman Shapkarev Str., Is in perfect condition but will soon be demolished in order to build 8-storey office building in its place, note from the organization. The endangered architectural and historical landmark was built in the first half of the 20th century. "The question arises why it is allowed to allow the demolition of this architectural masterpiece, which must be kept, maintained and displayed not only to Bulgarians, but also to tourists from all over the world," the letter said.

The second building was also designed by arch. Nikola Lazarov in 1909 for the famous Bulgarian merchant Nikola Geshov. His father, Ivan Stefanov Geshov, is one of the first Bulgarian...