bg Sofia

Former Sofia Bank

- Moskovska Street 19 -
The building of the former Sofia Bank was built between 1912 and 1914 and was designed by the architects , Dimo ​​Nichev, and . All the sculptures were created by the Bulgarian sculptors and .

The building was built for the needs of the former Sofia Bank. On October 31, 1931, the first broadcast of Rodno Radio took place from the big bank hall, renamed on March 24, 1934, into Radio Sofia. After 1944, the building was nationalized, and from 1951 a new State Savings Bank (Държавна спестовна каса, Darzjavna Spestovna Kasa) was established here.
An old photo showing the building in the 1920s
The building was built in the style of Art Nouveau. A black heptagonal dome, with a on top of it, that crowns the corner of the building, can be seen from a distance. A beautiful statue of the Greek god , holding a , was placed just underneath the dome. The doors on the second and third floor lead to a , which is supported by two each.

The main entrance, located on the south side of the building, is flanked by , which are topped with Doric . Parts of the pilasters consist of , which give the pilasters a nice multidimensional touch. Sculptures of eagles, a symbol of freedom and protection, are mounted on top of the pilasters. The top of the doorframe is decorated with a garland, that goes through the legs of the eagles as well. The located above the window on the third floor is surrounded by beautifully detailed floral ornaments. On the attic floor two male sculptures, within between them a decorative shell, are watching over everyone that stands below them. If you look a bit further up you'll see two vases, which are decorated with garlands.
An old postcard showing the building on the right
Most of the above the windows on the first floor are decorated with . Some of them show the Greek god Hermes, and the others are most likely the Greek goddess . The cartouches between the windows on the second and third floor are richly decorated with and foliage. The on the third and attic floor turn into pediments once they reach the vertical line of the windows. Don't forget to have a look at the eastern facade where you can see two concave-shaped with a convex-shaped corbel underneath them.
Close up of the eagles above the main entrance