bg Sofia

Former Bulgarian Commercial Bank

- Graf Ignatiev Street 10 -
The construction of the commercial building started in 1921 and was built according to the design of the Bulgarian architects , , and . The sculptures are the creation of the Bulgarian artist Toma Deliradev and some others by Alexiev. The construction was completed in 1925 and was commissioned by the Bulgarian Commercial Bank, which was founded in 1895 in .
An old photo showing the building
The bank was founded by , who was born on October 8, 1839, in as a descendant of two prominent Renaissance families. In the 1850s, Dimitar Burov founded the joint-stock company called Postoyanstvo in Ruse and participated with shares in the first Bulgarian insurance company named Bulgaria, but his life's work became the founder of the Bulgarian Commercial Bank. , the elder son of Dimitar Burov and older brother of the famous politician and economist , took over the management of the bank for three decades. After his death, the manager of the bank became his dedicated brother Atanas Burov, who has been part of the management board all along. After the coup of , 1944, Atanas Burov was arrested and convicted by the People's Court, and he died in prison in ten years later. During its existence from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, the bank was the largest bank with mostly local private capital.
The council hall
On top of the building, which is built in the styles of Art Deco and Art Nouveau, you'll be able to see a majestic tower like structure. Underneath it, you can admire a that features a clock, which is carried by two . A strip of is placed within the tympanum and underneath the roof , as well as the dormers. The building features two statues consisting of multiple , as well as four bas-reliefs that consist of one putto each and two ornamental lions. The fragments, which are located between the third and second floor windows, are embellished with a . Another mascaron is placed between the two supportive , which are placed underneath the round shaped balcony that's located on the northeastern corner. The that are used in the stone balustrade are more simplified than the ones used in the that are placed underneath the second floor windows. The frame around the main entrance, which is covered by a , is adorned with an and motif. The sand colored stone blocks, which contrast nicely with the white parts, are decorated with the technique of .
A part of the interior