bg Sofia

Mikhail Momchilov House

- Patriarh Evtimiy Boulevard 2 -
The residential building was built in 1899 for the wife of the Bulgarian engineer Mikhail Ivanov Momchilov, the Austrian aristocrat Filipina von Gleichen, whom he met during his studies in . The building was constructed according to the design of his younger brother, the Bulgarian architect . Mikhail was born in 1865 in the town of and was the son of the creator of the first-grade school in Bulgaria, . He graduated in engineering in 1888 in . In 1892, soon after graduating, he won the competition for the construction of the sewage system in Sofia. In that same year, the young Bulgarian also participated in an international competition for the design of two bridges in Saint Petersburg and . The project was won by the engineer , but he was quite impressed by the talent of his young colleague, so he invited him to prepare a joint project for both objects.
A plaque was placed in honor of Mikhail Ivanov Momchilov on the building at Georgi Sava Rakovski Street 108
In 1893, he was one of the founders and first chairman of the Bulgarian Engineering and architectural association, the first professional creative organization of Bulgarian architects and engineers. In 1894, he was awarded the Spanish Order of Merit by the Crown Prince of Spain, of Bourbon, and in 1900, at the World Exhibition in , he was awarded a silver medal.

In 1938, the home was sold to the German Legation and an extension was made, which did not repeat the style of the main building. After 1944, it was given to the Trade Representation of the Soviet Union, and in the 1970s it became the Sofia Notary, and later it housed some departments of the district court.
An old photo from around 1903 shows the building
The building is built in the styles of Neo-Renaissance and Eclectic and features a tower with a roof terrace on top of it on the western side of the building. The third floor of the tower consists of a , which, like the roof terrace, is enclosed by wrought iron fencing. Underneath the roof cornice, you'll be able to see a strip of , which repeats itself in many other places. Above the second floor windows, you can either admire a segmental, a pointed, or a straight , all of which are supported by two . A fragment containing a is placed above some of the straight pediments, while underneath some others a lavishly decorated can be seen.

There's a bay window located on the south and western side of the building, both with a balcony on top of it, which is secured with a stone balustrade that contains the same as the that can be seen around the entire building. The frieze of the bay windows, as well as the tower, contains that are embellished with , within their midst a . The building contains many straight that are crowned with a Doric , but also two round ones that are crowned with an Ionic one. The wrought iron-barred windows, as well as the banisters of the stairs that lead to the entrance on the south and western side of the building, are all adorned with . The of two of the arches that are located on the same sides are decorated with a garland wreath with ribbons attached to them.
Another old photo showing the building