bg Ruse

Georgi Martinov House

- Konstantin Irechek Street 2 -
The residential and commercial building was built in 1900 and was designed by the Armenian architect . The frescoes made inside the building are the work of the Italian decorator Carlo Francesconi, who decorated the interiors of many homes in Ruse. It was built for the Bulgarian politician and former Mayor of Ruse, Georgi Martinov. He completed his education in and in 1880 settled in Ruse, where he was an importer of steel and metal products from Germany, France, Austria, and England. He enjoys high public trust and becomes Mayor of Ruse in 1902. As Mayor, he organized the celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the . During his rule, funds were allocated for the construction of a monument to the fallen officers and soldiers in the of 1885, and the erection of tombstones of and .

The municipality bought the house from the heirs of Georgi Martinov and after a careful restoration of the interior in 1971 it was turned into the Club of Cultural Figures in Ruse. The Club of Cultural Figures organizes creative evenings, concerts, and performances. Due to the natural decor offered by the building, several feature films have been shot here.
A photo taken at the opening of the Club of Cultural Figures in 1971
The Neo-Renaissance building features a total of three tower like structures, all of which contain a dormer. The central dormer is surrounded by two female sculptures. The that are placed underneath the roof , are adorned with foliage. The same counts for the large number of that can be seen underneath the dentils. On the same level, you'll be able to admire a swan neck , as well as a pointed pediment. In the midst of the swan neck pediment, you'll be able to see a . You'll see some more palmettes in the like structures, which can be admired between the first and second floor. A is placed underneath some of the windows on the second floor, all of which contain . On top of the three larger windows on the first floor, a richly decorated can be admired. The cornice in which it is placed is supported by a corbel at each end.

The rightmost tower contains a lavishly decorated floral ornament, which is adorned with pinecones. It also contains a pointed pediment, as well as two that are crowned with Corinthian .

The leftmost tower contains a beautifully decorated and a segmental pediment. Within the segmental pediment, which is supported by four corbels, you'll be able to see a plaque containing a monogram with intertwined Latin letters G.M., which are the initials of the first owner, Georgi Martinov.
The monogram with intertwined Latin letters G.M.