bg Sofia

Georgi Gubidelnikov House

- Tsar Shishman Street 12 -
The construction of the residential and commercial building was completed in 1921 and was built according to the design of the Bulgarian architects and . It was built for the Bulgarian banker and politician, Georgi Genov Gubidelnikov, who was born on May 2, 1859, in . He graduated from an elite French college in , and in 1883 he received a law degree from the New Russian University in . After that, he returned to Bulgaria and was immediately appointed as an assistant prosecutor in . His career as a magistrate was rapid, as in a short time he was promoted to prosecutor in and , and then to the deputy president of the District Court. Because of his political leanings, he was fired and started freelancing as a lawyer together with Teodor Teodorov, with whom he remained close for the rest of his life.

The enterprising lawyer's political rise began after the fall of in 1894. He became the mayor of Ruse from September 3, 1894, until February 3, 1895. In 1905, together with his friends and , he became the co-owner of the Bulgarian Commercial Bank, which at that time was the largest Bulgarian private financial institution. He was also the chairman of many companies, which were related to the Bulgarian Commercial Bank, as well as a member of many management boards.
Georgi Genov Gubidelnikov
He develops charitable activities and is among the main donors for the construction of the Revenue Building in Ruse, and in 1931, he founded four charitable funds. The funds are managed by the Holy Synod, and his desire is to use the money from them to support poor students from the Theological Seminary.

Georgi Gubidelnikov married Teodor Teodorov's sister Stanka with whom he had eight children. His son became a banker and succeeded his father as the director of the Bulgarian Commercial Bank. His son , graduated in engineering, and in 1923, together with Atanas Burov, founded the joint-stock company called Future. His other son, Stefan became a banker and industrialist. His daughter Anka married the financier , son of . After the death of Georgi Gubidelnikov on November 28, 1938, in Sofia, at an age of 79, his business was inherited by his son Todor.

After the coup of , 1944, all the capitals of the rich family were nationalized together with the charitable funds. In the 1970s, the building housed a kindergarten, and later on, the building became in use as a bar.
Georgi Genov Gubidelnikov and his family
The most distinctive features of the Eclectic building are the semi-hexagonal bay windows. The ones on the south side are topped with a balcony and feature another balcony in their midst, all of which are secured with a cast iron railing. The other bay window, located on the east side of the building, shoots through the roof. On this same site, just underneath the roof overhang, you'll be able to see a strip of . A bit further down, you can admire a that's beautifully decorated with floral ornamentation. The square forms that can be seen on the bay windows are embellished with a , while the rectangular form above one of the second floor windows contains an ornament that shares many resemblances with the cornice above it. The same counts for the ornaments that are placed in rectangular shapes that are located between the first and the second floor, which resemble a fountain. A is placed underneath the first floor windows, which contain simplified . The entrance that's located on the east side of the building is covered by an .
An old photo showing the building