Film info
Creator / Collector
Description
We are in Sofia, the capital and largest city of Bulgaria.
The film opens with shots from the moving car. The filmmaker focuses on the building of the National Bank of Bulgaria, which was built in 1879 on Prince Alexander I Square and then shows us the Bulgarian Army Theater that is located at 98 Rakovski Street as well as the films’ posters. Afterwards, we see the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, known as the Russian Church, which is one of the iconic buildings of the city as next to it, the Central Military Club building - a multifunctional building that hosts many events.
We get back to the city streets with the lens capturing the main building of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" or SU "St. Kliment Ohridski" for short which is the oldest and largest university in Bulgaria. The central part of the SU building was built with a donation from the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi, whose sculptures adorn its facade.
Next is the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, one of the largest churches in the world, as well as one of the symbols and main attractions of Sofia. The temple was designed and built in the period 1882-1912 and in 1955 it was declared a cultural monument of national importance. Then, we see the church of Hagia Sophia which is the oldest surviving church in Sofia.
Statues from the garden on the square in front of the Alexander Nevsky temple (behind the Central Military Club) follow, buildings of ornate architecture and the Vasil Levski monument that is located in the middle of a busy intersection, regulated by circular traffic, at the intersection of avenues " Vasil Levski" and "Yanko Sakazov" and of "Moskovska" street. The monument is where Bulgaria has worshiped its hero Vasil Levski for over a century.
We see a panoramic view of Zaimov Park, named after General Vladimir Zaimov (1888 - 1942) and the camera stands on "Yanko Sakazov" boulevard, the main avenue in Sofia. Then, we see the National Library "Saints Cyril and Methodius", its oldest cultural institution after the liberation of Bulgaria and the largest public library in the country as well as the main building (also known as the Rector's Office) of the University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski”.
A general shot of the city and the filmmaker takes a close up of the highway while we also see the building structure of that era. The camera stops at the Park Hotel “Moscow”, an elite hotel from the time of socialist Bulgaria located near the largest park in Sofia - Borisova gradina and then shows us the tram stopping at the station.
The recording continues with The Party House in Sofia which is the main building, the seat of the Central Committee of the BKP during the period of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. The building is located in the center of Sofia, between 3 squares and 2 boulevards, with the main entrance on "Knyaz Alexander I" Square. A large panoramic shot follow of 9 September Square - today's Prince Alexander I Square in front of the former Princely/Royal Palace in central Sofia. The lens shows us the avenue "Alexander Stamboliyski", which is the main avenue in Sofia and is named after Alexander Stamboliyski (1879 - 1923) - one of the prime ministers of Bulgaria (1919 - 1923) as focusing on the lower part of the street, on "Sveta Nedelya" Church - an Orthodox church dedicated to the holy great martyr Nedelya.
Next, we see the National Theater "Ivan Vazov" and then shots of the moving car with a large park, the National Library "Saints Cyril and Methodius", its oldest cultural institution after the liberation of Bulgaria and its largest public library of the country as well as the main building (also known as the Rector's Office) of the University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski”. The film continues with St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the world, as well as one of the symbols and main attractions of Sofia and the Monument to the Soviet Army which is a monumental composition dedicated to the Soviet Army and made in the style of socialist realism.
The lens shows us the official building of the National Assembly: The building is one of the first public buildings built after the Liberation and then the Monument to the liberators in the "National Assembly" square that was built as a sign of the deep and sincere gratitude of the Bulgarian people to the Russian brothers - liberators of the Bulgarian people from five centuries of Turkish slavery.
We can see the Student House of Culture, where the student youth hold their cultural and artistic events. The filmmaker is standing in the building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences that is located between the National Assembly Square and St. Alexander Nevsky". Today, it is a monument of Bulgarian cultural heritage of national importance. We see the Central Military Club building - a multifunctional building a little down the road, which hosts many events as we also see the traffic on the streets with the traffic warden regulating it.
The Monument to the liberators, the Building of the Student Shelter of Culture, the building of the National Museum of the Young Revolutionary Movement in Bulgaria on Ruski Avenue and the mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov in the center of Sofia which was built in 1949 follow. In 1990, by decision of the then government, the remains from the mausoleum and the body of Georgi Dimitrov was buried in the Sofia Central Cemetery and in 1999 by decision of the then government the mausoleum was destroyed.
The camera shows Independence Square, unofficially called Largo, the Central Department Store, a large department store, with a total of 9 floors, designed in 1956 within the complex formed by the buildings of the Ministry of Heavy Industry and the building of the National Archaeological Institute with the museum, which is part of the structure of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Next, the filmmaker shows us the building of the current Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria, which is part of the “Largoto" architectural complex and apart from the head of state and his team, the building is also used by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice , the State Service for Bulgarians Abroad and other institutions. As well as the "Balkan" Hotel - today the "Sofia Hotel Balkan", which was built in 1956 and is one of the largest hotels in Sofia. The hotel building is part of the presidential complex and under its foundations is a historic Roman fort, the ruins of which can be seen everywhere in the hotel.
The film closes with Sofia Airport, also known as Aerogara Sofia which is the largest and busiest airport in Bulgaria. It is located about 10 km east of the center of the capital. While the lens captures a plane of the airline "Balkan" - Bulgarian state airline, which existed from 1968 to 2002, national carrier.
The film opens with shots from the moving car. The filmmaker focuses on the building of the National Bank of Bulgaria, which was built in 1879 on Prince Alexander I Square and then shows us the Bulgarian Army Theater that is located at 98 Rakovski Street as well as the films’ posters. Afterwards, we see the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, known as the Russian Church, which is one of the iconic buildings of the city as next to it, the Central Military Club building - a multifunctional building that hosts many events.
We get back to the city streets with the lens capturing the main building of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" or SU "St. Kliment Ohridski" for short which is the oldest and largest university in Bulgaria. The central part of the SU building was built with a donation from the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi, whose sculptures adorn its facade.
Next is the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, one of the largest churches in the world, as well as one of the symbols and main attractions of Sofia. The temple was designed and built in the period 1882-1912 and in 1955 it was declared a cultural monument of national importance. Then, we see the church of Hagia Sophia which is the oldest surviving church in Sofia.
Statues from the garden on the square in front of the Alexander Nevsky temple (behind the Central Military Club) follow, buildings of ornate architecture and the Vasil Levski monument that is located in the middle of a busy intersection, regulated by circular traffic, at the intersection of avenues " Vasil Levski" and "Yanko Sakazov" and of "Moskovska" street. The monument is where Bulgaria has worshiped its hero Vasil Levski for over a century.
We see a panoramic view of Zaimov Park, named after General Vladimir Zaimov (1888 - 1942) and the camera stands on "Yanko Sakazov" boulevard, the main avenue in Sofia. Then, we see the National Library "Saints Cyril and Methodius", its oldest cultural institution after the liberation of Bulgaria and the largest public library in the country as well as the main building (also known as the Rector's Office) of the University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski”.
A general shot of the city and the filmmaker takes a close up of the highway while we also see the building structure of that era. The camera stops at the Park Hotel “Moscow”, an elite hotel from the time of socialist Bulgaria located near the largest park in Sofia - Borisova gradina and then shows us the tram stopping at the station.
The recording continues with The Party House in Sofia which is the main building, the seat of the Central Committee of the BKP during the period of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. The building is located in the center of Sofia, between 3 squares and 2 boulevards, with the main entrance on "Knyaz Alexander I" Square. A large panoramic shot follow of 9 September Square - today's Prince Alexander I Square in front of the former Princely/Royal Palace in central Sofia. The lens shows us the avenue "Alexander Stamboliyski", which is the main avenue in Sofia and is named after Alexander Stamboliyski (1879 - 1923) - one of the prime ministers of Bulgaria (1919 - 1923) as focusing on the lower part of the street, on "Sveta Nedelya" Church - an Orthodox church dedicated to the holy great martyr Nedelya.
Next, we see the National Theater "Ivan Vazov" and then shots of the moving car with a large park, the National Library "Saints Cyril and Methodius", its oldest cultural institution after the liberation of Bulgaria and its largest public library of the country as well as the main building (also known as the Rector's Office) of the University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski”. The film continues with St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the world, as well as one of the symbols and main attractions of Sofia and the Monument to the Soviet Army which is a monumental composition dedicated to the Soviet Army and made in the style of socialist realism.
The lens shows us the official building of the National Assembly: The building is one of the first public buildings built after the Liberation and then the Monument to the liberators in the "National Assembly" square that was built as a sign of the deep and sincere gratitude of the Bulgarian people to the Russian brothers - liberators of the Bulgarian people from five centuries of Turkish slavery.
We can see the Student House of Culture, where the student youth hold their cultural and artistic events. The filmmaker is standing in the building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences that is located between the National Assembly Square and St. Alexander Nevsky". Today, it is a monument of Bulgarian cultural heritage of national importance. We see the Central Military Club building - a multifunctional building a little down the road, which hosts many events as we also see the traffic on the streets with the traffic warden regulating it.
The Monument to the liberators, the Building of the Student Shelter of Culture, the building of the National Museum of the Young Revolutionary Movement in Bulgaria on Ruski Avenue and the mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov in the center of Sofia which was built in 1949 follow. In 1990, by decision of the then government, the remains from the mausoleum and the body of Georgi Dimitrov was buried in the Sofia Central Cemetery and in 1999 by decision of the then government the mausoleum was destroyed.
The camera shows Independence Square, unofficially called Largo, the Central Department Store, a large department store, with a total of 9 floors, designed in 1956 within the complex formed by the buildings of the Ministry of Heavy Industry and the building of the National Archaeological Institute with the museum, which is part of the structure of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Next, the filmmaker shows us the building of the current Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria, which is part of the “Largoto" architectural complex and apart from the head of state and his team, the building is also used by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice , the State Service for Bulgarians Abroad and other institutions. As well as the "Balkan" Hotel - today the "Sofia Hotel Balkan", which was built in 1956 and is one of the largest hotels in Sofia. The hotel building is part of the presidential complex and under its foundations is a historic Roman fort, the ruins of which can be seen everywhere in the hotel.
The film closes with Sofia Airport, also known as Aerogara Sofia which is the largest and busiest airport in Bulgaria. It is located about 10 km east of the center of the capital. While the lens captures a plane of the airline "Balkan" - Bulgarian state airline, which existed from 1968 to 2002, national carrier.
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