ЗАЛЦБУРГ - най-вдъхновяващият австрийски град

автор: Елица Лукова  

публикувано в сп. "Кенгуру" бр. 163 / юни 2020

 

Architect Dabko Dabkov - Sense and Absurdity of a Life

 

by Elitsa Lukova

Photographs: Elitsa Lukova

After the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Domination in 1878, Varna developed into an important commercial, port and industrial pivot. At that time there were eight quarters, of which the Greek and the Armenian were the wealthiest. Nowadays they form the centre of the city.

Strolling along the streets we pass by a large number of splendid neo-baroque, secession and art deco buildings, whose Central European appearance is due to the architect Dabko Dabkov and the sculptor Kiril Shivarov.

Dabko Dabkov was born in the small town of Tryavna on 21 January 1875. His family moved to Varna, where the architect to be, studied at the Men’s High School. Later on he graduated at the Technical University of Munich and soon after that he returned to Varna.

During the next four decades, architect Dabkov not only created the new European face of Varna, but he also took part in the First and the Second Balkan Wars, and the First World War. He was honoured with the most esteemed Bulgarian orders - The Order of Bravery and the Order of Civil Merit.

Dabko Dabkov devised more than 350 impressive buildings to Varna. Most of them are well-preserved up to date. Amongst them are the buildings of the University of Economics, the Headquarters of the Bulgarian Navy (along with the architect Stefan Popov), the “Stoyan Bachvarov” Dramatic Theatre (along with the architect Nikola Lazarov), the “London” and the “Musala” Grand Hotels, the Aquarium, the Turkish bath (hamam) and great many houses of well-to-do people.

Unfortunately, some of the masterpieces of the most talented architect of Varna ended their existence in ruins, just like their creator’s life.

After the Communists coup d’état on 9 September 1944, the so called People’s Court, was established with the purpose of political cleansing. The former state, political and military elite of Bulgaria was sentenced between December 1944 and April 1945. Thousand intellectuals fell among them, including architect Dabko Dabkov. He was proclaimed “an enemy of the people” and was prohibited to practice. All his real estate was nationalized.

The great architect of Varna couldn’t stand all that humiliation and torture. Broke and disappointed, Dabko Dabkov died on 8 April 1945. 

The “Stoyan Bachvarov” Dramatic Theatre

The “London” Grand Hotel

 

 The Headquarters of the Bulgarian Navy