site.btaSofia Celebrates 145 Years as Bulgaria’s Capital

Sofia Municipality is organizing exhibitions, concerts, historical tours a film festival to celebrate 145 years since the city was proclaimed capital. April 3 marks the 145th anniversary of the proclamation (1879) of Sofia as the capital of Bulgaria by the members of the Constituent Assembly (February - April 1879) in Tarnovo (now Veliko Tarnovo).

The proposal was made by one of the first Bulgarian historiographers, co-founder of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Prof. Marin Drinov. His reasons were the geographical location of the town and the potential for economic growth.

When Sofia became the capital, it had 11,694 inhabitants, 2 schools, 10 inns, 120 shops and 3,306 houses. According to the first official census in 1880, the population of Sofia was 20,856. Of them, 11,395 were born in the city and the remaining 9,106 came from elsewhere. At that time, Sofia’s population was smaller than those of Ruse, Varna and Shumen.

From April 1 to 14, Sofia’s Open Air Gallery by the NDK conference centre will be hosting an exhibition of illustrations to the book "My Sofia and Other Images", published with the support of the Sofia Culture Programme, the Municipality said.

On April 3 at 11:30 am an exhibition dedicated to one of the symbols of the city, enshrined in the coat of arms - the Vitosha Mountain, will be opened in the Crystal Garden. Until April 16, the Open Air Gallery will be open to the public with archival photographs, maps and curious facts related to the management and conservation of the mountain. The exhibition is organized jointly with the Regional Historical Museum-Sofia and the Directorate of Vitosha Nature Park. The Sofia Wind Orchestra will give a concert in the Crystal Garden at noon.

Citizens and guests of the capital will be able to visit the expositions in the Sofia City Art Gallery and its branches - the Dechko Uzunov Museum Gallery and the Vaska Emanuilova Gallery. The Regional History Museum - Sofia will also open its doors for free for its permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Seventeen of Sofia's metro stations will be the stage of young musicians from the National Music Academy "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" and the "Trotoara 2020" community centre from 5:30 to 6:30.

A three-day film festival "Sofia Culture Programme Presents..." will start, which will show documentaries funded by the Sofia Municipality in the Cinema section of the Sofia Culture Programme at the Vlaykova Cinema.