79 years and 6,800,000 levs spent on building a university in Sofia

Sofia University is the oldest institution of higher education in the country, and its university administration is the oldest university building in Sofia. However, although it began to be built before all the universities in the country (in 1906), they graduated only in 1985. That is, built as much as 79 years. There are several reasons for such protracted.

The first reason is lack of money. Architect J. Breanson made too large-scale project for the Bulgarian budget. The embodiment of the French idea (the architect was French) did not even have enough, donated by a philanthropist for the construction of a uni, 6,000,000 leva.

The second reason. The funds could only be collected by the year 1920 and everything would be fine if the Bulgarians again turned to Jean Briancon, but they decided to rework his project. However, the architect went to court and had to pay for copyright. The trial again postponed the start of construction.

It was nevertheless begun to be built in 1924 and for 10 years almost built the central building / university administration, although the architect Jordan Milanov suddenly died right on the construction site (caught a cold), two years earlier than the end of construction.

The third reason. Six years later, to the front porch, which was finished in 1934, they began to attach “wings” - under the guidance of another architect. But then the Second World War began and they began to bomb Sophia. Thus, the construction could continue only in the 50s and finished in the 85th.

In the 1930s, a university library was built in the courtyard of the university administration. Because of such a time-consuming construction, the Sofia University was scattered throughout the capital of Bulgaria. Because the development of the university itself was ahead of the construction of the central building and the faculties appeared where it was convenient to build them, so as not to wait until the central building in the city center was finished.

But from the very beginning, the Sofia university was supposed to stand exactly on this place - in the center of Sofia, occupying the territory with its buildings, where the library "Kiril and Metody" now stands. But it did not work out and, probably, it is for the best.

In addition to the university administration, this central building houses historical, philosophical, legal, pedagogical, geographical, and sports faculties, as well as faculties of Slavic philology, classical and new philology. In general, the department of the Russian language is here.

Sofia University is named after St. Clement of Ohrid - one of the main Bulgarian enlighteners.

To date, SU "St. Kliment Ohridski" trains more than 22,000 students in 16 faculties in 107 specialties.

I do not have my personal opinion about this school, because I did not study there and none of my relatives did not study either. On the other hand, I have never heard negative reviews about the Sofia University and I see how many foreigners study there. By foreigners, I mean not only Moldovans and Ukrainians

Higher education in Bulgaria is paid for everyone. Only for its citizens it is cheaper than for foreigners. Russians should pay most of all, because according to international norms Russia is a “third country”, that is, it is not a member of the EU or in a convention. At last year’s rates, Russian citizens and citizens of other third countries had to pay a minimum of 3,300 euros per year to a university in Sofia. Of course, the college "St. Kliment Ohridski" sometimes gives scholarships and has the right to exempt honors pupils from tuition fees.

The university has a huge branched infrastructure, which was built in socialist times: it is a whole block of dormitories (Student City), recreation centers and sanatoriums, museums and botanical gardens, printing and media, and so on.

And those notorious six million for the construction of the university, gave a European banker Evlogi Georgiev. More precisely, he donated this area and 800,000 leva to his country (he himself lived abroad), and after his death the university received another 6,000,000 levs by will. That is why in 1904 the university bore the name "Bulgarian University of Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev brothers from Karlovo". Then the university was renamed, and the channel not far from the university was named after the Bulgarian patrons.

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