For the 140th anniversary of the appointment of the first architect of Sofia, Antonin Vaclav Kolar, the Bulgarian Development Bank organized a campaign to commemorate his contribution to the construction of the capital as a European city.

The initiative also fitted in the public debate on the preservation of cultural heritage, with BDB being a big positive example of that with its restored headquarters building, which is a cultural monument of regional significance.  

The campaign started with the opening of an exhibition dedicated to A .V. Kolar at the Museum of Sofia, where residents and guests of the capital could see all the plans, buildings and public spaces  created by the talented Czech. Todor Chobanov, the Deputy Mayor for Culture in the Metropolitan Municipality, also took part in the opening. According to him, it is remarkable that the construction of the new Sofia was a pan-European project and some of the most famous architects at the end of the 19th century worked here. He thanked BDB's support for the initiative, and for the fact that its building, the former Grand Hotel Bulgaria, had been renovated with respect and thought for the preservation of our cultural heritage. "An example to follow. It is not easy, it is not fast, it is not cheap, but the work of the first city architect is inspiring and is the result of professionalism and organizational spirit", the Deputy Mayor said.

The event was also attended by the Czech Ambassador H. E. Mr. Dusan Strauch, who thanked the Bulgarian society for remembering and appreciating the contribution of the Czechs, who came after the Liberation to help their "Slavic brothers" to build a new state and social life and urban development.

An exhibit from the royal waiting room of the old Sofia Train Station designed by Antonin Kolar, restored with the support of the BDB, was shown for the first time in the exhibition. Visitors could also see the new documentary produced by BNT. "By honoring the person who the first city architect was, we want to remind ourselves of the important things we need to do following the example of the builders of modern Bulgaria and contemporary Sofia – to make our contribution and take care of what we are bequeathed," Nikolay Dimitrov , BDB Executive Officer, said at the opening.The campaign also included a History.

BG episode on BNT on the topic, dedicated to the "urban planners of modern Sofia" - Antonin Kolar and his fellow architects, a series of publications, and a special album edition, which you can see here: /Attach the PDF, which is in the Kolar Web folder/