19th Century Cathedral in Bulgaria’s Danube City of Vidin Gets Restoration Funding from Government
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Wikipedia
Bulgaria’s outgoing Cabinet has allocated nearly BGN 1 million (app. EUR 500,000) in funding for the conservation and restoration of the St. Great-Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, one of the largest churches in the country, which had been in a bad need of repairs since 2012.
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the Bulgarian Cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov which has expired in the wake of the April 4, 2020, parliamentary election, allocated a total of BGN 4.2 million (EUR 2.2 million) in funding for the restoration and repairs of churches, monasteries and other properties of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, including the famous Vidin Cathedral.
The St. Demetrius Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin in Northwest Bulgaria is named after the Christian martyr St. Demetrius the Myroblyte, who was killed in 306 AD during the Christian persecutions of Roman Emperor Galerian.
The St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vidin is either the second or the third largest Bulgarian Orthodox church temple depending on what is counted as the church area.
A release of the Bulgarian Cabinet describes the Vidin Cathedral as the second largest Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the country after the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia.
A built-up area ranking by one of the websites affiliated with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, however, states that the Cathedral in the Black Sea city of Varna is about one-third larger than the cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin.
The St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki Cathedral in Vidin is the main temple of the Vidin Eparchy and the seat of the Vidin Metropolitan (bishop) of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
The Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, which was built at the end of the 19th century, has been in need of repairs since at least 2012, with manu of its murals in a bad condition. Photo: Radio Vidin
Originally built in the 18th century, the church had to be torn down and rebuilt towards in the second half of the 19th century.
The completion of its present-day building took nearly 40 years: its construction began in 1885, shortly after the restoration and liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. The Vidin Cathedral was fully completed, including all of its murals, only in 1926.
It was designed with a similar architecture to the Varna Cathedral which whose construction began at about the same time. The central dome of the Vidin Cathedral towers at a height of 33 meters.
The total funding newly allocated by the Bulgarian government for the temple’s restoration is BGN 950,000 (app. EUR 500,000)
Lachezar Popivanov, deputy district governor of Vidin, has told reporters that parts of the Vidin Cathedral had been with limited access since 2012 because of collapsing risk.
“The temple needs repairs. [We] have tried many ways to raise funds [for that],” Vidin Metropolitan Daniil has said, as cited by Radio Vidin.
“Today’s decision of the Council of Ministers is great news for us, for the entire [city of] Vidin because the St. Great-Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki is of great value to the city,” says the high-ranking bishop.
He has noted that the Vidin Cathedral will be fully examined before a restoration and repair order can be placed.
The outgoing Bulgarian Cabinet has allocated BGN 4.2 million in funding for Bulgarian Orthodox temples and monuments. Photo: Council of Ministers
Vidin’s Metropolitan Bishop Daniil is seen here welcoming the government funding for the repairs of the Vidin Cathedral. Photo: Vidin District Governor’s Office
Vidin’s Metropolitan Bishop Daniil has welcomed the government funding for the repairs of the Vidin Cathedral. Photo: Vidin District Governor’s Office
Vidin’s Metropolitan Bishop Daniil has welcomed the government funding for the repairs of the Vidin Cathedral. Photo: Vidin District Governor’s Office
Vidin’s Metropolitan Bishop Daniil has welcomed the government funding for the repairs of the Vidin Cathedral. Photo: Vidin District Governor’s Office
The city of Vidin is also home of the best preserved medieval Bulgarian castle / fortress, the Baba Vida Fortress, and of the ruins of the Ancient Roman city of Bononia.
Besides the Vidin Cathedral, which is a monument of culture of national importance, the highest such status in Bulgaria, the outgoing Bulgarian Cabinet also allocated funding to the 14th century Muldava Monastery “St. Petka” near Asenovgrad in Southern Bulgaria, and to the Old Metropolitan’s Office in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Central Bulgaria.
The St. Petka Monastery near the town of Muldava has been granted BGN 1.076 million (app. EUR 500,000) for repairs and conservation. The Muldava monastery from the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 – 1396/1422) is also a monument of culture of national importance.
“After it was damaged in a fire, the monastery still needs more repair works. We’ve made great progress but the church, which is especially beautiful, is about to collapse, which is why we are granting this funding,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov has been quoted as saying.
The Cabinet has also allocated BGN 2 million (app. EUR 1 million) fudning for the restoration of the Old Metropolitan’s Office building in the city of Veliko Tarnovo.
The beautiful building with its 19th century architecture was destroyed in a fire in February 2020, and is considered of great historical value for the city. It is located at the foot of the Tsarevets Hill with its fortress, one of the citadels of the late medieval Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad.
The Cabinet has also allotted BGN 200,000 (app. EUR 100,000) in funding for completing the repairs of the building of the Sofia Metropolitan’s Office in Sofia.
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Ivan Dikov, the founder of ArchaeologyinBulgaria.com, is the author of the book Plunder Paradise: How Brutal Treasure Hunters Are Obliterating World History and Archaeology in Post-Communist Bulgaria, among other books.
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