Central Military Club

In the very center of Sofia is situated the unique and imposing building of the Central Military Club – one of the first monumental public structures after the Liberation.

Its foundation stone is laid in 1895 on land bought by the Sofia Officers' Council for 180 000 golden levs. The building, planed and constructed according to the project of the famous Czech architect Antonin Kolar in the Neo-Renaissance style, was completed by the Bulgarian architect Nikola Lazarov and is typical for the Post-Liberation. The three functionally separated floors are allocated typically as for club buildings from the late XIX century.

On the ground floor – cafe, exhibition gallery, the United School of Arts.

The first floor consists of a series of smaller and larger stylish halls. Decorated with Italian silk, splendidly ornamented ceilings and wall arts, they are well suited for business meetings, chamber concerts, literary promotions, constructive discussions, conferences or cocktails.

Especially impressive is is the Concert Hall (450 seats). Its extraordinary acoustics and plastic arts – nice plaster ornaments and bas-reliefs, original Vienna chandeliers – make it one of the most stylish places for relaxation and entertainment in our capitol. On its scene have performed many famous singers, actors and musicians: Fyodor Shalyapin, Christina Morfova, Nikolai Gyaurov, Krustyo Sarafov, Adriana Budevska and many others.

Massive wings, towers, elegant balconies covered with fine colored ceramics, exquisite colonies and rich plastic arts over the facade and especially in the interior – made by the sculptor M.Vasilev – this floodlit mixture of brass and marble creates an excellent atmosphere to experience different forms of art.

Here, after the Liberation, was set in motion the process of founding the Bulgarian theater and opera. In the studios have created masterpieces artists like Yaroslav Veshin and Vladimir 'Master' Dimitrov, in the galleries were held exhibitions of art of Dimitar Gyudzhenov, Boris Denev, Vasil Stoilov.

The Military Club building , maintaining with dignity the splendor of past decorative architectural styles, is proclaimed to be a national monument of architecture and art.

Today, the Central Military Club combines in a great way the classical atmosphere from the early 1900 with modern functionality, hosting a wide variety of artistic, informative and educational activities, aiming at familiarizing the Bulgarian officers and their families to the culture, thus raising further their prestige.

In the Club building is situated as well the Central Army Library with over 120 000 volumes.