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Landmarks
Museum if history "Konak"The building had been significantly changed in the course of its historic development. Originally it probably was one-story with passages in both directions, decussating in the middle. In the central part a tower- shaped premise had been raising – a watch tower for fire security. The Turks had used the building as a police department and in the years 70ies of 19th c. the Bulgarian church community had been placed there. After the Liberation it had been reconstructed, as in it were wedged elements from the Bulgarian national revival architecture. In 1956 the building was turned into a museum. Today, the expositions of the Regional museum of history – Vidin are placed there regarding architecture and history of Bulgaria of 15th – 19th c.
Medieval castle "Baba Vida" had been constructed over the foundations of the antique fortress of "Bononia". It is supposed than in the end of 10th c the castle had already been built up and for its construction had been used stone blocks from the ruined roman fortifications of "Bononia" and "Raciaria". Its main parts consist of: defending – comprising of fortification walls, towers, surrounded by a moat and a residential – business area, which occupied mainly the internal spaces. Later on the castle had been transferred and extended many times.
During the period 13th – 14th c. it assumed its complete from as a defending structure, meant for a head office of the region and a residence of its ruler. During the middle ages it had 10 Nos. towers – 4 corner and 5 lateral, connected through an internal fence wall of about 2.2 m thickness, and on the external fortification wall an entrance tower had been built up which had guarded the movable bridge. The height of the internal towers was 16m. The moat was of 4m depth and of approximately 6m width.
The construction is typical for the Second Bulgarian state – stone blocks and bricks welded together with mortar. No specific order had been observed in their arrangement.
"Baba Vida" castle had been situated in the medieval town of Badin, and since the and of 11th c was renamed on Bdin. The town was a center of a separate administrative district, and after adopting of the Christianity it had become headquarter of the bishop.
In 1003 the town was besieged by Basil II Bagrenorodni and after the eight-month siege it was conquered. The town was liberated in 1195 and then started the so called period of the Second Bulgarian state during which the town survived its impetuous development as a center of economic and political uplift. Around year 1280 the town was ruled by the despot Shishman whose descendents occupied the Tarnovo thore and became kings of the Bulgarian state. After the death of despot Shishman the power passed on the hands of his son Michael Shishman. In a Venetian document dated 1313 had been mentioned his official title – despot of Bulgaria, master of Bdin. In 1323 the Boyar Council elected despot Michael Shishman for a king of Bulgaria. Michael Shishman died on July 28th 1330 in a battle at Velbazhd. The thore was ascended by Ivan Alexander, who is a nephew of Michael Shishman. In the beginning of its reign Bdin kingdom was annexed to the Turnovo state. Ivan Alexander had tow sons – Ivan Sratsimir from the first marriage with Teodora, a daughter of Wallachian voivode Ioan Besarab and Ivan Shishman from his second marriage with the Jewish Sarah, who converted and accepted the name of Theodora. His older son Ivan Sratsimir became co-leader in Northwestern Bulgaria with center. But in 1360 in Turnovo was proclaimed as a Bulgarian king the younger son of Ivan Alexander – Ivan Shishman. After the death of his father in 1371 Ivan Sratsimir interrupted his relations with Turnovo kingdom and proclaimed himself an independent ruler until the fall of Bdin under Ottoman yoke in 1396.
During the Ottoman period a reconstruction of the castle was made, as it was adopted for the use of firearm. This can be seen by the embrasure built up in the external fortification wall, and some part of the towers had been destroyed and turned into contra-forces and bastions. The premises ih the inner yard had been transformed into storage places for weapons and barrack-rooms. In this aspect it is preserved up to the present.
"St. Martyr Dimitar" ChurchAfter the construction of Vidin feudal system "Kaleto" the Bulgarians could not have been able to use the churches in the stronghold town during the big Christian holidays as Christmas and Easter.
This lead to the beginning of a new church`s construction, which took the name of the Thessaloniki martyr Dimitar and soon it happened a center of the cultural and spiritual life of the Bulgarians. On December 6th 1868 there took place for the first time a service solemnly by the Bulgarian prelate on Bulgarian language. Since that time the church became a cathedral of the Vidin bishop Antim who later was elected for a Bulgarian Exarsh. Due to the wearing out of wooden structure, a decision was taken for the construction of a new temple.
Its plan was developed in 1885 by Gencho Kanev when the laying of the main foundations took place. In its foundations are placed over 2200 Nos. gravestones from the old Vidin tombs. Due to the bursting out of Serbian-Bulgarian war its construction was interrupted up to 1889. An opinion exist that for the completion of the church was invited the Italian architect Bahnani. On October 26th 1900 in the day of the church holiday was performed the first mass in it. The church was completely ready and decorated in 1926, when its first solemn sanctification took place. The wall-paintings are made by Gospodin Zheliazkov. Extremely impressive is the scene from "Tsar Peter sending gifts to Ivan Rilski", where the faces of Botev, Levski, Karavelov and Rakovski are present. The cathedral church "St. Martyr Dimitar" is the second biggest in the country after the church-monument "St. Alexander Nevski" in Sofia. It had crossed-vaulted plan with three longitudinal and one cross nave over which a multi-value composition had been constructed. Internal spaces are impressive. The height of the central vault is 33 m.
Gallery of art "Nicola Petrov"The building was built up and intended as of a war club. After due transformations in 1963 an art gallery was inaugurated there. It bears the name of one of the greatest Bulgarian painters in Vidin. More than 1500 nos. works from all over the world are kept in there. Description of the surroundings |
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