A fire is burning in a house-monument of culture in the center of Sofia - the home of Ivan Geshov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria in the period 1911-1913, reported BNT.
Over the years, the owner wanted to turn the building into a seven-story hotel, but the court rejected the request. All documents issued by the Metropolitan Municipality to strengthen the cultural monument and the space around it have been appealed by the owner. The building is falling apart and vagrants have taken up residence in it, which according to the neighbors is no accident.
People in the area are convinced that another fire was not accidental. The mayor of the area where the house is located thinks the same.
"I, and everyone, I think, have the feeling that this house is simply being helped to collapse, despite all the fines that have been imposed, despite all the court procedures that have been taken," said Traicho Traikov, mayor of the "Middle" area.
At the moment, the Ministry of the Interior has no data on an intentional fire.
"However, this is still being established. If there is something similar, it will be established by the colleagues", stressed Kalin Stoyanov, Acting Minister of Internal Affairs.
The saga with the house has been going on for more than 20 years. With a detailed development plan from 2004, it was allowed to build a seven-story hotel in its place, in which only its facade would be preserved. Years later, the municipality amended the plan, and the owner appealed. After long court proceedings, the case was decided in favor of the Metropolitan Municipality by the Supreme Administrative Court. A new project for the preservation of the building and the green areas around it, prepared by the Metropolitan Municipality, followed, and again the owner appealed. There is currently no court decision. The municipality imposed three fines on the company - the last one for BGN 20,000 for the condition of the property. Again an appeal follows.
"The municipality should get in touch with the owner to acquire it, or in the last resort expropriate it to turn it into a kindergarten," noted the mayor of the "Sredets" region.
"As far as I know, the owner is the same, and his building, a cultural monument, is burning near the Five Kioshes. But I think we have a clear malicious purpose here. And that's why the CA should continue with imposing the fines, since the building is a cultural monument, jurisdiction there is also shared with the Ministry of Culture," he added.
A year ago, the owner declared that he had taken actions for the conservation of the building.