Bulgarian “Neverland” - the huge castle in the village of Drandar, is about 20 years old, and no one has ever lived in it. Behind its construction is a story related to the honorary chairman of the DPS Ahmed Dogan, NOVA reported.
One of the key politicians of the transition spent his childhood in the village of Drandar. Ahmed Demir Dogan was born in the Dobri village of Pchelarovo, but grew up in the Varna village of Drandar. His father left the family at his birth. Then he remarries and thus ends up in Drundar. Today, the people in the village still remember it, but they don't want to tell.
In this seemingly ordinary village, near Dogan's mother's house, a huge building rises – a palace, like the one in “Disneyland”.
„To build a kindergarten – lyceum” – this intention is embedded in the property's data, which can be found at the Registry Agency. According to the reference, the property was donated by Ahmed Dogan to the “Hermes” foundation. in 2008. Meanwhile, a check in the institutions shows that he is still the manager and chairman of the organization to this day.
According to data in the property register, Dogan acquired these almost 14 acres in 2002. The purchase also includes the old school, on whose foundations in 2005 a building was erected. It ended during the Triple Coalition. The building is called “kindergarten”. Today, almost 20 years later, she still hasn't welcomed a single child.
In a declaration to the Audit Office, Dogan stated that he bought this and two other properties in the village with money from his deputy's salary. At the same time, he repaired the mosque and the waterworks in the village.
The building has four stories, arches, a terrace of cut stone, a honey rooster on top of the tallest tower.
According to official data from the last census, the inhabitants of Drandar are 167 people, and according to the data of the mayor of the municipality of Suvorovo, where Drandar is located, the children of the village of kindergarten age are about 4-5.
The mayor of the municipality, Danail Yordanov, says that the taxes of this castle are paid regularly, and the grounds are maintained by Dogan's relatives. The mayor adds that the building is not finished and no one lives there.
At the same time, the building is collapsing. They clearly show a broken window, a peeling terrace and fallen slabs from the facade and the fence.
Peter Petrov lives in the village of Nikolaevka. He is one of many who studied with Dogan in the village. Petrov says that Dogan excelled in school. According to him, Ahmed Dogan's relatives are not much different from everyone else in the vicinity.
According to Delyan Peevski's latest declaration of property interests, he uses six houses, one apartment and one studio. But for rent. According to the property register, he owns a house and two apartments in his personal capacity.
According to the latest property declaration, Dogan owns only one house – the one in Drandar village. Last year, he named the home where he grew up in his own name. The house is located next to the “children's palace”. According to local residents, Dogan's mother, who is nearly 90 years old, lives here together with his relatives.
Beyond the registry documents, Dogan's name was until recently also associated with two other properties. The one in Boyana came to media attention in 2002. It was originally a state recreation center. After that, it was given to the "Tolerance" association for management, and later it was acquired by the "Acoma" company. This is shown by the references in the property register. Later it becomes clear that Ahmed Dogan lives in the building. As can be seen from the documents, the owner is the company “Delta Epsilon”, which is currently owned by the “TEC– Varna”.
At the end of August, the honorary chairman was removed from the management of “TPP – Varna”, and the person who replaced Dogan in his positions is Danail Papazov – former transport minister in Plamen Oresharski's cabinet. Dogan was called to leave the properties he was using.
The residence in the park “Rosenets” is owned by the company “Hermes Solar”, with which Dogan has been connected over the years, but unofficially. At the end of 2023, he entered the company, and from there he also became the owner of the property according to documents. That all changed days ago.
Meanwhile, during all these years of turbulent political and economic dynamics, life in Drandar and Nikolaevka hardly changes. Quiet and gentle, as if time has stopped, just like in a fairy tale.