“It is very valuable to have places like this, where people can feel and see beauty”, says Tenko Nikolov. He is one of the new owners of the emblematic Strawberry House in the center of Sofia. The motive for the purchase is to make it part of the cultural image of the city again.
The sale of the house has not been announced publicly. The old owners are making a selection of 10 potential buyers. “We had the incredible desire to restore this architectural jewel to its former splendor and glory”, says Tenko Nikolov, quoted by Nova TV.
He and Ivo Tsenov are buying the crumbling cultural monument for 8 million euros from the former head of “Lukoil–Bulgaria” Valentin Zlatev.
“Owning such a property is very similar to owning a nice old car – first you have to take care of its restoration, and then it continues to exist as before”, says Nikolov.
And in order for it to exist as before, the two entrepreneurs are determined to restore it and open it to visitors.
“We want it, first of all, to be accessible to everyone at some point in time, and secondly, to be an attraction, a cultural center, to bring together people with active, cultural interests. We have a foundation, it deals with healthcare, education and sports. We would be very happy if it were housed here”, says Tenko Nikolov.
A controversial roof repair, a decade of oblivion, the idea of replacing the original with a replica, and protests against the demolition of the property have marked the fate of the Strawberry House since the fall of the socialist regime until today. After a series of acts of non-maintenance of the building during its years of ruin, its condition today is as follows: cracks in the facade, falling plaster, crumbling stairs.
“The condition was similar to what you see - cracks everywhere, things are falling from the facade. The condition of the yard was deplorable - it had not been cleaned for a long time. The house itself does not have a reinforced concrete structure, and everything that is done must be done carefully so as not to destroy it. As far as I know, it needs to be restored in a way and with materials from the past,” says Tenko.
Inside, we are greeted by a red marble fireplace with exquisite bas-reliefs and a figure of a cat at the top. “The fireplace needs to be moved and then – returned and renovated, so that it is one-to-one as before, in order to preserve the way it was made and its original appearance,” says Tenko.
Inside, as well as outside, time has left its destructive traces. Of the reception halls, terraces, bedrooms, study and cellar, only the foundations of the walls remain.
“We want to restore it 100% as it was, but to also do modern things – disabled access, an elevator. I expect to see the complete report as soon as the technical experts are ready”, explains Tenko Nikolov.
Although the Strawberry House is private property, back in the 1980s the building was declared a cultural monument and immovable cultural value. Today the new owners are waiting for the report on its restoration. The visa for designing the Strawberry House in its authentic form has been agreed upon by the Ministry of Culture.
„We expect within a relatively short period of time – 2-3 months – to receive the finished complete project, which will also be agreed upon or notes will be made. After which the owner, through his proxies, will be able to submit all the documentation to the regional administration and the Sofia Municipality respectively and obtain a building permit”, explained Todor Chobanov, Deputy Minister of Culture.
And the answer to the question of where the strawberries are is given by historian Zlatko Petrov: “This is a romantic name that has remained as an urban legend, that once upon a time there were strawberries in the yard of this wonderful house that could be picked by passersby”, he explains.
Built between 1927 and 1930, the House with the Strawberries was designed for the wealthy family of the banker Dimitar Ivanov and his wife Nadezhda Stankovich. The architect is Georgi Kunev, who graduated in Austria and Germany.
”It is an example of a rich urban residence from the late 1920s and early 1930s. We can see the features of the Secession style, we can also see some of the elements of Art Deco”, explains Zdravko Petrov, “Historical Routes”.
After the turning point of September 9, 1944, the banker's house was nationalized and ceded by the new government: initially for the needs of the Romanian embassy, and later it was turned into a meeting place for Soviet activists.
”If we look at the ornamentation, we can also discover the shape of the cubic curve, which is characteristic of the architecture of the old Bulgarian settlements from the Renaissance era”, explains Zdravko Petrov.
The Strawberry House also appears in the cinema – as a main location in Dimitar Petkov's film “The Devil's Tail“ from 2001. As a main study in Ivan Shishiev's lens, the emblematic building at 6 “San Stefano” Street also appears.
And until the time comes for the restoration of the Strawberry House, today it shines with Christmas decorations. For now, only the facade will please. In the future… to be continued.
“Our goal is not to change, our goal is to preserve the appearance of the house both outside and inside. We will try to restore it as much as possible with materials that were once used. We will strengthen it with carbon fibers, so that we do not put concrete. We will also hire the best craftsmen worldwide to restore it to its former glory and splendor,” says Tenko Nikolov.
Detailed statistics on average property prices in Bulgaria by city and neighborhood can be found at imot.bg