The Ethnographic Museum and Art Gallery of Sofia
We visited three museums in Sofia during our nearly week long stay and the Ethnographic Museum and Art Gallery was the first one we went to. Though two distinct museums, both were housed in the same building. Each one occupied the opposite wings of the former Bulgarian Royal Palace turned museum. On the day of our visit, admission to the Ethnographic Museum was free but not to the Art Gallery. We went inside the latter too anyway. The fee was minimal. Just so you know, many museums in Eastern Europe charge a fee for photography. We paid for that too so we could click away to our hearts' content. I always find it disappointing to go inside any attraction and not be able to take pictures. Pictures remind us of our visits. Mind you, the staff here were very strict about photography and they literally scream at you if they find out that you took pictures without paying the required fee. Admission and fee to take pictures cost just a few levs each.
I shall always remember an incident that happened here between one staff member and us. One elderly lady actually did yell at us at one point thinking that we took pictures without paying the necessary fee. I took out the receipt we paid and handed it to her. For a full minute, she kept going through two small stubs of paper we were given at the cashier and couldn't find anything wrong. She gave me back the paper and left without looking at us. While I found the young and middle aged Bulgarians to be very friendly, we met a few senior citizens who reminded us of the grumpy and grouchy people of Eastern Europe and Russia during the Soviet Era.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I particularly liked the Art Gallery since it showcased paintings in rooms that used to be the living quarters of the Bulgarian Royal family. The museum holds a collection that includes costumes, copper objects, wood carvings, furniture, ceramics, fabrics and embroideries, carpets, ritual objects, paintings, and portraits.
The fabulous Ethnographic Museum and Art Gallery. Now a museum, it was pretty clear when we went inside that the building was once a residence of the Royals who reigned and ruled in Bulgaria. This museum was very easy to find since it is located on the main street leading to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
The Ethnographic Museum showed the pictures of participants and visitors alike to the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial fair in Plovdiv in 1892. It was mentioned that a lot of the realia used in the exhibit were donated to the museum.
These were some the of visitors to the Bulgarian Agricultural Fair back in the early 1892.
These beautiful rugs formed part of the exhibit during the first Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Fair held in Plovdiv and then in various cities across Europe and the US.
A group portrait of the Royal children Boris, Kiril, Nadejda and Evdokia, 1904, by Nikola Mihaylova (1878-1960)
Portrait fo Queen Eleonore, 1909, by Tseno Todorov (1877-1953)
Portrait of Tsar Ferdinand, 1914, by Nikola Mihaylov (1878-1960)
A Bulgarian woman from the Yambol Region, 1892, by Anton Mitov (1862-1930)
A view of the top of the grand staircase inside the former royal residence turned museum
This handmade wooden mosaic box reminded me so much of the Syrian boxes I bought in Jerusalem. I assume this was Bulgarian.
Here's another Bulgarian handmade wooden mosaic box similar to the boxes still produced and manufactured in Syria today.
The royal portraits on exhibit inside the Art Gallery
This seemed to be the royal palace's former ballroom. It was huge. I can just imagine the gatherings that took place here when the Bulgarian royals still lived here.
The room inside the old Royal Palace turned Art Gallery of Sofia where portraits of the Bulgarian Royal family were displayed
Me enjoying every second of our visit to the museum. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the royal portraits. While I often see the British royals on TV and print media and don't know anything about the former royals of Bulgaria until we came here.
