I ended my last post with the words that I was not going to go into the historical details however I thought that I would give you some clues. National heroes Vasil Levski, Stephan Karadzha, Filip Tptyu, Bacho Kiro, participants of the April Uprising and others were held hostage and tortured in the prison. Russian Prince Alexander M. Dondukov-Korsakov fought against the British in the previous war in the Crimea before the Russians were persuaded to support revolution in Bulgaria. The Russians were partly persuaded because of the renaissance of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which had flirted with the protection of the Pope and 'Holy Roman Empire' before gaining strength and independence from the Ottoman supported Greek Orthodox Church. Politics, taxes and corruption all played their part. Nothing changes. Tarnovo was central to all of these influences and consequences although the new King, Boris III, never took residence as the capital had moved to Sofia by the time he was crowned.
After refuelling at the bar/restaurant across the road I decided to wander along the street in search of landmarks and other items which had caught my eye. I had hoped to have a trip to the Roman ruins at "Ulpia Nicopolis Ad Istrum" but was having difficulty arranging transport. My new friend Rouman was on the case. I must admit that it was extremely hot and I did not fancy tackling the fortress city yet. I headed up ul. Ivan Vazov onto ul. Stefan Stambolov to find my first curiosity which I had passed in the taxi. I discovered that this was in pl. Velchova Zavera. In 1834 a wealth merchant of that name returned from abroad with the ambition to overthrow the yoke of the Ottoman Empire. He attracted such names as Nicolas Braider, Dimitar of Sofia. Hadji Jordan Beard. Father Sergius, Abbot of Plakovski monastery. Andon Nikopit, teacher.
You can see where this is going, the united threads of revolution which were establishing themselves in towns and cities all over Bulgaria. It was their intention to take Tarnovo then spread to free other cities in the area. The difficulties of isolation, poor roads and communications had always and still prevented different factions presenting a united front and defeated them for some time. Indeed this conspiracy was discovered and defeated in a battle at the monastery. The leaders were brutally tortures and ultimately hanged in Tarnovo on April 4th 1835. As I said in my previous post, the sparks were flying and the flame would catch. I wandered on up the main road observing some of the cobbled side streets to right and left leading down towards the river or up the sides of the hills which make up the whole city of Veliko Tarnovo. Flags on balconies reflect the patriotism of the people here.
A mural on the end of a building had attracted me to my next location along ul. Stefan Stambolov and it was here that I had my first view of the Asenevtsi Monument. A "must see" in Veliko Tarnovo. Located in a loop of the river Yantra with the imposing building of the Boris Denev State Art Gallery and the vast Sveta Gora Park as a backdrop it dwarfs those who visit as it was meant to do. I make no apology that there are many views of this monument and the surrounding area, photographs taken from different vantage points as I strolled along the street. The final set taken from an open air cafe overlooking the river. Each set displays a differing perspective and, I hope, helps to portray the overpowering size and drama of the sculpture and the size and scope of the Art Gallery and park. Indeed the river itself is beautiful to behold.
Prior to 500 years of oppression by the Ottoman Empire, Tarnovo was the home to the prosperity, culture and freedom of the 2nd Bulgarian Kingdom. The Asenevsti Monument was erected in 1985 to mark the 800th anniversary of the Kingdom. With a mighty sword at the centre, the four horsemen depict the Asen dynasty, Asen, Petúr, Ivan Asen II and Kaloyan, who ruled the kingdom from 1185 to 1241.
Whilst you can get up close and personal by walking across the pedestrian bridge near the hotel it is well worth the walk along this route to see the spectacular views of the river and rooftops across Tarnovo. The cafe where I took the last set of photographs across the river to the monument typifies the ingenuity of local enterprise. There are many old buildings collapsing because of unknown or disputed ownership, a legacy of the handover from Communism.
This area, between two buildings had been cleared and levelled. Garden furniture and umberellas gave shade to those who wished to sit and savour the fresh fruit drinks or a traditional coffee. Pastries and other snacks available too, all served from a container like structure into which a hatch had been cut. Sanitation, no problem - a posh 'portaloo' type structure with tiled sinks outside. Simple but effective. Presumably when someone wishes to build - up stakes and move.
Refreshed I went off in search of the house of the 'Little Monkey' and the 'Monument to the Hanged'. Navigating cobbled slopes and more steps you can miss the former if you blink or don't look above head height as you wander and the latter was erected on 25th June 1884 in memory of rebels who were hung in 1876. The monument is inscribed on four sides with the names, the leader being Ivan Panovcheto, apostle and revolutionary leader of the Gorna Oryahovitsa group. Again regarded as bandits by the authorities but they won in the end.
It was an interesting afternoon and, once again, the contrasts of this city were laid bare to me. Cobbled streets and tarmac thoroughfares, steep slopes and a multitude of steps, never the same, history in the making from the struggles for freedom over centuries to the integration into the EU today. Architecture old and new. A fascinating city in an intriguing country.
This album ends with some more photos taken at the 'Festival of Sound and Light'. It had rained the previous night so Rouman offered a second visit so that I could try to achieve better results with my photography. Whilst the slow speeds had captured some good shots the raindrops looked like hailstones. Unfortunately it was not quite so dark this time so I ran into different problems. I really needed my other lens which I had proposed to pack then changed my mind.
I have tried to give an impression, the music and bells crashing like thunder portray the battles fought and changing history of this fortress city. Created in the 1960s, it was a collaboration between the Czechoslovakian and Bulgarian states of the USSR. Miles of cable laid, thousands of bulbs mounted, the project was completed successfully. It was then revealed that the Czechs had never attempted anything like this before and Tsarevets was the testing ground for a project of their own!
View my "Monuments and moments" photo album
(I have adopted a new approach with captions on the photographs so if anyone wants an unblemished copy an email request through my profile should do it. Good idea or not let me know.)
Prior to 500 years of oppression by the Ottoman Empire, Tarnovo was the home to the prosperity, culture and freedom of the 2nd Bulgarian Kingdom. The Asenevsti Monument was erected in 1985 to mark the 800th anniversary of the Kingdom. With a mighty sword at the centre, the four horsemen depict the Asen dynasty, Asen, Petúr, Ivan Asen II and Kaloyan, who ruled the kingdom from 1185 to 1241.
Whilst you can get up close and personal by walking across the pedestrian bridge near the hotel it is well worth the walk along this route to see the spectacular views of the river and rooftops across Tarnovo. The cafe where I took the last set of photographs across the river to the monument typifies the ingenuity of local enterprise. There are many old buildings collapsing because of unknown or disputed ownership, a legacy of the handover from Communism. 
This area, between two buildings had been cleared and levelled. Garden furniture and umberellas gave shade to those who wished to sit and savour the fresh fruit drinks or a traditional coffee. Pastries and other snacks available too, all served from a container like structure into which a hatch had been cut. Sanitation, no problem - a posh 'portaloo' type structure with tiled sinks outside. Simple but effective. Presumably when someone wishes to build - up stakes and move.
It was an interesting afternoon and, once again, the contrasts of this city were laid bare to me. Cobbled streets and tarmac thoroughfares, steep slopes and a multitude of steps, never the same, history in the making from the struggles for freedom over centuries to the integration into the EU today. Architecture old and new. A fascinating city in an intriguing country.
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