Trading house Martinov

Overview

The house was built in 1900 by one of the most prominent architects in Ruse at the time - Nigohos Bedrosyan. It is located at 2 Konstantin Irechek Street, on the corner with Alexandrovska Street.

The building is a model for a representative house of the wealthy people of Ruse from the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century. The building has two floors - the first is dedicated to the commercial activities of Georgi Martinov, and the second - to his home.

The impressive building has three attic towers in different styles, ending in sheet metal, with beautiful decorations of stone clusters. Probably the fact that the Loza store was located on the ground floor has something to do with the inlay of the building.

The word SALVE is written in Latin letters on the floor mosaic at the entrance to the upper floor. This inscription is also present in other houses in Ruse, following an old Roman practice and means greeting the guests of the home. All rooms are richly decorated with plant ornaments, fictional urban and romantic landscapes and mythological figures, the work of Italian decorator Carlo Francesconi.

Georgi Martinov settled in Ruse in 1880. He imported metal and steel products from Germany, Austria, France and England. He is better known as mayor of Ruse in the period 1902-1903. He has three daughters.

Georgi Martinov's house was bought by the municipality in 1971. After a careful restoration, it began to be used by the Club of Cultural Artists - Ruse, which is housed in it to this day.