Tsaritsa Maria
The only woman in the “Bulgarian Glory” hall is Tsaritsa Maria – the wife of Boris I and mother of his four sons (Vladimir Rasate, Gavril, Simeon and Jacob) and two daughters (Eupraxia and Anna). Historical records preserve very little information about her. What is certain, however, is that she supported in every way the […]
Prince Boris I-Michael
A special place among the rulers who brought glory to Bulgaria is reserved for the Baptiser – Prince Boris I-Michael (852 – 2 May 907). It is no coincidence that his image appears so prominently throughout the Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet – among the letters he blessed, in the Chapel honouring his sainthood, and […]
Khan Omurtag
The sculpture of Omurtag (8th century–831), known as the great builder of the First Bulgarian Empire, stands beside an imposing column bearing the ruler’s famous testament, familiar to all Bulgarians: “Even if a man lives well, he dies and another is born. Let the one born later, when looking upon this inscription, remember the man […]
Khan Krum
The figure of Khan Krum (755 – 13 April 814), Bulgaria’s first great lawgiver, commands respect with the silver-plated skull of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros, transformed into a drinking cup. This recalls Krum’s greatest victory over the overconfident Byzantine ruler, who had repeatedly refused the Bulgarians’ offers of peace. The Battle of the Varbitsa Pass […]
Khan Kardam
One of Bulgaria’s most successful rulers, who led the country out of an almost 40-year political crisis, was Khan Kardam (735–803). He strengthened the authority of the state and achieved numerous military victories against Byzantium. In 792, Emperor Constantine VI launched a military campaign and reached the fortress of Markeli (near present-day Karnobat). Kardam positioned […]
Khan Tervel
Asparuh’s successor, Tervel (675–721), was one of the most highly respected rulers not only in the Balkans, but throughout the ancient world. He was a Christian, like his grandfather Kubrat. With his support, in 705, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian II, who had escaped from exile in Cherson, succeeded in regaining his throne and proclaimed Tervel […]
Khan Asparuh
The next figure, marking the beginning of present-day Bulgaria, is that of Kubrat’s son, Khan Asparuh (c. 640–701). His wax figure captures the gesture he made after his victory over the numerous Byzantine army at Ongal in 680, in what is now Dobruja, near the Danube Delta. Mounted on his horse, Asparuh points to the […]
Khan Kubrat
It all begins with the legacy of Khan Kubrat (605–665), the founder of Old Great Bulgaria.