The renovated Pantheon of the Renaissance in Ruse welcomes visitors

Completely renovated and with renewed gilding on the dome, the Pantheon of the Bulgarian National Revival welcomes visitors in Ruse.  Its renovation is part of the joint project of the municipalities of Ruse and Giurgiu "Reconstruction and display of emblematic cultural sites with high tourist potential in the Euroregion Ruse-Giurgiu".  It is funded with over 2.7 million euros under the INTERREG Romania-Bulgaria 2014-2020 cross-border cooperation programme co-managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.    

On the Romanian side, the project renovated the area around the Fortress in the town of   Giurgiu which was built on old ruins and was owned by the rulers of Wallachia.

Most impressive is the replacement of the gilding on the dome of the Pantheon. Gold of 23.75 carats was used to cover an area of 155 square metres, which lasted over a month.  The surrounding area of the national temple-tomb was renovated.  A number of internal and external renovation works were carried out, such as strengthening the structure of the main entrance of the building, new drainage, replacement of the facade cladding, installation of new waterproofing, external and internal artistic lighting, new irrigation system, landscaping, etc. A video surveillance system has also been installed.

The letters with which the names of more than 400 champions of the Bulgarian Revival are inscribed have also been cleaned. An exposition corridor has also been designed.

The project also provides for the supply of equipment for the construction of a new tourist route, the publication of a catalogue and the creation of a website presenting cultural heritage in the Ruse-Giurgiu region.

The implementation of the project is expected to increase the tourist attractiveness of the Ruse-Giurgiu cross-border region by focusing on two of the region's cultural and historical landmarks.

The bones of Lyuben Karavelov, Zakhari Stoyanov, Stefan Karadja, Panayot Hitov, Baba Tonka, Nikola Obretenov, Panayot Volov, Angel Kanchev and other prominent participants in the national liberation movement, heroes of the Serbo-Bulgarian War, participants in the Chervenovodska unit, the Serbo-Turkish War, etc. are laid in the Pantheon of the Revivalists, built in the 70s of the 20th century.