World War One Sites - The NETWORLD Database

Museum of Naval Education at Naval Academy, Varna, Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Naval Academy is located in Varna on a terrain, which was German military protestant cemetery in the past. The Museum of Naval Education is part of the Naval Academy. It is located at the west (left) site of the Academy Main Corpus under the Planetarium. The form is a circle, divided inside into separated thematic sections. 

The first section contains historical documents, pictures, etc. for the establishment of the Machine School at the Fleet of His Excellence (today called Naval Academy) and its first commanders. The second one is devoted to the period of the WW1  and the history of education of naval cadres in the school and outside the country.

The next separated section is   about WW2. Followed some evidences and documents from the new naval history after the WWI All collections and expositions are currently in a process of re-arrangement.

In the central part of the Museum there is a wall with photographs  of foreign students who have been trained at Naval Academy. Among them are current ministers and admirals in Vietnam and other countries, which is of interest of tourists n-air  these nationalities.

From the separated side school entrance, tourists can entered into the Planetarium, after that to look at the museum expositions and to go for a walk to the open-air Alley of Bas-relief of WWI warriors and other honorary citizens connected with the history of the city and the naval education in the country.

The Teachers' open-air alley contains 24 bronze plates - reliefs of teachers and chiefs of the Naval Academy.  Twelve of them were participants in the World War I.
 

Bulgaria, Bulgaria

Type of WWI-heritage

  • Other military building or facility

Dimensions

Two-storey building with the museum exhibitions on the basement with 302 sq.m. exhibition area in the form of a circle, separated into several thematic sections, and a Planetarium on the upper floor.

State of repair/preservation

Well preserved, need partial building renovation and re-organization of museum collections.

Historical WWI Context

In 1909 the Government release 1 million BGN for establishment of the   maritime school in the city of Varna.  In 1913 the Naval Base become a headquarter of the Bulgarian Naval Fleet, from where all the WW1 military actions were commanded. The school was moved at today’s location later on.

The Museum of Naval Education contains evidence and documents/pictures of the history of education of naval cadres in the school and outside the country, incl. for the time of WWI,  i.e. :

1) in Livorno, Italy  - 5 marines and 1 person from the army who cancel their education  and come back to Bulgaria after Italy entering into the WW1 on 24.05.2015;

2) in Murvik, Germany in 2016  - 6 trainees, incl. 4 persons coming from the Machine School. 3 of them continued  to operate into the  underwater sailing – 2 of them was killed in 1918 in Irish sea One of the cadets who trained in Germany – Preslav Lyapchev - French alumnus from Brest and a nephew of the Prime-Minister Lyapchev at that time,  have died with his instructor during a flight training.

3) Some of Varna School’s cadets continued  their training in Russia in the Maritime Engineering School until 1914. One of them  Koycho Koychev  graduated from the Maritime Engineering School was killed afterword by a Russian submarine. Another cadet who has trained in  the  Mining artillery class at the  Maritime Engineering School in 1914  has  become an admiral.

There are an exposition of Naval Academy Biggest,  issued in 1916 by Dimitar Maistorov and  given to cadets, most of which continue their education in Germany.

Also, there are some original documents for  Dimitar Dobrev – Principal of the Academy in 1908. He graduated from Mine Officer Class in Rijeka, Croatia. He took part in Russian- Japanese War but due to the passed malaria disease he quited from the Navy. As a reserve officer,  during the Balkan War he guided the attacks against the Turkish Ship Hamidie and immersed  it.

There are also documents and list of  people – Naval Academy  graduates, who passed training in other countries  before and during the WW1 and took part in the war and post-war activities for protection of sea borders,  cleaning the Black Sea coast of Russian mines, along with Turkish and English sailors, and others.

State of legal protection

Protected

Owner

Naval Academy with a headquarted in Varna, Bulgaria

Kind of cultural use of WWI

Museum of History of Medicine – phone: +359 52 639 729, live.varna.bg/bg/show-places/muze-istoriq-na-medicinata.html

7 Paraskeva Nikolou Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.199720, 27.920642


History Museum of Varna - phone: +359 52 632 677, visit.varna.bg/bg/museums/preview/10.html

12-14  8th of November Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.198703, 27.918089

 

Museum Old Varna - phone: +359 52 654 065, visit.varna.bg/bg/museums/preview/114.html

5 Tsar Kaloyan Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.200823, 27.917745


Museum of Revival - phone: +359 52 658 891revival.museumvarna.com ,

21 Dr. Ludovik Zamenhof Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.201125, 27.912859


Ethnographic Museum - phone: +359 52 630 588, visit.varna.bg/bg/museums/preview/8.html

22 Panagjurishte Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.201023, 27.913428

 

Archaeological Museum of Varna – phone: + 359 52 68103, www.archaeo.museumvarna.com/en/

41 Maria Luiza Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.207188, 27.914512

 

Best Retro Museum of Socialism  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yiaDbXLM6s)

 

Museum of Natural History (nature.museumvarna.com/en/)

 

Varna Aquarium - phone: + 359 052 632 066, ifrvarna.com

4 Primorski Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.201362, 27.922294

 

Small Roman Baths

8    8th of November Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.198289, 27.917831

 

Roman Baths - phone: + 359 52 600 059, www.archaeo.museumvarna.com/en/other2/list/id/1

San Stefano Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GPS: 43.200236, 27.918003

 

Informational Centre Varna – address Varna 9000, St. St. Kiril and Metodij” Square,

phone: +359 52 820690, work hours: 9:00-19:00

 

Varna Tourism Chamber – Varna 9005, Residential area Chayka, Block 128,

phone: +359 52 612809, work hours 9:00 – 19:00

 

Palace of Culture and Sports – Varna (http://palaceofvarna.com/)

 

Dolphinarium – Varna (the only Dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula) ( http://dolphinarium.festa.bg/en)

 

The Monument of Pantheon Varna (https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BD_(%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0))

 

Fountain of Varna - drone video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YatSjvrZEpo&feature=youtu.be)

 

People's Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium "Nikolay Copernicus" (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g295392-d6854829-Reviews-Astronomical_Observatory_and_Planetarium_Copernicus-Varna_Varna_Province.html)

 

City Art Gallery Varna  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKC8UASP5io)

 

Varna Aquarium (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDBygg18Jx0)
 

Varna Zoo  (http://varna-zoo.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwhL2MoFNX4)

 

Varna Assumption Cathedral  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX4KImYsxSY)

Opening

Currently the Museum is under re-organization. Visits to the  Museum and Planetarium is at request, especially for group visits.

Entrance Fee

N/A

Information regarding cities, villages, other touristic attractions (non-WWI) nearby

Varna is a port city and seaside resort on Bulgaria's Black Sea, adjacent to the coastal resorts of Golden Sands, St. Konstantin and Albena. It's famous for the "Gold of Varna," 6,000-year-old Thracian jewelry discovered in a necropolis. The jewelry's displayed inside the Archaeological Museum, along with Greek, Roman and Ottoman antiquities. For more information see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDaEjT9Mw-0

Varna – information for hotels, restaurants, things to do, etc.  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g295392-Varna_Varna_Province-Vacations.html

Varna Municipality official web-site  http://www.varna.bg/en/index.html

 

Accomodation

Swiss Belhotel Dimyat Varna - https://www.swiss-belhotel.com/bg-bg/swiss-belhotel-varna, phone: +359 52 910 800

111 Kniaz Boris 1 Boulevard, 9002 Varna , Bulgaria

GSM: 43.210017, 27.928603

 

Hotel Best Western Prima - bestwesternvarna.com , phone: + 359 52 609 809

5 Tsar Samuil Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.202509, 27.920563

 

Hotel Relax - hotelrelax-varna.com , phone: + 359 89 789 3432

16-22 Stefan Karadja Str., 9002 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.205167, 27.921614


Hotel Plaza - hotelplazabg.com , phone: + 359 052 684 060

10 Slivnitsa Blvd, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.204854, 27.921228

 

Hotel Cherno more - chernomorebg.com , phone: + 359 52 612 235

33 Slivnitsa Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.204972, 27.919482

 

Hotel Grafiti   - graffithotel.com , phone: + 359 52 989 900

65 Knyaz Boris I Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.207639, 27.922550

 

Hotel Odesos - odessos-bg.com , phone: + 359 52 640 300

1 Slivnitsa Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.203994, 27.921604

 

Hotel Kapitol - capitol.bg , phone: + 359 52 688 000

40 Petko Karawelow Str., 9002  Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.207543, 27.923478

 

Hotel Panorama - panoramabg.com , phone: + 359 52 687 300

31Primorski Blvd, 9000  Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.198254, 27.919661

 

Hotel Akropolis - www.hotelacropolis.net/,  phone: 052/ 603 108, mobile phone: +359 898 506 505

13 Tsar Ivan Shishman Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.199130, 27.920606

 

Hotel Modus - modushotel.com , phone: + 359 52 660 910

46 Stefan Stamboliev Str., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

GSM: 43.203353, 27.921550

 

Public Transport

Bus № 14, 409, 17,

For more information see: www.varnatraffic.com/en

Further information sources

Other heritage sites nearby

Museums Private Collections

Naval Museum of Varna – phone: +359 52/731 523, www.museummaritime-bg.com

Varna, 2, Primorski Blvd

GPS: 43.200357, 27.921533

Location

Back to list