The largest and most beloved park in Plovdiv today is not a naturally occurring green space but an artificially created oasis. It was designed by Lucien Chevalas, a Swiss gardener known as the "Minister of Flowers". He crafted his colorful masterpiece in 1892 for the First Bulgarian Exhibition. At that time, the garden hosted 36 exhibition pavilions, and both the exhibition halls and the park were surrounded with electricity.
After the event, Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand issued a decree gifting the garden to the people of Plovdiv under two conditions: "It must bear the name of the great Bulgarian ruler Simeon I, and the people of Plovdiv must take care of it".
After 1944, the garden was briefly renamed the "Park of Freedom" and in 1992, it was officially declared a monument of park art. In 2015, it was renovated to reflect its historical past, restoring architectural elements from 1936, including the Fountain of Demeter and the Central Pavilion.
Recently, Plovdiv TV’s quiz show "Trakia" featured a story by Alexander Kondomimo, who contributed to the bilingual guide of Plovdiv with his Plovdiv slang dictionary. He shared that in the 1930s, “Tsar Simeon Garden” was surrounded by an iron fence and had gates that were locked at night. This was mainly done to prevent drunkards, cattle, and pigs from wandering in, as animals were still common in the city center at the time. The fence was beautifully crafted, resembling those enclosing some European parks.
According to a letter from a viewer, the fence was forged by the Kaloyanov brothers from Doganhisar, Dedeagach, refugees from the Aegean region. Their blacksmith shop was located near today's Fire Department and was owned by Stoyan Kaloyanov, a national revolutionary and secretary of the Edirne Brotherhoods in Plovdiv. Two of his brothers, Komnyu Kaloyanov and Ivan Kaloyanov (the letter writer’s grandfather), also worked there. Aside from the park's fence, they also crafted the fence of the railway station at the time and the fence of “St. Marina” Church, the latter being the only one still preserved today.
Another park known to have been closed to the public at times was “Knyazheska Garden”, also designed by Lucien Chevalas. The initiative for its creation came from Alexander Bogoridi, the governor-general of Eastern Rumelia, who arrived in Plovdiv with his wife. They sought to improve the "palace" they inhabited, leading to the creation of a magical park in front of it.
For a long time, “Knyazheska Garden” was closed to visitors. It wasn't until 1884 that its gates were opened to the public once a week for just four hours. During that time, curious visitors strolled along wide alleys covered with fine sand, encountering sunny meadows filled with flowers, tall trees, and bamboo bushes. Near the konak (residence), there were palm trees and a high greenhouse with a glass roof, filled with beautiful flowers. Many students, soldiers, and citizens took the opportunity to have their pictures taken against the lush greenery and floral arrangements. In the northern part of the garden was an orchard that included the famous white strawberries, which were said to have been brought from a distant land. In reality, Lucien Chevalas had discovered them in the village of Verigovo (now a district of Hisarya). Nearby, giant French strawberries grew, and at the edge, their fragrant Rhodopian counterparts thrived.
Years ago, during the reconstruction of “Dondukov Garden”, there was a proposal to build an iron fence around it and lock it at night. However, following public protests, this proposal was rejected. Currently, all public parks in Plovdiv remain open 24/7 for unrestricted access.
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