Saint Sofia (statue)
The statue of "Saint Sofia" ( Bulgarian статуя "Света София" / statuja "Sweta Sofia") is a bronze statue erected in 2000 in the center of the Bulgarian capital Sofia . She is said to embody the size and beauty of Sofia and is considered the protector of the city and the country. The name of the statue was derived from the church "Saint Sofia" ("Света София" / "Sweta Sofia"), which gave the city of Sofia its name.
The statue is 8.80 m high, weighs 5 t and was composed of 160 parts. It stands on a 12 m high marble plinth. It was created by the Bulgarian sculptor Georgi Tschapkanow . The architect of the monument is Stanislaw Konstantinov.
Location
The figure is on "Independence Square" (Bulgarian площад "Независимост" / ploschtad "Nesawisimost"), at the confluence of the boulevard "Todor Alexandrow" with the boulevard "Knjaginja Maria Luisa". A Lenin monument stood at this point until the end of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1990 . The female figure standing on a high pedestal looks to the east, across Independence Square to the former party house of the Bulgarian Communist Party (today part of Parliament - Narodno Sabranie ).
The old central department store , the Council of Ministers and the Presidential Office are located on Independence Square . In the back of the statue is the newly built Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph . To the right of the figure is the Sveta Nedelja Cathedral , to its left the Banya Bashi Mosque . Immediately next to the statue is one of the entrances to the central Serdica metro station and the underpass that leads to the Sweta Petka Paraskewa Church and the Serdica Archaeological Complex.
Originally, the figure was supposed to be placed on the former party house, together with a clock tower.
Shape and symbolism
The upright figure of a young woman facing east, arms outstretched and waving cloak, holds a laurel wreath in her right hand. An owl sits on the outstretched left arm as a symbol of wisdom . The laurel wreath is the symbol of supreme power. Its circular shape symbolizes infinity ( eternity ), perfection and the renewing life force. Even in ancient times, the circle was a symbol of an ideal order. On the other hand, the wreath is the symbol of victory , in ancient times winners were honored with it.
The woman wears a golden crown on her head and an antique robe that, as if blowing in the wind, protrudes far from her body. The uncovered body parts of the figure that are not covered by the black robe are gilded. The female figure looks royal, stately and powerful.
head
left arm with owl
Side view, waving cape
Name meaning and public criticism
The city of Sofia as the client (especially its mayor) and the sculptor who carried out the work assumed a "Saint Sofia" and created the figure as the image of "Saint Sophia", as an allegory of the city of Sofia and therefore also called her "Saint Sofia" -Statue. In doing so, they misunderstood or falsified the history of the city's name. An interpretation of the “goddess of wisdom”, which was just as incorrect in terms of history and religious history, was also spread.
In connection with the city of Sofia there is no "Saint Sophia", even if the translation of the name of the church that gives the city of Sofia its name, "Saint Sofia" ("Света София" / "Sweta Sofia") might suggest this. What is meant is by no means a saint, but, as with the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the "holy wisdom". The city of Sofia, which was founded by the Romans under the name Serdica , derives its current name from the late antique church "Sweta Sofia" (Saint Sofia). At the time, it stood in front of the city gates of Serdica. Over time, the name of the church was transferred to the city in which it was located. The city of Sofia is not named after a "Saint Sophia", but after the church "Saint Sophia". This church is not dedicated to a saint of the same name, but to wisdom . A “Sophienkirche”, whether the “Hagia Sophia” in Istanbul or the “Sweta Sofia” in Sofia, is dedicated to the wisdom of God.
The confusion was caused by the fact that the Sofia municipal council, by resolution of March 25, 1992, declared September 17 to be “Sofia Day” (the city holiday; Bulgarian “Ден на София”). This September 17th is the holiday of St. Sophia of Milan , on which so-called Sophia masses are celebrated. The holiday of Sofia (September 17th) coincides with the Christian holiday on which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Saints of Milan.
The falsifying interpretation of the female figure as "Saint Sofia" and thus as namesake and patroness (patron saint) of the city of Sofia was criticized in public. The critics accuse the mayor and the sculptor of negligent handling of the story.
After the mayor of Sofia and the sculptor had defended the name of the statue “Saint Sofia” from 1998 to August 2000, they relented in September 2000 and gave up their position, which had been proven by experts to be untenable. The sculptor publicly admitted on September 12, 2000 on the radio “Horizont”: “Well, let's leave this word 'holy' out. It's not holy, good. Just 'Sofia' and nothing more. "
According to the new, revised interpretation of the sculptor, the "Sofia" figure now represents the protector of the city of Sofia and the symbol of the city of Sofia. In a newspaper interview in December 2010, the sculptor only said that this statue is a “symbol of the Bulgarian capital that has existed since antiquity”, but also spoke of the statue as a “goddess of wisdom”. However, the interpretation of the figure as the "goddess of wisdom" is also incorrect. There is no "goddess of wisdom" associated with the city of Sofia.
Web links
- Criticism (bulg.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ kultura.bg (bulg.); "Паметникът на Света Ignorantia." ("The Monument to Saint Ignorantia"); Quote: "... хайде да махнем тази дума" света "! Не е" света ", добре!" София "е, толкова."
- ↑ 24chasa.bg (bulg .; December 28, 2010 "Чапкънов: Осветете‚ Св. София 'отгоре "; Quote:" ... тази статуя - символ символ статуя - символ сина древнато наина древната наина на мъдростта ... ")
Coordinates: 42 ° 41 ′ 52.5 ″ N , 23 ° 19 ′ 17.2 ″ E