Exarch Joseph Square is one of Varna’s smaller squares, notable for its imposing architecture and circular form. It is more commonly known among locals as “Shishkov Garden,” named after the prominent Varna physician Dr. Danail Shishkov, whose civic engagement and initiative significantly contributed to the square’s development in its present form.
Historical Development
As early as the mid-19th century, during the period of Ottoman rule, a square began to form in this location. At that time, the area was irregularly developed and did not have a circular layout. It was known as “Chengene Bazaar,” one of the busiest trading places in the city, where commercial activity was particularly intense. Its proximity to the port and the sea also favoured the development of taverns and inns. Numerous guesthouses with taverns opened here, offering some of the finest Gagauz wines produced in the Varna region. The square was not paved with cobblestones and became dusty in summer and muddy during rainy days. The buildings surrounding “Chengene Bazaar” were predominantly two-storey wooden structures with deep stone cellars. Most of these buildings were demolished during the 1920s.
Following Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878 and the adoption of the first municipal urban development plan in 1897, the improvement of “Chengene Bazaar” began. Engineer Pavel Karakulakov proposed the creation of a circular square to regulate the movement of horse-drawn carriages and wagons from the surrounding streets. The idea was accepted by the Varna Municipality, and by 1912 the square acquired its present layout. After the economic crisis that followed World War I was overcome, construction around the square began in the 1920s. At that time, the unpaved roads and the lack of green planting in the square were still striking features of the area.
Dr. Danail Shishkov’s Contribution to the Square
In 1926, Dr. Danail Shishkov purchased a large plot of land and commissioned engineer Georgi Bernev to construct the then tallest building in Varna, the “Zdrave Resort House” — a private clinic with a boarding facility for summer visitors. Outraged by the condition of the square, Dr. Shishkov purchased cut stone for the sidewalks and granite paving for the roads. He personally supervised and directed the work of the builders.
The Municipality entrusted Anton Novak with planting the square with carob trees, which the Varna architect Dabko Dabkov procured from Italy. In 1928, the square was officially inaugurated. Due to Dr. Shishkov’s initiative and his financial donations, the square began to be commonly referred to by the citizens of Varna as “Dr. Shishkov’s Garden.” During the 1920s, numerous other buildings were erected around the square, some of which still exist today and are protected as cultural monuments. They are notable for their original Neo-Baroque and Art Deco architecture.
Socialist Period and Archaeological Discoveries
In the 1950s, following the establishment of the communist regime and the adoption of architectural styles from the USSR, residential cooperative apartment buildings were constructed around the square, designed in the spirit of Socialist Classicism.
During excavation works, it was discovered that a section of the northern fortification wall of Roman Odessos runs beneath the square. During the renovation and reconstruction carried out in 2020, this archaeological feature was exposed and can now be viewed.
Location and Urban Context
Shishkov Garden is situated in the central urban area of Varna and is enclosed by the following streets: Mihail Koloni, Stefan Karadzha, Prespa, Odrin, St. Kliment, 27 July, and Stefan Bogoridi. Historically, the square also marks the boundaries of three Varna neighborhoods: the Armenian, Gagauz, and Greek quarters.
Today, the square has a circular layout, with a vehicular road surrounding its perimeter. The centre of the square is planted with the carob tree, a species rare for Varna. The architecture surrounding the square dates from the 1920s to the 1950s.
