The Navy Club, built at the end of the 19th century by Varna architect Todor Boyadzhiev and the French architect Piera, was inaugurated on December 10, 1900. It hosted Varna’s first New Year’s grand ball after the Liberation of 1878, celebrating the dawn of the new century.
With its imposing architecture, it dominates the corner of Varna’s main boulevards, Maria Louisa and Vladislav, directly opposite the Cathedral.
The idea of constructing an Officers’ Club emerged among the Varna public and the military community after the Liberation.
With funds allocated by the Bulgarian state and voluntary donations from the citizens of Varna, construction of the Varna Officers’ Club began in 1897, modeled after similar institutions already established in Western and Central Europe. Situated on a corner plot, it features two façades richly decorated with classical elements such as pilasters, columns, capitals, and pediments, and is crowned by a mansard floor and an onion-shaped dome. Completed in 1899, it was officially inaugurated at the officers’ New Year’s Ball on December 31, 1899. Between 1899 and 1944, the building hosted numerous balls, wedding celebrations, and other public events.
After 1944, the building was renamed the House of the People’s Army and used as a dormitory. From 1952 to 1992, it officially bore the name House of the People’s Fleet (DNF).
The Officers’ Club is known as the Naval Club.
