The Dainelovs’ House

In 1884 architect Nigohos Bedrosyan began the construction of a two-storey building in the then Golyam Varosh neighbourhood ordered by the notable Josef Dainelov. The building was finished in 1886, designed in two separate parts with two entrances – one as a family home and the other for business and let. The Danube Company was the first to rent the building, and jointly with the municipality founded Ruse City Library, which was accommodated in the building for a long lime.Josif Dainelov was a descendant of the inn-keeper Geno Dinolov, the owner of the famous then Geno’s Inn, afterwards renamed to London Hotel. He started his career as a clerk in Tzarigrad, later as a hide trader in Nikoli Minchoolu’s company. In Bulgaria he is well-known as a revivalist, companion of G.S. Rakovsky and public figure, member and chairman of several district courts. The house was one of the first modern buildings in the newly-built urban part and has distinguished the outlook of the present city centre. Subsequent owners were Rusko Pophristov – the mayor of Ruse in the period 1931-1942, History Museum and the Union of Scientists.