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Nikola Popov

Nikola Popov was elected Mayor in the elections of 11 February, from the Democratic Accord. He was born in 1975 in the village of Kroushevo, Macedonia. He was a lawyer by profession. He taught in different villages for some time. He was also a speaker on public and political themes.

For some time he was also chairman of Varna Provincial Permanent Committee. He took part in the Balkan and in World War One. He had been a municipal councillor and an MP.

His activities as Mayor of Varna show his personal engagement with the public interest in turning the town into a beautiful and enjoyable living place. The Municipality set apart serious funds for the development of the centre of Varna and the Seaside garden. About 2/3 of the budget was used for that. Work was done on the regulation plan of the town, dating from 1903. Streets were paved and widened, like " Tsar Boris", "6-th September", "Maria-Luisa, "Ferdinand" Blvd., "Slivnitsa" Blvd., etc. The plan of "Sev-Sevmes" district was worked out. The work for the water and electricity supply to the suburbs and the Euqusinograd road continued, the vine nursery-garden was improved, a special wine laboratory was created for free analysis of bad wines. In 1928 the Municipality organised a Vine & Wine exhibition to promote the business. The town development and urbanisation work engaged a lot of workers and this eased the unemployment situation.

In Popov's term in office the following were repaired: the Summertime Theatre, the fish market, the post office buildings. He personally contributed to the increase of the Building Varna Theatre Fund.

Nikola Popov often said: "... we need to work in three directions: 1. Reestablishment of the commercial importance the town once head. 2. Creating more industrial enterprises, thus decreasing the unemployment. 3. Promotion of Varna as a modern sea resort." In the beginning of 1928, the Municipality voted for 5 million leva for the construction of the new sea baths - North and South. A casino building was started in the Seaside Garden, also a new fountain with figures, a tennis club with its own ground was opened. Varna Municipality started to publish a promotional booklet and spent 300,000 leva per year on advertising. In a statement, Nikola Popov said: "The resorts are trade and they need their advertising".

In 1928-1929 new school buildings were under construction - in "Sev-Sevmes" district and "Tsar Simeon" School, other were repaired. Mayor Popov initiated the creation of a committee to deal with the support for poor children and the financing of free school canteens. He also thought necessary the creation of a home for the old and disabled people. The administration also set apart budget funds for support of the poor citizens.

The Mayor also initiated the creation of a committee to write the history of Varna. The Municipality was to create a special fund for that.

Popov's term in Mayor's office ended in April 1930. But he continued to help solve the problems of the town. Nikola Popov was sentenced by the People's Court to 5 years in prison. In 1996 the Supreme Court repealed the verdict of 1945 of a number of intellectuals. Nikola Popov was one of them.

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