The Central Sofia Cemetery () or the Orlandovtsi Cemetery ("Орландовци") is the main

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

, the capital of

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. The cemetery has several chapels used by various

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

denominations, such as a

Bulgarian Orthodox The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria (), is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction based in Bulgaria. It is the first medieval recognised patriarchate outside the Pentarchy and the oldest Slavic Orthod ...

church of the

Dormition of the Theotokos The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the '' Theotokos'' ("Mother ...

, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

chapel of

Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he ...

, an

Armenian Apostolic The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic Church, belongs to the Arme ...

chapel, a

Jewish synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, etc. The cemetery also features

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n and

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

military sections.

Notable interments

* Georgi Asparuhov, footballer * Elisaveta Bagryana, Bulgarian writer and poet *

Blaga Dimitrova Blaga Nikolova Dimitrova (; 2 January 19222 May 2003) was a Bulgarian poet and the 2nd Vice President of Bulgaria from 1992 until 1993. Early life and education Dimitrova was born on 2 January 1922 in Byala Slatina, Bulgaria. She graduated high s ...

, Bulgarian poet and 2nd Vice-President of non-Communist Bulgaria *

Georgi Dimitrov Georgi Dimitrov Mihaylov (; ) also known as Georgiy Mihaylovich Dimitrov (; 18 June 1882 – 2 July 1949), was a Bulgarian communist politician who served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party from 1933 t ...

, Prime Minister of Bulgaria *

Ghena Dimitrova Ghena Dimitrova (, 6 May 1941 – 11 June 2005) was a Bulgarian operatic soprano. Her voice was known for its power and upper extension, which she used to great effect in operatic roles such as Turandot in a career spanning four decades. Early ...

, soprano *

Dimitar Dimov Dimitar Todorov Dimov (, 25 June 1909 – 1 April 1966) was a Bulgarian dramatist, novelist and veterinary surgeon. Biography Born in Lovech, Dimov is best known for his best-selling novel Tobacco (, translit. ''Tyutyun'', 1951) which ...

Nikola Dishkov Nikola Dishkov was a Bulgarian builder and public figure, a member of the Macedonian emigration in Bulgaria. Biography He was born on 13 December 1852 in Prilep He emigrated to Free Bulgaria with his family and settled in Sofia, where, after g ...

, Bulgarian entrepreneur *

Mykhailo Drahomanov Mykhailo Petrovych Drahomanov (; 18 September 1841 – 2 July 1895) was a Ukrainian intellectual and public figure. As an academic, Drahomanov was an economist, historian, philosopher, and ethnographer, while as a public intellectual he was a ...

, Ukrainian scholar. *

Nicola Ghiuselev Nicola Ghiuselev ( Bulgarian: Никола Гюзелев) (also ''Gyuzelev''; 17 August 1936 – 16 May 2014) was a Bulgarian operatic bass, particularly associated with the Italian and Russian repertories. Biography Ghiuselev was born on 17 ...

, operatic bass *

Aleko Konstantinov Aleko Konstantinov () (1 January 1863 – 11 May 1897) ( NS: 13 January 1863 – 23 May 1897) was a Bulgarian writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction. Life and career Born to an ...

Andrey Lyapchev Andrey Tasev Lyapchev (Tarpov) (; 30 November 1866 – 6 November 1933) was a Bulgarian Prime Minister in three consecutive governments. Early years Lyapchev was born in the Macedonian city of Resen, which was at the time a part of the Otto ...

Aleksandar Pavlov Malinov Aleksandar Pavlov Malinov (; 3 May 1867 – 20 March 1938) was a leading Bulgarian politician who served as Prime Minister on three occasions. He was born in Pandakli, Bessarabia (present-day Orikhivka, Ukraine) in a family of Bessarabian ...

, Prime Minister of Bulgaria *

Lyubomir Miletich Lyubomir Miletich (; 14 January 1863 – 1 June 1937) was a Bulgarian linguist, ethnographer, dialectologist and historian, as well as the chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1926 to his death. Biography Lyubomir Miletich ...

Gyorche Petrov Gyorche Petrov Nikolov,(; ) born Georgi Petrov Nikolov(; ) (April 2, 1865 – June 28, 1921), was a Macedonian Bulgarian teacher and revolutionary, one of the leaders of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).Vanya Petkova Vanya Petkova (; July 10, 1944 – April 26, 2009) was a Bulgarian poet, novelist, short story writer, and Interpreter, translator of Bulgarians, Bulgarian, Ukrainians, Ukrainian and Greeks, Greek descent. Petkova is widely regarded as one ...

, Bulgarian poet, writer and Guinness World Records candidate *

Vasil Radoslavov Vasil Hristov Radoslavov () (27 July 1854 – 21 October 1929) was a leading Bulgarian liberalism, liberal politician who twice served as List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, prime minister. He was premier of the country throughout most of W ...

, Prime Minister of Bulgaria *

Boris Sarafov Boris Petrov Sarafov ( Bulgarian and ; 12 June 1872 – 28 November 1907) was a Bulgarian Army officer and revolutionary, one of the leaders of Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC) and of the pro-Bulgarian, rightist wing of the In ...

Petko Slaveykov Petko Rachov Slaveykov () (17 November 1827 OS – 1 July 1895 OS ) was a Bulgarian poet, publicist, politician and folklorist. Biography Early years and educational activity Slaveykov was born in Tarnovo to the family of the coppersmith R ...

Pencho Slaveykov Pencho Petkov Slaveykov () (27 April 1866 O.S. – 10 June 1912 ( O.S. 28 May 1912)) was a noted Bulgarian poet and one of the participants in the Misal ("Thought") circle. He was the youngest son of the writer Petko Slaveykov. Biography Bor ...

Hristo Smirnenski Hristo Dimitrov Izmirliev (), known as Hristo Smirnenski, (September 17, 1898, Old Style and New Style dates, OS – June 18, 1923) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian poet and prose writer who joined the Bulgarian Communist Party and whose works champio ...

Stefan Stambolov Stefan Nikolov Stambolov (; 31 January 1854 Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe, OS – 19 July 1895 Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe, OS) was a Bulgarian politician, journalist, revoluti ...

Petko Staynov Petko Staynov (; December1, 1896June25, 1977) was a Bulgarian composer and pianist. He enriched the Bulgarian musical culture and contributed considerably to its development. A composer of great creative talent, of wide musical and general cultur ...

Dimitar Talev Dimitar Talev () (1 September 1898 – 20 October 1966) was a Bulgarian writer, journalist, political prisoner, and member of the Bulgarian National Assembly. Biography Born in Prilep, in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-da ...

* Zhelyu Mitev Zhelev, 1st President of non-Communist Bulgaria *

Todor Zhivkov Todor Hristov Zhivkov ( ; 7 September 1911 – 5 August 1998) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian communist statesman who served as the ''de facto'' leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB) from 1954 until 1989 as General Secretary of the Cen ...

, Communist politician *

Wilfred Burchett Wilfred Graham Burchett (16 September 1911 – 27 September 1983) was an Australian journalist known for being the first western journalist to report from Hiroshima after the dropping of the atomic bomb, and for his reporting from "the other si ...

Australian journalist * A WW2 account of E. P. Thompson's brother 'Frank Thompson' who has a special memorial within the British war graves section of the cemetery (later discovered to have been executed and buried in Litakovo) can be found in 'There Is A Spirit In Europe (1947)' which was re-released in 2024.Taylor, Jonathan R. P (2024). There Is A Spirit In Europe: A Memoir Of Frank Thompson 80 Years On. Imprint Lulu: Brittunculi Records & Books. .

References

External links

*
Sofia cemeteries official web site
* {{coord, 42.7164, N, 23.3330, E, type:landmark_scale:5000, display=title * Monuments and memorials in Sofia Armenian Apostolic cemeteries Eastern Orthodox cemeteries Roman Catholic cemeteries Cemeteries in Bulgaria Jewish cemeteries