Uchilishte Neofit Rilski
Uchilishte Neofit Rilski is an abandoned Primary School in Melnik, Bulgaria. The building has been uninhabited for many years, since the school in Melnik was closed in 2005. The school was a ruin when it was sold to an optician in 2021.
The Uchilishte Neofit Rilski was once a proud village school. Local children learned math, science, reading, and writing in these rooms. It had a simple design, with long corridors and bright classrooms. Dust covers everything, but the artwork still looks warm and full of life.
Artwork
As you walk into the school, the first thing that catches your eye is a stunning piece of art on the wall. It showcases narrative panels that tell the story of the city’s history, all done in a monochrome reddish/terracotta line style. If you happen to know when this mural was created or who the artist is, I’d love to hear from you.
Biology and mathematics
I found the classrooms the most interesting part. Many chairs and tables are still there. On the old classroom walls, you can still see posters about biology and mathematics. Some show plants, animals, and human organs. Others show numbers and geometric shapes. These posters are yellow and damaged by time, but they create a special atmosphere. It looks like the teacher will come back any moment.
Declining young families in the town of Melnik have resulted in less children, therefor the primary school, in the city center, had to close down. It was closed in 2005 and the building rapidly declined.
Neofit Rilski
The school was named after Neofit Rilski or Neophyte of Rila (1793–1881). He was a 19th-century Bulgarian monk, teacher and artist, and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival. He went to Melnik in 1822, where he spent four years as a student and perfected his Greek and Greek literature knowledge. Later he worked as a teacher in the Rila Monastery. He was known for translating the first Bible into vernacular Bulgarian.
In 2021 the building was sold at a secret auction held in the municipality. Joy Optics was announced the winner with a bid of 623,000 leva.
