The monument dedicated to Antim I is situated within Sofia’s St. Nicholas Park. Antim I, a significant figure in Bulgarian Orthodox history, served as the inaugural exarch of the independent Bulgarian Exarchy. Born in 1816 in Lozengrad, Ottoman Empire, under the name Atanas Mihailov Chalakov, he hailed from the village of Tatarlar in the Lozengrad region.
His monastic journey commenced at the Hilendar Monastery, where he assumed the name Antim in 1837. Pursuing education, he attended the esteemed Great National School in the Tsarigrad district of Kurucheshme from 1843 to 1844. Antim furthered his studies at the theological school on Halki Island, graduating with distinction. He continued his academic pursuits in Odessa and ultimately completed his theological education at the renowned Theological Academy in Moscow in 1856.
