Built in the late 1920s, this house was originally the residence of banker Dimitar Ivanov and his wife Nadezhda Stankovic. The interior features a striking red marble fireplace in the reception room, as well as a stage for musical performances and crystal-adorned interior doors.
The house has several bedrooms, elegant terraces, a spacious study and various utility rooms. Although the original furnishings have been lost, historical records indicate that the elite Sofia residents of the time preferred Central and Western European furniture.
The exterior of the property features a large front garden bordered by an ornate wrought iron fence. A large triple staircase leads to the main entrance, and the property is also characterized by carriage portals that flank the courtyard.
These portals are reminiscent of a bygone era where one can imagine a horse-drawn carriage driving into the courtyard, while the horses and carriage wait in a specially designated area behind the house until the end of the reception.
The Ivanov family enjoyed their residence until 1944, after which the estate was nationalized. At first it served as the Romanian embassy, later as the USSR’s trade mission in Bulgaria and as the headquarters of various communist organizations with unclear functions.
In the 1990s the house was returned to Ivanov’s heirs. In 2004 it was taken over by Valentin Zlatev, director of Lukoil. Despite this change of ownership, the property, which had fallen into disrepair for decades, remains neglected and abandoned, with no apparent connection to its cultural heritage.
90s Talk Show Host Unrecognizable Now and Furious Over Instagram’s Verification Denial
Once a popular daytime TV host in the 80s and 90s, Sally Lowenthal, also known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is now having trouble with people recognizing her.
The former talk show host recently posted on Instagram that the social media company refused to verify her account, even though she provided proof of her identity.
“So, Instagram doesn’t want to give me my blue check – no matter what proof I send them,” the 89-year-old wrote next to a huge blue checkmark. “AND there’s a fake account called ‘realsallyjr’, and that’s NOT ME! Help me let Instagram know so we can fix this.”
Raphael started hosting *The Sally Jessy Raphael Show*, later called *Sally*, in October 1983 and continued until May 2002. Her show was one of the first to involve audience participation and helped pave the way for other female hosts, including Oprah, whose show started three years later.
Over 20 seasons, Raphael interviewed many celebrities but always said Audrey Hepburn was her favorite.
“I was so awestruck, I could hardly ask a question. Everything she did, I admired. Everything she had done in her life I found to be exemplary,” she told the Daily Mail.
TV Personality Sally Jessy Raphael attending 17th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 28, 1990 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, New York. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Throughout her career and even after she retired, Sally Jessy Raphael has had a distinctive look that makes her easily recognizable.
When she started filming *The Sally Jessy Raphael Show*, she realized she couldn’t read the teleprompter.
She said, “When we started, I looked at the teleprompter and said, ‘I can’t read that! I’m going blind!’”
While looking for a new pair of glasses, Raphael saw an ad offering an eye test, glasses, and a Pap smear. Despite how strange the ad seemed, she decided to make an appointment.
During the appointment she was told she would need a more expensive pair of glasses, but unfortunately they only color they had was red.
“You got it,” Raphael said.
Although she didn’t anticipate the trouble she’d face from the producers of her show.
“I had to fight to have the glasses. Producers tried to change them. Those shadowy figures objected to everything.”
She has since accumulated over 200 pairs of red glasses.
As of August 2, Raphael currently has less than 650 followers on Instagram, but even though her numbers might not match those of other talk show hosts, her fans are just as loud if not louder with their support.
“The Icon, the Legend of daytime TV, Ms. Sally Jessy Raphael needs her Blue Check Mark ? “
“That’s pretty crazy that someone as famous as you are is having trouble with being recognized. I’m trying to understand what the issue is though”
“We should flood your feed with blue hearts it’s so much better than a blue checkmark”
I remember watching Sally on TV! Do you? Let us know in the comments.
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