Bulgaria's State Acquires Mutro-Baroque 'Jesus the Redeemer' Hotel

The hotel was confiscated last year by the state authorities after the supreme court ruled that it has been acquired through criminal activity by rapper and pimp Vanko 1. File photo

A hotel, best known for its awkward, mutro-baroque replica of Rio de Janeiro's icon – Christ the Redeemer, overlooking Bulgaria's second-biggest city of Plovdiv, has been taken over by the state.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms, originally a symbol of peace, was erected on the seven-floor hotel in the center of the city, while owned by Bulgarian rapper and pimp Ivan Glavchev aka Vanko 1, in line with the lavish kitsch and garishness of the nouveau riche lifestyle.

The hotel however was confiscated last year by the state authorities after the supreme court ruled that it has been acquired through criminal activity by Vanko 1, best known as the godfather of a scandalous provision for prostitution offenses.

The statue will be toppled, local authorities have decided.

"We will certainly have to change the design of the building. It was meant to be a hotel, while we plan to accommodate here the administration in charge of the blue zone in the city," Plovdiv mayor Ivan Totev said.

Repair works will cost about BGN 2 M, estimates of the municipality show.

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