The idea for building the edifice of the Institute of Fish Resources was suggested by Tsar Ferdinand I in 1906-11, the architecture was developed by the famous architect Dabko Dabkov from Varna.
The intended purpose of the Aquarium was delayed during the Balkan Wars and the First World War when the building was transformed in military unit and refugees shelter. It served for the Naval Academy (1918-22) and Fisheries Schools (1922-30). After being repaired, on 17 July 1932, Tsar Boris III opened the Marine Biological Station with Aquarium.
In 1954 it was transformed into Research Institute for Fisheries and Fish Industry, renamed in Central Research Institute for Fish farming and Fishing (1961), Research Institute for Fisheries and Oceanography (1965), Research Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (1968), Institute of Fish Resources (1973). In 2000 the Institute was united with the Institute of Freshwater Fisheries - Plovdiv as the Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture, but in 01.0
1.2007 it regained its independence.
The first director of the Institute of Fish Resources, in the period 1932-34, was Prof. Dr. Stefan Georgiev Konsulov (1885 - 1954). Among the famous Bulgarian scientists who managed IFR - Varna are:
hon. acad. Georgi Vassilev Paspalev - 1934 - 1940
hon. acad. Alexander Konstantinov Vulkanov - 1942 - 1962
Prof. Lyudia Stanchev Ivanov - 1964 - 1990
Prof. Petar Poldiev Kolarov - 1990 - 2001
About Aquarium Varna in Wikipedia
Ivan Alexiev's research on the history of the Marine Biological Station with Aquarium and links to all articles:
1. Captain I rank Vasil Hitrov and the Aquarium in Varna (1906-1907).
https://morskivestnik.com/compass/news/2012/072012/072012_55.html
2. Dr. BONE BAEV AND THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH AN AQUARIUM IN BULGARIA (1891-1894)
https://www.morskivestnik.com/mor_kolekcii/izsledwaniq/avanalex04072012.html
3. Dr. Bone Baev began the first research on the Aquarium in Bulgaria (Burgas, 1892).
https://morskivestnik.com/compass/news/2021/082021/082021_28.html
4. Who is the first director of the Aquarium Varna?
https://morskivestnik.com/compass/news/2012/062012/062012_88.html
