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Thursday 03 November 2022
31 October 2022 - 06 November 2022
October 2023

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

Piano Extravaganza Festival 2022 – 12 th edition
XII Edition, September 28 - November 1, 2022
Venues: Bulgaria Hall, СГХГ
The poster of Piano Extravaganza, with 9 excepcional concerts! With the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Sofia Municipality. Part of the Cultural calendar of SM for 2022. In partnership with Sofia Philharmonic, Sofia Municipal Art Gallery and Sofia National Opera & Ballet.
www.piano-extravaganza.com https://www.facebook.com/PianoExtravaganza.
Venues: Bulgaria Hall, СГХГ
The poster of Piano Extravaganza, with 9 excepcional concerts! With the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Sofia Municipality. Part of the Cultural calendar of SM for 2022. In partnership with Sofia Philharmonic, Sofia Municipal Art Gallery and Sofia National Opera & Ballet.
www.piano-extravaganza.com https://www.facebook.com/PianoExtravaganza.
Festivals

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

OFFICIAL CHANGE OF THE GUARD IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENCY BUILDING
In front of the Presidency
The ceremonial change of the guard in front of the Presidency marks the national and public holidays in Bulgaria. The official change of the guard takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 o’clock.
Festivals

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

DENEV/BERNSTEIN
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Lyubomir Denev Jr.
Soloist/s
Dino Imeri
Kalina Vladovska
Martina Miteva
Miroslav Dimov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Lubomir Denev - Percussion Concerto
Leonard Bernstein - Symphony No.2
Conductor
Lyubomir Denev Jr.
Soloist/s
Dino Imeri
Kalina Vladovska
Martina Miteva
Miroslav Dimov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Lubomir Denev - Percussion Concerto
Leonard Bernstein - Symphony No.2
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – version adapted for children
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

IN THE REALM OF THE MUSICAL
Jubilee performance 30 years of Children's Vocal and Theatre Formation "Talasamche"
Main hall
Main hall
Music and Dance Events

“PHILHARMONICA” STRING QUARTET
Chamber Hall
Soloist/s
Ivaylo Vassilev
Ensemble
Philharmonica String Quartet
Program
César Franck - Piano Quintet in F minor op.14
Claude Debussy - String Quartet
Soloist/s
Ivaylo Vassilev
Ensemble
Philharmonica String Quartet
Program
César Franck - Piano Quintet in F minor op.14
Claude Debussy - String Quartet
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

MAMMA MIA!
11:00 | Musical by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Director Plamen Kartaloff - Anniversary performances
Duration 3:00 with 1 intermission
Main hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
Duration 3:00 with 1 intermission
Main hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
Music and Dance Events

MAMMA MIA!
19:00 | Musical by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Director Plamen Kartaloff - Anniversary performances
Duration 3:00 with 1 intermission
Main hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
Duration 3:00 with 1 intermission
Main hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
Music and Dance Events

UROŠ LAJOVIC & ZIYU HE
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Uroš Lajovic
Soloist/s
Ziyu He
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.3 in G major, K.216
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass) No. 15 in C major, K. 317
Conductor
Uroš Lajovic
Soloist/s
Ziyu He
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.3 in G major, K.216
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass) No. 15 in C major, K. 317
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

SOFIA QUARTET
Chamber Hall
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Sofia Quartet
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - String Quartet No.19 in C major, "Dissonance", KV 465
Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet No.4 in C Minor, Op
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Sofia Quartet
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - String Quartet No.19 in C major, "Dissonance", KV 465
Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet No.4 in C Minor, Op
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

IVO POGORELIĆ & NAYDEN TODOROV
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Ivo Pogorelich
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No.2
Robert Schumann - Symphony No.1 "Spring" in B-flat major, Op.38
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Ivo Pogorelich
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No.2
Robert Schumann - Symphony No.1 "Spring" in B-flat major, Op.38
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

THE LOST PRINCESS
A concert with songs from the musicals "Anastasia" and "The Sound of Music"
Chamber hall
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

GEORGI DIMITROV & SEBASTIAN KNAUER
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Georgi Dimitrov
Soloist/s
Sebastian Knauer
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Concerto No. 20 for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor, K. 466
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 2 in D major , op. 36
Conductor
Georgi Dimitrov
Soloist/s
Sebastian Knauer
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Concerto No. 20 for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor, K. 466
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 2 in D major , op. 36
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

BEETHOVEN/BAUMGARTNER
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Aleksander Kantorov
Aurélien Pascal
Liya Petrova
So Ryang
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Roland Baumgartner - Notre Dame - Tone Poem for solo Piano, Orchestra and Choir
Ludwig van Beethoven - Concerto for Violin, Violoncello, Piano and Orchestra in C major, Op.56
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Aleksander Kantorov
Aurélien Pascal
Liya Petrova
So Ryang
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Roland Baumgartner - Notre Dame - Tone Poem for solo Piano, Orchestra and Choir
Ludwig van Beethoven - Concerto for Violin, Violoncello, Piano and Orchestra in C major, Op.56
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

HUMAN LIFE
120 Anniversary of Mimi Balkanska
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Bella Voce
About the Event
Featuring: Bogomil Spirov, Stefan Petkov and Stefan Vrachev
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Bella Voce
About the Event
Featuring: Bogomil Spirov, Stefan Petkov and Stefan Vrachev
Music and Dance Events

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

Music and Dance Events

QUARTO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
String Symphonies
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Yordan Kamdzhalov
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Quarto Quartet
Program
Dmitri Shostakovich - Barshai, Op. 118
Franz Schubert/Gustav Mahler - String Quartet No.14 "Der Tod und das Mädchen" (Death and the Maiden), Transcription for String Orchestra
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Yordan Kamdzhalov
Soloist/s
Ensemble
Quarto Quartet
Program
Dmitri Shostakovich - Barshai, Op. 118
Franz Schubert/Gustav Mahler - String Quartet No.14 "Der Tod und das Mädchen" (Death and the Maiden), Transcription for String Orchestra
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

ELISABETH LEONSKAJA & NAYDEN TODOROV
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Elisabeth Leonskaja
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Edvard Grieg - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a moll op.16
Robert Schumann - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a moll оp.54
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Elisabeth Leonskaja
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Edvard Grieg - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a moll op.16
Robert Schumann - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in a moll оp.54
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

BACH – CANTATAS AND CHORALES
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Tsvetan Krumov
Soloist/s
Ensemble
National Philharmonic Choir
Conductor
Tsvetan Krumov
Soloist/s
Ensemble
National Philharmonic Choir
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

NAYDEN TODOROV & VESKO ESCHKENAZY
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Vesko Eschkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 "Italian" in A Dur, op. 90
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Vesko Eschkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 "Italian" in A Dur, op. 90
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – version adapted for children
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

SOFIA PHILHARMONIC VISITS ZAGREB
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Vesko Eschkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 "Italian" in A Dur, op. 90
Nayden Todorov
Soloist/s
Vesko Eschkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 "Italian" in A Dur, op. 90
Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

YONA TUKUSER | HUNGER
In an interdisciplinary project, the artist Yona Tukuser, who works in the style of Metamodernism, interprets in her paintings the tragic consequences of hunger in the 20th century, while casting a troubled look at the present in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Yona Tukuser was born in 1986 to Bulgarian parents, in the village of Glavan in Ukraine, some 70 km from the Danube Delta. She is a descendant of a family that emigrated in 1832 from Glavan, Galabovo municipality, Stara Zagora district, Bulgaria.
For 13 years, the artist collected historical evidence of the famines in Ukraine and the Soviet Union in the periods 1921–23, 1932–33 and 1946–47, adopting an academic approach to the selection of archival sources of information.
Her personal interviews with people who survived the famine, quotations from which the exhibition’s visitors will have the opportunity to read, are particularly emotive. ‘The “Hunger” project reveals that the contemporary world has become hostage to the unpunished crimes of Soviet totalitarianism and, in particular, to the repressive, anti-peasant actions that contributed to the mass starvation of the population. Philosopher George Santayana’s aphorism that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, should sound like an alarm, the power of which will be amplified by the historical paintings that are part of the project,’ commented Yona Tukuser.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

HÄNSEL UND GRETEL
Opera for children by Engelbert Humperdinck
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events

WILD SYMPHONY
Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Grigor Palikarov
Soloist/s
Petko Venelinov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Dan Brown - Wild Symphony
Conductor
Grigor Palikarov
Soloist/s
Petko Venelinov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Dan Brown - Wild Symphony
Music and Dance Events

Music and Dance Events

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions

LILYANA ROUSSEVA (1932 – 2009) | Retrospective Exhibition
Opening on Tuesday, 18 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Lilyana Rousseva’s name is well known to those who were participants in or followed the development of the visual arts in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century. The artist’s work inarguably represents a significant share of the leading directions and trends in the art of that time, both in its appearance and character. The current exhibition on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity not only to touch her world in paintings, watercolours, and drawings once again, but also to understand and experience them in a new light, more fully and overall in terms of her undisputed contribution to our artistic culture.
In the world the artist built, we will not encounter conflicts or contradictions, existential dramas or the self-centred self-disclosure of the artist’s Ego so common in the world of the contemporary artist. Nor will we find signs of forced and domineering expression emphasizing the subjective beginning. Quite the contrary – Lilyana Rousseva’s ethical attitude implies a reduction of the self and a quiet, unobtrusive reverence for the enigma of the other and “the courage of the artist to protect the liberated intimacy of the female personality” (Kiril Krastev).
Through landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, figural compositions, and nudes, an attempt has been made to encompass the entire genre and thematic variety of Lilyana Rousseva’s paintings. Included are paintings and drawings from the inventory of the National Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries in Pleven, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Lovech, Sliven, and Smolyan, from her heirs and from private collectors. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication with texts by Prof. Chavdar Popov and Ivo Milev. It has been realized through the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The curator is Ivo Milev, with his assistant, Dr. Tanya Staneva.
Exhibitions

LORD KRISHNA
The exhibition presents 13 miniatures and 6 sculptures from the National Gallery collection.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
The god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love, Krishna is central to Hindu philosophy, theology, and mythology. In literature, miniatures, and sculpture, he is represented in a variety of subjects and roles, recreating iconic moments from the narratives and beliefs about him.
The most popular are the representations of him as a baby endowed with special powers, holding a pot of butter; as a little boy dancing on the many heads of the naga, Kāliyā; as the seven-year-old Shrinathji, with his arm extended upwards, symbolising the rescue of his devotees from a disastrous storm.
Alongside the legends, his heroic battles, unfolding in a combination of different moments in time and place, have provided a wealth of material for the imagination of artists.
His love adventures with the cowherd women, known as gopis, are richly illustrated. In one sculpture, he is represented as Krishna playing the flute, while in a miniature, in a moment of play or intimacy with Radha, the most beloved of all the gopis.
The exhibition was prepared by Zlatka Dimitrova and Alexandra Yaneva, curators at the National Gallery.
Exhibitions

THE CARS WE DROVE TO CAPITALISM Exhibition and documentary by Misirkov/Bogdanov
This exhibition and the accompanying eponymous documentary do not relate the history of automotive manufacturing in Socialist countries, nor are they retrospective in character. With their inherent sense of humour, unique visual language and obvious love for cars, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov explore the phenomenon of sotz cars in Europe and their present owners. These cars appear in museum expositions or in private collections, or we may even see them being driven along the streets of major European cities.
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Through the rich palette of images of their owners, united in their common passion for the Socialist car, past and present intertwine, complement and contrast across five distinct themes of the exhibition narrative. In the ‘Introduction’, we are greeted by Ronald Reagan’s holographic projection, accompanied by a composition of 80 model cars and a stele made of pressed tin sheets and parts from Socialist cars.
‘Slices of the Past’ are panels in the signature colours of the era with automotive paint combined with silver photo prints on transparent film accompanied by clippings from black-and-white negatives of old driving textbooks. ‘Phantasms’ is an installation of photos from the Instagram profiles of lady owners of sotz car marques in modern Russia. ‘Time Capsules’ is a series of portraits and personal stories of Bulgarian owners of Socialist cars, while ‘Epilogue’ concludes the narrative with an installation of five video portraits of the characters from the eponymous film and moving text.
Cars are an expression of the individuality of their owners, who breathe new life into them and preserve their history in our contemporary times, marked as they are by the highest technological achievements and innovative spirit. The theme of Socialist heritage is a leitmotif present throughout the work of the two artists. ‘The Cars We Drove to Capitalism’ is a form of exploration of our historical legacy of that epoch, a gauge of technological and scientific capacity. In the context of this polemics, several topics for reflection are sparked off: how valuable is our heritage; to what extent is it the reflection of a bygone reality; is there nostalgia for it?
Exhibitions

THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS
National Archeological Museum presents the exhibition THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS. 21/4/2022 – 30/11/2022.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS presents the development of the weaponry, warfare and the technological craftsmanship of Ancient Thrace. The exposition offers an analysis of the processes and mechanisms through which main shapes of Hellenic armament were adopted, as well as the typology and technology of these artifacts not only in Thrace, but in the Classical world in general.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS consists of more than 120 artifacts – Thracian armament. Among them are composite scaled corset, swords, sheaths, helmets, parade neck-guard.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS refers to the political history of Thrace in the second half of the 1 st Millennium BC and the development of two state formations on the territory of nowadays Bulgaria and Romania - the Odrysian kingdom and the Getaen state.
THE PANOPLY OF THE THRACIAN WARRIORS is a project of St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science, in cooperation with 21 Bulgarian museums and 2 Romanian museums, including National Museum of History of Romania.
Image: National Archeological Museum at The Bulgarian Academy of Science.
Exhibitions

Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals
Earth and Man National Museum presents the exhibition Zlati Zlatev - 40 years dedicated to the collection of Bulgarian minerals. From 01 April to 31 December.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Earth and Man National Museum is located at 4 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Sofia.
Image and text: official website of Earth and Man National Museum.
Exhibitions