The day of the traditional Bulgarian martenitza

On February 27, Bulgarian Diplomatic Review magazine and the Cultural Events and Programmes Department of Sofia Municipality organised a 1st of March Party on the occasion of the day of the martenitza and the amateur art activities. The party took place in the restaurant of Europa Hotel. The cosy atmosphere of the new hotel situated near Tsarigradsko Shose, brought together numerous guests from the diplomatic corps and the Bulgarian elite. In the celebration participated the children from Zora folk dance ensemble, performers from Star Start for Talents Foundation and the music and dance formation Zhivo, organised by the culture department of Sofia Municipality. The ladies had the chance to admire the new products of the designer Elena Moskvichova – A-Stil fashion house.

Mrs. Margarita Donova – Senior Expert at Sofia Municipality, Cultural Events and Programmes Department, Mrs. Juliana Tomova – Editor-in-Chief of Bulgarian Diplomatic Review, Mrs. Vessela Sirakova – member of St. Sofia Ladies’ Business Club

Cultural Olympics

On March 1, at the National Opera House there was a gala concert, dedicated to the Olympic Games in Greece in 2004. It was part of the Cultural Olympics, a new international institution established in 1997, when Greece was nominated to host the Olympic Games. The aim was to launch an independent cultural activity in harmony with the ancient Olympic ideal, which would accompany the games in other countries, too. The idea about lending a cultural dimension to the Olympics was acclaimed worldwide.

100 years since Vassil Stoilov’s birth

On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Vassil Stoilov on March 2, 2004, the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Sofia hosted a jubilee exhibition of the prominent Bulgarian artist. This was the biggest presentation ever made of the fine and graphic art works of Vassil Stoilov (1904-1990). The exhibition begins with one of his earliest works to reach up to his masterpieces at the end of his creative life. The emphasis is placed on his works of the 1930-40s. The documentary material about the artist, featured in the exhibition, additionally spurred the interest of the public. In combination with his pictures, it complemented the multilateral representation of Vassil Stoilov\'s personality. His centenary was marked by yet another event. On March 4, 2004, the book Vassil Stoilov was presented. It included an album section with color reproductions and was published by the New Bulgarian University. Yavora Stoilova, daughter of the great artist, speaking at the exhibition opening

Sofia – One Hundred Faces

On March 3, at Sofia City Art Gallery the exhibition “Sofia – One Hundred Faces” was opened, dedicated to the 125th anniversary of proclaiming Sofia the capital of Bulgaria and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the municipal art collection, which set the beginning of the gallery.

The rich collection of paintings on Sofia themes includes 350 works, covering a period of over six decades. Cityscapes and compositions by artists of different generations, representatives of all styles in Bulgarian 20th c. art trace the changing city in time – from the quiet nooks and the outskirts to the overcrowded streets and squares. The hundred faces of Sofia seen through the eyes of over 100 artists.

The English Language Library at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia received a generous gift from the Irish Embassy

As of March 15, the students of British and American Studies can borrow 39 wonderful new books, mainly concerning the history of Ireland and the Catholic Church, a glossy edition of the Encyclopaedia of Ireland. The textbooks on law would be interesting and useful for law students. Some of them are written by famous authors like Alvin Jackson, John McCartney, Brian Henley. “This is the first donation from Ireland because the Irish Embassy has been operative only since September 2003,” said the Chargé d’affaires ad interim Mr. Austin Gormley. In his address he expressed his wish to maintain close links with Alma Mater’s lecturers and graduates and to work for the development of the cultural relations between the two countries.

The noble event was attended by students of the specialised course in Irish Studies along with the head of the module – Senior Assistant Mrs. Filipina Filipova. This speciality dates back to 1997 and its popularity has been steadily growing. The specialised course begins in February every academic year and it is exclusively designed for fourth-year students. Currently the total number of trainees is 15, who were selected among 30 candidates. The course focuses on Ancient Ireland, Irish identity, Celtic myths and sagas, the Irish society, studies on dead languages and cultures, nationalism, the development of the Irish literary tradition and modern literature.

Speech and Image

That was the title of the exhibition opened on March 9 at Sofia City Art Gallery. Thus the Centre for Slavic-Byzantine Studies “Prof. Ivan Duychev” marked the 800th anniversary of the taking of Constantinople by the armies of the IV Crusade. It was one of a series of events under the 2003 contract with the gallery for the popularisation of the art created in the Bulgarian lands and on the Balkans (in 2003 there was a display of engravings by Hristofor Zefarovic, donated by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Pavle, and works by the contemporary Serbian etcher Velko Mihailov).

H.E. Mr. Ljubisa Georgievski – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Macedonia, Acad. Cvetan Grozdanov, President of the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts, Prof. Dr. Aksinia Djurova, Prof. Angel Popov (first one on the right)

Riccardo Muti and the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala – Ambassadors of Friendship

The first ever visit to Bulgaria of Riccardo Muti and the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala is not merely a cultural event. The concert on March 17, in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture started the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Italy. On this occasion the Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi expressed his firm belief that: “With this musical event our two countries wish to celebrate the deepest sense of their historical closeness and their tighter links within the Atlantic and the European structures.” Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha beside the musical value sees in the event a double meaning: “On the one hand this is a solid evidence of a friendship Italy has never failed to show during Bulgaria’s progress towards the historical objectives of Euro-Atlantic integration. On the other hand, both countries cherish the expressions of a civilization they both belong to and of which they share not only the roots but above all the future.” The Mayor of Milan Gabriele Albertini, in his capacity of president of Teatro alla Scala Foundation, also acclaimed the big event in Sofia.

The Bulgarians in the opera myth

The meeting with the myth of La Scala di Milano brought forth the subject of the Bulgarian trace. And not only because many of our opera singers have worked with maestro Riccardo Muti. The Bulgarian musicians have been participating in the building up of the opera Olympus for almost a century. The first name written on La Scala posters was Nadya Kovacheva – countess Fiandaca. The year was 1924. There followed the names of the basso Evgeni Zhdanovski and the soprano Elena Doskova-Ricardi, who sang under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Later the names of Ilka Popova, Elena Nikolay, Todor Marazov appeared. After World War One the opera temple was filled with the “golden Bulgarian voices”: Boris Hristov, Dimiter Uzunov, Nikola Nikolov, Nikolay Gyaurov, Raina Kabaivanska, Nikola Gyuzelev, Ghena Dimitrova, Anna Tomova-Sintova, etc. The Bulgarian bassi were highly esteemed. The others had to measure up with them. This basso tradition continues even today with the young Orlin Anastasov, Yulian Konstantinov, etc. Among the names of the big conductors are those of Ruslan Raychev, Emil Chakarov and Yulian Kovachev. Peter Shtarbanov was the Bulgarian director who staged the opera Boris Godunov Bulgarian musicians played and in the orchestra.