Politicians, scientists and a broad range of artists were brought together at the premiere of a book by Trud journalist Albena Borisova, titled “Behind the Back of KGB”. Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Coalition for Bulgaria Angel Naydenov, BSP’s MP Maya Manolova and her colleague from GERB Irena Sokolova arrived with huge bouquets of flowers at the promotion in the marble lobby of the capital’s Library. Flowers for the author were brought by his wife, artist Mira Kovacevic, on behalf of the first counsellor of the Embassy of Serbia in Bulgaria Damir Kovacevic. Writers Dimitar Shumnaliev and Zdravka Evtimova, artist Prof. Vasil Valev and songwriter Dora Draganova, actors, doctors, lawyers and journalists from the Trud newspaper and other media heard jointly the story told by Albena Borisova about how she wrote her book. The VIP atmosphere of the event was highlighted by the Russian music pieces, performed brilliantly by the professor at the Academy of Music Yosif Radionov, his wife Zornitsa Radionova and pianist and opera singer Andrei Mikhailov. Deputy director of Sofia Theatre Ekaterina Kancheva read excerpts from the book. The premiere was attended by the director of the Bulgarian Bestseller publishing house Julia Tomova, whose editorial product “Behind the Back of KGB” is.

“Behind the Back of KGB” is a kaleidoscope of images and pictures. The book is a documentary story about the time in Moscow and Russia from the late 80’s and early 90’s of the last century, from the Perestroika to the Gulf War. Events that shook the world are represented through the atmosphere at the Pushkin Institute of Russian language. “There came together students from all over the globe. There were no ethnic, religious and racial differences between us. So we lived in harmony. Even during the Gulf War students from U.S. and Iraq were drinking tea together. And after the Iran-Iraq conflict Iranians and Iraqis were happy together, that there would be no longer victims of either one or the other side. The Institute was a miniature image of the global world to which humanity today seeks,” said author Albena Borisova  at the promotion.

“The book is not an ordinary memoir. It is a story about a crucial time, “refracted” in a unique place, such as Pushkin Institute. That’s why it is so valuable,” said on the occasion of the book’s premiere Cynthia Vakareliyska, a professor at Oregon State University in the U.S. She is a friend of Albena Borisova and a character of her work. Another colleague of the author from Moscow – Portuguese Carlos Brito, now a diplomat in Brussels, added: “Our life in Moscow was unique, the time - too. So is the book.”

The son of Andrei Lukanov – Karlo Lukanov, the nephews of Kim Il Sung and Augustino Netu are also among the heroes of the book. According to Juliana Tomova, one of the most interesting characters is a wizard of Columbia, the Indian Don Juan.

The most happy at the premiere of the book were the fellows of Albena Borisova from Moscow and the professor in the department of Russian language in Sofia University Lubomir Jilev, also heroes of the book.

Albena Borisova works as a journalist for the Trud newspaper. She is a graduate in Russian philology from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and in theatre directing with Professor Helen Baeva at the Free Faculty of the University. She has twice specialized at the Institute of Russian language A.S.Pushkin in Moscow.

Copies of “Behind the Back of KGB” have been sent to Pushkin Institute, to our Embassy in Moscow, and the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in the Russian capital, as well as to the Russian Embassy in Sofia.

With publisher Juliana Tomova