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Artists

The Graphic Publications foundation houses one of the iconic collections of the Ivan Vazov National Library—Project proposals for works of monumental and decorative art in synthesis with architecture.

On March 5, 1979 the Ivan Vazov National Library and the State Commission for Fine and Applied Arts and Architecture (SCFAAA) signed a contract for the establishment of a National Foundation for the collection, storage, and public use of projects, models, cardboard drawings and other works of monumental and decorative arts in synthesis with architecture. The management of the SCFAAA, headed by the artist Hristo Stefanov, has undertaken to organize the gathering and forwarding of all projects, cardboards, models and other auxiliary materials and to provide them free of charge for storage, and for the creation of a specialized collection. The National Library, in turn has undertaken to organize the collection into a library unit, to preserve it, to process it and to make it available for use, to create the corresponding bibliographical records and to promote it.

The chronological boundaries of the projects cover the period 1961–1983. Among the authors are Yoan Leviev (28 projects), Anastasia Kmetova (19 projects), Dimitar Kirov (19 projects), and Encho Pironkov (14 projects). Co-authors of some of the works are Ana Grebenarova, Kolyu Vitkovski, Georgi Boyadzhiev. Of all the 84 projects included in the collection, 14 are unrealized. The geographical coverage of the works is large and speaks convincingly of the influence of the Plovdiv group of muralists in the Bulgarian artistic life. The sites in Plovdiv are 40, in Plovdiv region 8 (in the cities of Hissar, Parvomay, Karlovo, Banya, Stamboliyski, Sadovo) and there are 36 across the country (in Sofia, Burgas, Shumen, Silistra, Kozloduy, Blagoevgrad, Botevgrad, Yambol, Sliven, Chirpan, Devin, Monument house of the partisan brigade Hristo Botev on Bratan peak in Sredna Gora, Monument House of the Bulgarian Communist Party on Buzludzha peak, the international exhibition 20 Years on the Path of Socialism in Moscow, USSR). There are seven projects missing the location of their realization. Eight realizations of projects in the city of Plovdiv no longer exist, others are in endangered condition or have been compromised due to inadequate subsequent intervention.

One of the iconic examples of monumental and decorative art in the city is located at Ivan Vazov Public Library. Guided by the idea of preserving this exceptional monumental work for future generations, the library initiated a restoration procedure before the passage of time left a serious imprint and damage on it. Preceded by the restoration of five of the projects in the collection (in the period 2016–2018), the emblematic mural based on works by Ivan Vazov (Uncles – created by Georgi “Slona” Bozhilov, Under the Yoke and Careerists – Yoan Leviev, Epic of the Forgotten – Hristo Stefanov, 1973–1974) was completely restored in 2020.

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