Interviews - Bulgaria
Vasko the Patch
Vassil Georgiev, known as Vasko the Patch, is a blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, frontman of the Sofia rock band Poduene Blues Band. Organizer of the festival „Flower for Gosho”, dedicated to Georgi Minchev, and of Sofia Blues Meeting.
Maria Meskin
For more than a quarter of a century Maria Meskin has been the director of the “Svetlin Rusev” Donative Exhibition in Pleven. In the gallery there are about 400 works by Bulgarian and foreign artists, donated by the famous artist and collector Svetlin Rusev.
Kiril Meskin
Prof. Kiril Meskin is a Bulgarian sculptor. He has participated in exhibitions in Belgium, Canada, Russia, Czech Republic, Germany, France. He has had numerous solo exhibitions in many Bulgarian cities. His works hold almost all galleries in the country, as well as private collections in Bulgaria and abroad.
Dr. Sergey Iliev
Assoc.prof. Sergey Iliev, MD, Ph.D, is a surgeon. Head of the Department of Coloproctology and purulent-septic surgery at University Hospital „Dr. Georgi Stranski“ – Pleven. Born on 22.12.1963. Graduated from the Mathematics high school „Geo Milev” in Pleven in 1981. Graduated in Medicine in 1989 from the Higher Medical Academy in Pleven. He acquired a specialty in General Surgery in 1996. Associate Professor of Surgery at the DPSD since 2013. He writes poetry.
Nina Chelijanska
Nina Chelijanska was born in 1962 in Sofia. She studied in Pleven and in the German Language High School in Lovech, graduating with German Philology at the „St. Cyril and St. Methodius“ University of Veliko Tarnovo. She has worked as a teacher in Dolni Dabnik, Troyan and at the Foreign Language High School in Pleven. She has been writing poems for 10 years. These are published primarily online, but also appear in print and in almanacs. She has been awarded by many national poetry competitions.
Antonija Karaivanova
Antonija Karaivanova is an artist. She was born in Veliko Tarnovo and studied Graphics at the „St. Cyril and St. Methodius“ University of Veliko Tarnovo. She currently lives in Pleven. For years she has worked as a curator at Art Gallery „Iliya Beshkov“. Since May 2019 she has been the director of the gallery.
Marieta Kalupova
Marieta Kalupova, actress. She was born in Dimitrovgrad on March 1, 1959. From 1983 to 1986 she was an actress at the Dobrich Drama Theater and since 1986 she has played at the Pleven Drama Theater. There are dozens of roles behind him, many of them lead roles. She has also starred in cinema.
Stancho Totov
Stancho Toshkov Totov is a businessman. He was born on February 7, 1972 in Pleven. He entered politics in 2000 and from 2003 to 2005 was vice-chairman and member of the National Council of the Youth Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). Municipal Councilor and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Budget and Finance at the Municipal Council – Pleven, Mandate 2003-2007. In 2007 he was among the founders of the Political Party „Society for New Bulgaria“.
Diyan Pavlov - Jimmy
Diyan Pavlov, popularly known by his nickname Jimmy for his likeness in his youth to Jimmy Hendrix, is an artist. The Creative workshop „O’Pismenech” which he made, is included in the school textbook on Fine Arts for 10th grade. Jimmy presents to the public a spectacle on the history of writing, disguising himself as Chinese, Egyptian, Arab, medieval monk, Johannes Gutenberg, and demonstrating manual production of paper made by Cai Lun method. Jimmy is an active participant in the first demonstrations and rallies in Bulgaria after November 10th, 1989.
Andrey Romanov
Andrey Romanov was born on November 30, 1926 in the village of Slavovitsa, Pleven region. He completed his secondary education in his native village, high school in Pleven, and university – in Sofia. In April 1967 he was elected secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party – Pleven, and from 1971 to 1979 he was mayor of Pleven. The period coincides with the implementation of a major construction program to mark the 100th anniversary of Bulgaria’s Liberation. Romanov’s name will remain in the history of the city with the construction of the panorama „Pleven Epopee 1877“, the Water Cascade, the preparation for the construction of gallery “Iliya Beshkov”. Honorary citizen of Pleven.
Georgi Popov
Georgi Popov was born on March 3, 1953 in the town of Pleven. He graduated secondary specialized education – photography. His great-grandfather was an Orthodox priest in Pleven. As a photo reporter he started work in newspaper “Septemvrijska pobeda” (September Victory) – Pleven. His professional development continues in the regional daily “Naroden glas” (People’s Voice) – Lovech. His photographs have been published in the largest national newspapers. The highlight of his photographic career is working for the Sofia Press Agency. He is already a pensioner, but continues to cooperate with Pleven editions. Georgi Popov has a huge archive of his own and archive photos.
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