Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarian Literature – Meetings and Dialogues with the World

Photo: Maria Peeva
The National Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia is hosting an exhibition under the motto “Bulgarian Literature – Meetings and Dialogues with the World” throughout the month of February. The display contains valuable manuscripts, books, documents, works of art, personal effects and photographs related to the wide topic of the spiritual connections between the Bulgarian, European and world culture.
Letters, notes and articles traciing the bridges to world literature


At the onset of those meetings was the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet by the saint brothers Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. Their disciples spread the new script through out the Slavic nations. Here is more on the exhibition from its organizer Ms. Katya Zografova, who is director of the National Literary Museum in Sofia.
“The topic about the Bogomils is one of the most interesting in our exhibition. Few people know that the Catholic Inquisition originated as a means to fight the followers of the Bogomils, the French Cathars and Albigenses, when in the 10th c. it spread like a heresy and reached Western Europe. Comparativists have established a similarity between the secret books of the Bogomils and Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno”, which can be interpreted as a Bulgarian contribution to European culture.”

Old time translations in Bulgarian of world classics

The display aims to demonstrate that the Bulgarian writers at the turn of the 20th century were not only admirers of the great European men of letters but part of the modern tradition. The exhibits feature some of the first translations of European fiction and textbooks into Bulgarian, as well as letters, photographs, and diaries serving as spiritual bridges toward European culture. A good case in point is the great Bulgarian poet Geo Milev, who in 1914 used to sign his personal notes from Leipzig, Bulgarischer Weltbürger, Bulgarian Citizen of the World.

“Another interesting topic is the Bulgarian descendancy of some of Europe’s renowned authors. There has been an argument over the origin the great French Renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard, ‘the poets’ prince’. In one of his works he describes the homeland of his predecessors in the following manner: “There, where the cold Danube passes by the land of Thrace, way south of Hungary.” The exhibition contains a document from the French National Library that attests to the Bulgarian descent of his family. We can also claim for sure that the poetess countess Anna de Noailles, who became the first woman in France decorated with the Legion of Honour, was a blood relation of the great early 19th century Bulgarian enlightener Sofronii of Vratza,” Katya Zografova says in conclusion.

English version by Radostin Zhelev
По публикацията работи: Maria Peeva


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The Old King, 1949

Exhibition in Sofia showcases graphic works by Picasso

An exhibition titled "PICASSO: Graphics from the National Gallery Collection " will open at 18:00  pm this evening at Kvadrat 500 in Sofia. The National Gallery's collection includes twenty-one graphic works by Picasso, thematically connected to his..

published on 1/8/25 6:10 AM

Vasko Vasilev-Bazilio starts the New Year with a heart full of memories and gratitude

Turning a new page, 2025 comes with hope and faith in better days, in peace that will prevail, in happiness and love. On the first day of January - Golyam Sechko, as it is known in the Bulgarian tradition - the mood is upbeat and smiles are everywhere...

published on 1/1/25 9:05 AM

Shevitsa Ensemble performs 'In the Water Mirror' in Tsaribrod

"Thank you to Petar Angelov, Michaela Velichkova, Sonia Chakarova and all the members of the representative folklore ensemble Shevitsa  for the wonderful performance they gave to the people of Tsaribrod on the occasion of the upcoming holidays," wrote..

published on 12/26/24 5:13 PM