Dedication, an exhibition devoted to Penka Kassabova

published on 3/8/17 12:08 PM

Penka Kassabova and Boris Christoff

Photo: archive

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Aria of King Philip from Op. Don Carlos, performed Boris Christoff

Noble, intelligent, highly educated and passionate, Penka Kassabova remains in history as a foremost pedagogue, and also as the woman who kept a special place in the heart of Bulgarian world acclaimed basso Boris Christoff. Kassabova passed away in 2000 leaving “a beehive” of followers and a bright vestige in this country's history of education. She was born in the city of Stara Zagora in 1901 to the family of a teacher. As a child she dreamt of becoming an astronomer but instead graduated in pedagogy from the National College of Education, Chicago Kindergarten College. At the end of her life she said she never regretted her choice of profession that had involved dedication to children.

Dedication is the name of the exhibition recently mounted at Boris Christoff Museum House in Sofia. Its author is the director of the museum Elena Dragostinova. She has selected archival photographs and captions to them selected from books written by Penka Kassabova. This has resulted in an enthralling documentary account about the life of an extraordinary woman.

“Penka Kassabova is known to the wider public above all as the great love of Boris Christoff”, Elena Dragostinova says. “They met in 1937 and on 1 March 1938 exchanged martenitsa tassels, their first declaration of love. So, that is why we chose to open the exhibition at the beginning of March. Until she turned 92, Penka kept a scrupulous and detailed record of all dramatic moments in the great international career of Boris Christoff though from a distance. She collected reviews and made a clipping from the foreign press. This way she compiled her diary that she left to famous poetess Leda Mileva (daughter of her brother Geo Milev). Her will was that the dairy should be published after the last person who would be hurt by its content has left this world. Leda Mileva obeyed Kassabova's will and published the diary in 2012 with the title Love and Talent. Unfortunately, shortly after that Leda Mileva herself passed away. Her daughter-in-law Violeta Tsoneva collected everything left by Penka Kassabova. She donated part of the archives to the Museum of Education in Gabrovo, and the rest - to Boris Christoff Museum House. I decided that it is time to share these memoirs and I drew up a project that received a subsidy from the Ministry of Culture. The work of Penka Kassabova as a foremost pedagogue is a veritable universe and we will continue enriching the exposition.”

Aged 18, and following her father's wish, Penka completed a course for teachers led by Elizabeth Clarke, daughter of the first American missionary in Bulgaria, founder of the American Kindergarten in this country and a school for pedagogues at it.

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“Penka Kassabova arrived to Sofia and began her studies. Later she trained future teachers. 'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world' - this aphorism often repeated by Miss Clarke inspired the young woman and she worked tirelessly to promote the relationships of child - parent - teacher - community - country. After graduating from university in the United States she was back to her motherland and started founding kindergartens across Bulgaria. She organized summer kindergartens in villages. There is a photo with kids on the platform of a truck. The platform has the following caption: 'The kindergarten is a garden of children'. Penka was convinced that the kindergarten should not replace school and children should be educated based on the ethics of relationships, via music and games thus providing a smooth transition to schooling proper. All the time she strove to discover the talents of the kids she taught and direct them to suitable professions. She did the same with a young law student - Boris Christoff. She accepted him to her intellectual circle, encouraged him to give up law and go to study opera in Italy being fully aware that she might lose him. There is a photo from St. Petka Day when Penka celebrated her name day. Boris Christoff has just given her a lovely ring and has whispered in her ear to make sure that everybody would see the ring. There are many other such rarely emotional moments captured in photographs. I entitled the exhibition Dedication, because Penka Kassabova was fully given to her great love for Boris. She died a few months before turning 100. The last caption in the exhibition is a quote from one of her books: 'I dreamt of becoming an astronomer, but I found the stars here on earth - children, these pure souls. I realized that I was born to do this - to educate children, the future worthy adults.”

English Daniela Konstantinova

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