The life of Stefan Ivanov is a string of impressive successes as a track and field athlete but also in art as a self-taught artist. But what is even more impressive is the strength of mind which propels the young man forward in spite of all obstacles.

“I started in track and field when I was 13,” says Stefan in an interview for Radio Bulgaria. “I used to be very timid and diffident but my coach showed me what to do. So, gradually I built up qualities in short distance events – relay, long jump, shot-put. And success was not late in coming. In February, 2001, in Yambol, I came third in the indoor 60 m. and third in the 200 m. race. From then on – rigorous training, sometimes very tough. And again in 2001, at a national competition in Sofia, I came first in the 100 and 200 metres, and third in the relay race.”

In 2001 Stefan added one more distinction to his collection – he was declared athlete No. 1 of the town where he was born, Dryanovo. He continued the grueling training and soon the injuries began. Ultimately he had to give up sport when he was only 17. The autumn of 2005 turned his life around – Stefan Ivanov had a motorcycle accident and spent 14 days in a coma. The head trauma, partial memory loss and multiple fractures he sustained meant he was unable to lead a normal life for a long time. During the recovery period he turned to his childhood hobby. As a child he loved to draw, mostly monsters, superheroes and knights, and to improve coordination he decided to pick up the pencil again.

“It was a daunting task, my hands shook, my eyes hurt. Gradually, as I started to improve, so did my drawings. And in the summer of 2006, when I had to draw a new car, the drawing turned out well. I drew a second, a third, a fifth car and the idea came to me to draw historical cars,” he remembers.

Today he has drawn more than 2,000. Many are of different models of one of the symbols of Czechia – Škoda. Because he was so fond of this make of cars, Stefan began to make a study of its history and decided to bring his drawings together in a series of books – “Škoda – a history in drawings.”

In the course of his studies he developed a special interest in the brand Laurin & Klement.

“1895-1929 was a period in which Europe underwent swift industrial changes and despite the wars and conflicts the small company in Austria-Hungary managed to keep its production and to develop into the biggest car maker of its time,” Stefan Ivanov says. “It set record after record and took part in grueling races and round-the world travels. Up until 1918 when World War I ended, making and selling cars was no problem within the bounds of Austria-Hungary. But when it broke up, Czechia became a separate country and exports were a very difficult thing. A fire in 1921 spelled crisis for the company. It started looking for shareholders and Škoda displayed an interest. In the 1925-1929 period it bought and took over the company, and the name Laurin & Klement became a thing of history.”

After the Covid-19 pandemic Stefan is hoping to travel to Florida to present his work. The young man from Dryanovo is now working on the second part of the series devoted to the period from 1929 until 1939.

Stefan’s work as an athlete in Dryanovo gives him ample time for his other hobby besides drawing. He is one of the organizers of the vintage car parade in his home town. He admits that the parade is not as spectacular as in other towns but he is hoping it will take its place as part of the national vintage car parade programme and will be held every year to the delight of the locals as well as the tourists coming to the small town.

Photos: Facebook - Stefan Ivanov's drawings