President Iliana Yotova participated in the official closing of the 21st iconographic council in the Bachkovo Monastery “Assumption of the Virgin“. The event brought together dozens of master iconographers, woodcarvers and believers from all over the country. The main focus of this year's edition was the preservation of the centuries-old traditions of Bulgarian Orthodox icon painting and Christian values.
Spiritual heritage and historical memory
The forum is dedicated to the 633rd anniversary of the capture of the ancient capital city of Tarnovo and the exile of Saint Patriarch Evtimii in the Bachkovo holy monastery. In his official address, the head of state emphasized the extremely important mission of contemporary Bulgarian artists. According to President Yotova, iconographers do not just paint, but create and continue the living historical memory of Bulgaria. She also recalled the key work of emblematic masters such as Zahari Zograf, whose art embodies the rise of the Bulgarian Renaissance.
During the ceremony, the abbot of the Bachkovo Monastery, Bishop Sioniy of Velikiysh, honored the president with a special gift - the Bachkovo Diploma. The document is written in Cyrillic and Glagolitic and tells about the glorification of the relics of Saint Patriarch Euthymius. In turn, Iliana Yotova presented him with valuable collections from the series “Abc. Language. Identity“, created on her personal initiative.
Lithium procession and worship before the relics
The President took part in the traditional lithium procession, which ended the annual exhibition of the Bulgarian Iconographic Association. The exhibition included about 20 established authors, demonstrating complex and diverse techniques in Orthodox painting. Yotova bowed her head and bowed before the miraculous icon of the Holy Mother of God and before the holy relics of Patriarch Evtimii, which are kept in the monastery.