The Renovated Mission Gallery Opened Its Doors With a Documentary Exhibition of Miraculous Icons from the Balkans
The official opening of the renovated Mission Gallery at the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs took place on August 13 (Friday) at 11 a.m. with the phototype exhibition "Miraculous Icons and Holy Relics of the Balkans". It was realized by the Center for Slavic-Byzantine Studies "Prof. Ivan Duychev” at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski ”and will remain in the gallery until September 13.
The festive event was attended by ambassadors, delegates of the diplomatic missions from the Western Balkans, diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, partners from the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, National Donation Fund "13th Century Bulgaria", Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski ”, researchers and medievalists from the Center “Prof. Ivan Duychev”, connoisseurs of culture and art.
In his welcoming speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Svetlan Stoev, stated: “Here - one step away from the city noise and institutional unrest - we can realize that nowadays we need missions more and more. Those who carry the values of civilization, to see the constructive results of their achievement" and added: "In my 35-year career I have made sure that cultural diplomacy is the most immediate way to reach people's minds and hearts; it often achieves results that are difficult to achieve by political means."
Mr. Stoev expressed special thanks to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Solomon Passy, who was among the guests present and whose merit is the establishment of the State Institute for Culture and the sculpture park at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Director of the State Institute for Culture Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova thanked the team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her colleagues from the Institute for their support in the renovation of the exhibition space and wished the Mission Gallery to continue to develop as an active space for cultural diplomacy.
In 24 panels, the phototype exhibition "Miraculous Icons and Holy Relics of the Balkans" shows churches and monasteries from the Balkans, which preserve miraculous icons and holy relics as precious relics. One of the researchers, who contributed to the creation of the exhibition and director of the Center "Prof. Ivan Duychev”, Prof. Vasya Velinova, emphasized that it is “a story about our common roots, common mental stereotypes, and spiritual values ”.
Expect new programs and events for our cultural diplomacy in the renovated space of the Mission Gallery in the fall.