The Exhibition "Bulgaria and Mosaics" is Presented in the City of Stavanger
The Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage of mosaics was presented in the city of Stavanger with the exhibition "Bulgaria and Mosaics" of the State Institute for Culture under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, organized by the Bulgarian Embassy in the Kingdom of Norway and shown for the first time abroad. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Kingdom of Norway, Mrs. Desislava Ivanova, opened the exhibition at a solemn event in the church "St. Petri".
In her welcoming speech, Ambassador Ivanova emphasized the rich cultural and historical heritage of which our country is proud. She recalled that mosaics are a well-known art in Norway as well, giving an example of the mosaic panel in the Oslo City Hall building.
"The exhibition presents the history of Bulgaria through selected examples from the Bulgarian mosaic heritage of the last two millennia. I am glad that the first place where this exposition is presented is Norway. Such type of events are part of our understanding of promoting both Bulgarian culture and the contribution of the Bulgarian community to Norwegian society," said Ms. Ivanova.
In his speech, the Bulgarian ambassador emphasized the panel with elements of ancient mosaics discovered on the territory of Bulgaria. Among them - "Gorgon Medusa" from the 2nd-3rd century, the original of which is located in the Museum of Mosaics in Devnia, as well as fragments of mosaics from the 3rd century found in Plovdiv. The medieval mosaics from Bulgarian churches, as well as modern Bulgarian mosaics from the 20th century, including those from the Courthouse in Sofia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National History Museum and other emblematic buildings in Bulgaria, also make an impression.
The exhibition in Stavanger was opened with the assistance of the church "St. Petri" and the Bulgarian pianist and founder of the International Piano Festival in Stavanger, Mr. Kiril Kutin. He had a special musical appearance at the event alongside 10-year-old violinist Isobel Lynn. The two musicians deservedly gathered the applause of the audience.
The opening was attended by guests from the cultural elite of Stavanger, honorary consuls, representatives of the Bulgarian community in the city and the region, as well as tourists.
The exposition "Bulgaria and Mosaics" will remain available in the church "St. Petri" for a week.
The exhibition consists of 26 panels and was realized by the Balkan Heritage Foundation for the State Institute for Culture under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, in cooperation with Bulgarian museums, non-profit organizations and specialists in the field of art studies and archaeology. The exhibition consists of two components: print and digital. Each panel has a QR code that leads to a specially designed website detailing the mosaics.