News - USA, New York, Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria

On 17 September 2026, the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York hosted a presentation of the documentary project “The Seal of Tervel” with its director and producer, Plamen Petkov. The event attracted strong audience interest, offering attendees an opportunity to view footage and materials from the project and engage in a discussion with the filmmaker.

The project explores the Bulgarian ruler Tervel and his significance for early medieval Europe, including the role of the Bulgarian army in repelling the Arab siege of Constantinople in 717–718. At the heart of the documentary is Tervel’s lead seal, held in the Dumbarton Oaks collection in Washington, D.C. According to the filmmakers, the artefact bears the earliest known portrait of a Bulgarian ruler.

The study of the seal opens a broader exploration of the origins of the Bulgarians, the Dulo dynasty, the Madara Rider and the early Bulgarian capital of Pliska. The project brings together historical and archaeological research, ancient DNA analysis, laser scanning and 3D technologies. The team expects these investigations to yield findings that could substantially enrich and reshape our understanding of early Bulgarian history.

Plamen Petkov is known to Bulgarian audiences for his successful ten-part documentary series “The Bulgarians,” broadcast on bTV in 2006–2007, and the subsequent book of the same name. “The Seal of Tervel” builds on his experience in making historical subjects accessible and engaging for a broad audience.

At the outset of the meeting, Bulgaria’s Consul General in New York, Angel Angelov, welcomed the research project and expressed his strong support for its creators’ partnership with Bulgarian Sunday schools in the United States. The discussion placed particular emphasis on bringing the project to schoolchildren through educational materials and a comic book or graphic novel about Tervel and his era. These ideas offer opportunities for Bulgarian weekend schools abroad. The support of the Bulgarian School “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” in Boston and Cape Cod, an institutional partner of the project, provides an example of this educational engagement.

The event highlighted the potential of documentary filmmaking to connect the Bulgarian community with its historical heritage and encourage younger generations to learn more about Bulgaria.