REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Vera BONEVA: Permanent Exhibitions in Bulgarian Memorial Museums 367
Most representative is the group of museums associated with the memory to influential
artists – writers and poets, painters and sculptors, musicians and composers. Usually these
types of cultural institutions have been created after a big donation of the artist’s heirs
that includes building (or apartments), personal belongings, books, documents, copyright
on book issues and music recordings, and other artifacts. Some memorial museums of this
group are functioning as specific cultural centers. Except of care about permanent
exhibition, the staff of these art museums organizes other events – symposiums, festivals,
temporary exhibitions, concerts, educational programs.
Only four are non-Bulgarian persons that have their own museums around the country –
French poet Lamartine, Hungarian poet Laslo Nagi and Hungarian political leader Layosh
Koshut, Russian emperor Alexander II. These prominent men resided for short spaces of
time in Bulgarian towns (Plovdiv, Shumen, Smolyan, Pleven) and the local communities
record this fact by special memorial museums. Mentioned institutions set up in the houses
where strangers were staying during their Bulgarian trips.
Outside those trends stand out few specific cases. Only one museum is devoted to an
athlete – Dan Kolov (famous Bulgarian wrestler). Only two museums are devoted to
clericals – archimandrite Neofit Rilski (educator, writer and linguist) and metropolitan
Ilarion Makariopolski and Tarnovski (church movement leader). No personal museums
dedicated to great soldiers or army officers.
Only four are Bulgarian museums related to public activity of women. And four of them
are too indicative – Raina Knyagina (Rayna the Prinsses – young teacher who participate
in the April Uprising), Baba Vanga (famous blind prophet), Baba Iliytsa (ordinary women
prototype of a novel’s character written by the writer Ivan Vazov), and Petya Dubarova
(child poetess died when she was 17 years old after suicide). Some of women artists are
presented on the general exhibitions or on the museums of their spouses – Peyo Yavorov
Museum in the city of Sofia, Chudomir Museum in the town of Kazanlak, Stanka and
Nikola Ikonomovi Museum in the town of Razgrad.
Museums locations
Almost all museums are situated in the in settlements and areas where the famous
person was born, stayed for a short or for a long period of time. Native houses are
strongly preferred. It is considered that the birth space, the work space or the living space
of the great person is permeated by his spirit. As a rule the house of the public figure was
restored or rebuilt strictly following the original. Before WWII the house of the national
poet Ivan Vazov in the town of Sopot was reconstructed in this manner – on the base of
memories of relatives and neighbors.
Preference for native homes is the main cause that creates the popular name of these
type museums – house museum (kashta-musey). Even in the cases in which the museum
is situated in an apartment or in a modern building, the official name of the institution is
the same – house-museum. The last statement refers to the Nikola Vaptsarov Museum in
Sofia and to the Peyo Yavorov Museum in Sofia. These museums are situated in
apartments where poets lived during their last years.
Where is possible in the area of museum complex was being built and a separate
modern building. In this building the museum staff arranges a modern exhibition –
usually with documents, manuscripts, photographs, personal belongings. There are
modern buildings constructed especially for museum purposes – Georgi Rakovski