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National Sculpture and Painting Symposium at the Monument of Valchan Voyvoda in Rayuvtsi

Tuesday, Sep 02, 2025

On September 14, the traditional National Sculpture Symposium will begin in the village of Rayuvtsi.

This year, around 20 artists from across Bulgaria and Romania will take part, creating sculptures from Vratsa limestone. Each edition of the symposium follows a unifying theme; in 2025, the chosen theme is “Ethno.”

“In past years, legendary Bulgarian revolutionaries and national heroes from different eras were immortalized in stone. The goal remains the same—to preserve Bulgarian memory,” artist Bumbalov said, who has participated since the event’s founding seven years ago. He reminded that the sculptural pantheon is part of the entire cultural complex near Rayuvtsi.

The theme “Ethno” offers participants the freedom to unleash their imagination, interpreting it in their own way through abstract, decorative, realistic, or surrealist styles. The symposium brings together a wide range of creators—students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Veliko Tarnovo University, professors, teachers, and internationally renowned artists. This intergenerational exchange is at the heart of the sculptural academy, supported by the “Stars Under the Stars” Foundation.

According to Bumbalov, the symposium is an open studio where masters of stone sculpture pass down their experience to younger colleagues and enthusiasts eager to work with this timeless material. “The place around Rayuvtsi is magical, filled with energy. I believe the greatest energy is creative energy, and the results of each symposium prove that,” he said.

Following the sculpture event, the painting symposium will open on September 20 in the same location. The festival will culminate on September 27 with a collective exhibition showcasing the works created during both sessions.