Lettera Publishers is pleased to invite Plovdiv residents and guests to the second stage of the routes under the project "Spiritual Routes in Plovdiv 2023". The autumn themes will be in the fields of literature, architecture, archaeology and fine arts.

The project is funded by the Municipality of Plovdiv under Component 1 "Festivals and Significant Events" and is part of the city's Cultural Calendar for 2023.

Schedule for "Spiritual Routes in Plovdiv" - September 2023.

Route: Status features

National Autumn Exhibitions Plovdiv 2023

09.09.2023, Saturday, 11:00 am.

Meeting point: Old Town, Balabanov's House

Leader: Prof. Dr. Galina Lardeva

Professor of History and Theory of Art, Deputy Rector of the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts "Prof. Dr. G. Lardard. Assen Diamandiev, Artistic Director of the National Autumn Exhibitions since 2013, author of curatorial projects and art studies

The itinerary will traditionally present this year's edition of the National Autumn Exhibitions, which present nine artists in the courtyards and houses of the Old Town - the Balabanov House, the Hindliyan House and the Mexican Art Permanent Exhibition.

Participants in the itinerary will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of Slav Nedev (painting), Emanuela Kovacs (graphic art), Kiril Stanoev (photography), Yordan Velkov (painting), Silvia Mitovska (ceramics), Ognyan Chitakov (sculpture), Elizar Milev (glass).

Itinerary: Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis

10.09.2023, Sunday, 11:00 am.

Meeting point: in front of the entrance to the Bishop's Basilica

Entrance fee: 10 BGN

Theme 1: Archaeological discoveries

Leader: Jeni Tankova, archaeologist

Head of the archaeological survey of the Bishop's Basilica in 2016-2017.

Theme 2: Ancient mosaics and their restoration

Leader: Dr. Stanislav Stanev, art historian

Research interests: late ancient and early medieval art and architecture

The Episcopal Basilica of Philippopolis is the largest early Christian church in the country. The size, decoration and central location of the temple near the Forum of the ancient city testify to the large and influential Christian community in Philippopolis. Its interior was decorated with columns with capitals with Christian symbols, frescoes and lavish mosaic floors. The mosaics are the best preserved part of the building. They were made in three stages, forming two layers with a total area of 2000 square metres.

Dr. Stanislav Stanev and Zheni Tankova will present you the most interesting facts and stories about the discovery of the basilica and the restoration of the ancient mosaics in it. Guests will be introduced to the modern space of the Visitor Centre, which houses the ancient mosaics, interactive exhibitions and virtual reconstructions of the church interior.

Itinerary: The monumental wealth of Plovdiv artists;

Atanas Krastev (Nacho Kultura) and his work

16.09.2023, Saturday, 11:00 am.

Meeting point: in front of the Central Post Office

Leader: prof. dr Galina Lardeva and Assoc. dr Mladen Vlashki

Prof. Mladen Vlaski is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literary Studies and Philosophy. He is a university lecturer, literary historian, critic and journalist. Since April 2018 he has been a lecturer in Bulgarian language, literature and culture at the Slavic Seminar of the University of Freiburg.

Monumental art in Plovdiv is often overlooked and missed by passers-by, but it hides no less mystery and history. Guests on the itinerary will be introduced to some of the most significant monumental works by famous Plovdiv artists, including the sgraffito "Horses" by D. Kirov, the sgraffito "Glorification of the Slavic Enlighteners" by G. Bozhilov-Slona, sgraffito "Thracian Past" by D. Kirov, mural in the Museum of the Revival by D. Kirov, the sgraffito "Hr. G. Danov" by G. Bozhilov-Slona, mosaic "Old Plovdiv" by G. Boyadzhiev, Z. Boyadzhiev, mosaic "Postal Pigeons" by G. Bozhilov-Slona, mosaic "Orpheus" by D. Kirov, etc.

A lecture on the work and merits of Atanas Krastev (Nacho Kultura) will be given in the Red Pony Gallery.

Itinerary: "Tobacco" in Plovdiv

17.09.2023, Sunday, 11:00 am.

Meeting point. Central Square

Leaders: Prof. Dr. Mladen Vlashki and Theodore Karakolev

Theodore Karakolev is an art historian with a BA degree from New Bulgarian University, studying the period between the two world wars. He is engaged in research and promotion of architecture and art at the Bulgarian Architectural Modernism Foundation, as well as in cultural journalism in Plovdiv and national media.

The aim of the route is to introduce one of the emblematic themes of Plovdiv's history in modern times. Public activities - labour, tobacco workers' revolts, charity (of personalities such as Dimitar Kudoglu), as well as architectural artefacts (the tobacco warehouses in the neighbourhood known today as the "Tobacco City") and literary concretisations on the theme are all linked to tobacco. Participants will be introduced to its all-encompassing aspects for the city: the development of the tobacco industry, its influence on the architectural appearance of the city, its impact on its social relations, and its reflection in Dimitar Dimov's novel Tobacco.

The main places to visit: the "Tobacco City", the site of the workers' revolt of 1953, the warehouses along the street. "Ivan Vazov; the building of the Rector's Office of Plovdiv University, where Dimitar Dimov worked; the history of the Kudoglu House of Charity and Public Health (on the site of today's central post office); the former Republic cinema, where one of the first discussions of the novel Tobacco was held; Antim I Street and the houses where some of the prototypes of its characters and Dimitar Dimov himself lived. In addition to the novel "Tobacco", the basis of the literary itinerary will be the memoirs of Lyuben Stanev and books by Georgi Raichevski.

For more information:

www.facebook.com/marshruti.plovdiv

032 600 943, 0888 579139