Who are the collectors in Bulgaria and what is actually their initial purpose?
Antiques are collected from time immemorial, and thanks to many writers of the Bulgarian National Revival, we now know so many details of this period. Society rarely thinks that collectors are actually guardians of our national wealth – of culture, of art, of the national spirit.
Some of the names of major Bulgarian collectors are Boyan Radev, Svetlin Roussev, Bogomil Raynov … Boyan Radev for example has a significant contribution to the promotion of ancient and Renaissance art.
Perhaps most interesting is the collection of Bogomil Raynov whom Academician Svetlin Roussev called the most real collector. Unfortunately, it is scattered among his heirs and difficult to trace.
Svetlin Roussev himself says: “Private collections are something beautifully crazy, but the real collector is the one who collects contemporary art.” Thanks to him, art lovers enjoy a full collection that reflects the whole development of Bulgarian art.
“Collectors educate society in terms of art, respect and admiration,” reflects Svetoslav Kantardzhiev who is a member of the Union of collectors in Bulgaria. Not surprisingly, to get membership to the Union of collectors, you must have a proven contribution to the creation, preservation, study and socialization of Bulgarian cultural heritage.