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In one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in Kardzhali, an architectural and cultural monument of local significance, treasures of Bulgarian fine art are preserved. The gallery features valuable works by great Bulgarian classical artists as well as contemporary Bulgarian authors.
The beautiful art gallery in the city of Kardzhali is named after one of the notable artists of the last century. In 1967, she joined the art department of the Regional History Museum in the city, transforming the department into the then Regional Gallery, of which she became curator and director.
She herself participated in national art exhibitions, later holding solo exhibitions in Kardzhali and Sofia. She has been a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists since 1972, and later the chairman of the artists in Kardzhali, she is an honorary citizen of the city, and she also completed her life's journey here in 1996, on November 28. Her paintings are exhibited in galleries in Kardzhali, Smolyan, Sofia and other cities across Bulgaria.
Art Department "Stanka Dimitrova" in the city Kardzhali was founded in 1960, together with the museum in the city and opened in 1961 as a branch of the National Art Gallery, in 1967 it was established as an independent institution and a leading cultural institute in Southern Bulgaria.
The gallery is housed in an old administrative building, declared a cultural monument, built in the mid-19th century as a Turkish konak. In the early 20th century it was used for the needs of the army, police and state administration. Part of its structure has been preserved in its authentic form to this day.
The Stanka Dimitrova Gallery is the third richest art gallery in the country, with a collection of over 3,200 works of fine art from different periods of Bulgarian culture - paintings, graphics, sculptures, icons and Renaissance prints.
The gallery is located on three levels, with three different, thematic expositions.
Level 1: Contemporary Bulgarian Art Works by contemporary Bulgarian artists are presented. The exhibition showcases an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures from the 1980s and 1990s. Many of the artists have received international and national awards and have held numerous exhibitions in Bulgaria and many other countries around the world. Among the artists featured in this impactful display of painting, monumental sculpture, and small bronze works are: Emil Stoychev, Georgi Bozhilov, Hristo Simeonov, Vasilka Moneva, Volodya Kenarev, Nikolay Karadjov, Encho Pironkov, Lika Yanko, Vezhdi Rashidov, Emil Popov, Pavel Koichev, Ziyatin Nuriyev, and others.
On Level 2 are displayed valuable works by major Bulgarian classical artists, donated from the collection of the National Art Gallery in the 1960s. The exhibition is titled “Old Masters” and can be said to leave a vivid impression on the mind and heart of every visitor with its emotional impact. The paintings date from the late 19th century to the 1960s. Their creators are among the most iconic figures in Bulgarian fine art: Anton Mitov, Ivan Mrkvička (“Portrait of Tsar Ferdinand”), Jaroslav Věšín, Dimitar Gyudzhenov, Nikola Mihaylov, Stefan Ivanov, Elena Karamihailova, Sirak Skitnik, Ivan Penkov, Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master (with four of his works), Bencho Obreshkov, Iliya Petrov, Bocho Donev, Dimitar Kazakov, Genko Genkov, Stoyan Venev, Dechko Uzunov, Vasil Zahariev, Konstantin Shtarkelov, Vera Nedkova, and others. This makes the exhibition one of the treasures of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage.
(The Crypt): Icon Collection
The gallery’s crypt features a precious collection of around 200 icons, dating from the Late Middle Ages to the Bulgarian Revival period (17th to early 20th century), as well as Revival-era prints. The icons were acquired during rescue missions in the late 1960s and 1970s from deteriorating and abandoned churches in the Eastern Rhodopes. The exhibition begins with priceless 17th-century icons and concludes with works from the early 20th century. Most iconographers were of Greek origin, and nearly all inscriptions on the icons are in Greek.
The Stanka Dimitrova Art Gallery has been operating since 1967 and until 1999 it existed as an independent cultural institute within the municipality, and in 2015 it again passed under the tutelage of the Regional Historical Museum of Kardzhali.
Admission Fees for the "St. Dimitrova" Art Department:
- Students, university students, and pensioners: 2 BGN
- Visitors over 18 years old: 4 BGN
Combined admission for the Regional Historical Museum and the "St. Dimitrova" Art Department:
- Students, university students, and pensioners: 3 BGN
- Visitors over 18 years old: 8 BGN
Free entry: Last Tuesday of every month
Children under 7 years old and persons with disabilities: Free of charge
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