Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha received a bronze sculpture of his father Tsar Boris III in Vrana. The work was made by the Russian sculptor Andrei Tirtishnikov, and was brought personally by his parents – Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and academician Vladimir Tirtishnikov.
The office of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha announced: „His Majesty the Tsar received a special gift – bronze sculpture of his father Tsar Boris III.“ The announcement specifies that the author is a Russian sculptor and academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.
The author was awarded at the age of 21
Andrey Tirtyshnikov was born on August 4, 1980 in Moscow. In 2001, when he was 21 years old, he received a gold medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. His work has already been donated to a Bulgarian cultural institution.
In May 2021, a bronze bust of Fyodor Dostoevsky, made by Tirtyshnikov, was donated to the National Library “St. St. Cyril and Methodius“ in Sofia. The work was presented by Eleonora Mitrofanova.
A gift for the son of Boris III
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the son of Tsar Boris III, who ruled Bulgaria from 1918 to 1943. After the death of his father, Simeon became Tsar Simeon II, and later served as the country's Prime Minister between 2001 and 2005.
The gift was presented in Vrana as a personal gesture to Simeon. The published photos show Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Eleonora Mitrofanova in front of a portrait of Boris III.
Sources: dnes.bg, 24chasa.bg, ploshtadslaveikov.com