President Iliana Iotova expressed her condolences to the family and loved ones of Vezhdi Rashidov, who died at the age of 74. In her message of condolence, she described the sculptor, public figure and politician as a great name in Bulgaria’s cultural, public and political life.
“Freedom gave wings not only to Vezhdi Rashidov’s talent, but also to every one of his thoughts and actions,” Yotova said. According to her, he never allowed political and personal biases to restrict his freedom and expressed his views boldly, without allowing himself to be influenced by the circumstances of the moment.
The president said that Bulgaria had lost a man who had left his mark on several areas of public life. “Today, all those whom the artist and man Vezhdi Rashidov touched during his earthly journey are mourning,” the message of condolence also said.
Artist and politician
Vezhdi Rashidov was born on December 14, 1951, in Dimitrovgrad. He graduated from the “Ilia Petrov” School of Fine Arts in Sofia and, in 1978, completed a degree in “Sculpture” at the Academy of Arts.
Since the late 1970s, he had participated in national and international exhibitions, biennials and symposia. His solo exhibitions have been presented at UNESCO in Paris, in Tokyo and at the Oscar Wilde Museum in Dublin. His works are held in Bulgarian galleries, as well as in the collections of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Rashidov served as culture minister in two cabinets led by Boyko Borisov and was a member of parliament in seven legislatures. On October 21, 2022, he was elected speaker of the 48th National Assembly, holding the position until the end of the parliament’s term in February 2023.
Sources: novini.bg, bntnews.bg, nova.bg