As long as the spirit of Ivan Vazov is alive, Bulgaria will be alive too, and as long as Bulgaria is alive, the spirit of Ivan Vazov cannot but be alive too, because they are simply one whole. This was said by the director of the National Literary Museum (NLM) Atanas Kapralov, on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the death of the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature Ivan Vazov. In memory of the poet, Archpriest Vasil Tanev served a requiem prayer today at the writer's grave in the garden behind the church “St. Sofia“, BTA specified.
“I thank everyone who came to honor the undisputed most Bulgarian poet. In fact, when I say that he is the most indisputable, this is relative, because even during his lifetime Ivan Vazov had his enemies - people who used his presence in the hearts of the Bulgarian people. Even the "Misl" circle tried to devalue, to some extent, what Vazov wrote. Then came other difficult years for the recognition of Ivan Vazov during the early years of communism, when he was considered a bourgeois writer. Then came modern deniers who tried to republish it in a slush pile or edit it, but all of this, in the end, proved unsuccessful, because Ivan Vazov's words are sown in every Bulgarian heart," said Atanas Kapralov.
In addition, he pointed out that Vazov was associated with the People's Party, but "there is no such party nowadays that tries to appropriate him as happens with other Bulgarian poets."
"There is no other Bulgarian writer who, while still alive, has earned such strong love from ordinary people who live with his works," said Atanas Kapralov in summary.
"104 years ago today in 1921, Bulgaria said goodbye to one of its truest sons – Ivan Vazov. Even during his lifetime, our people honored him with the highest title of "People's Poet" and there is truly no other Bulgarian artist who has so comprehensively and comprehensively, with such depth and sincerity, perceived the sorrows and pains of the homeland, its joys and victories, disappointments and hopes, and in the decades of the resurrected national freedom," said the rector of the University of Library Science and Information Technologies (UniBit) - Sofia - Prof. D.Sc. Stoyan Denchev.
“Vazov has become a prime example of an authentic Bulgarian artist who never cuts his umbilical cord with the nation, does not separate himself from fictional horizons, does not serve foreign interests, but pulsates in one rhythm with society”, he added.
The homage to the poet was also attended by literary historian Katya Zografova and actor Stoyan Chobanov, who performed the works “In the Paradise Valleys“ and “My Songs”.