site.btaPhotographer Emil Danailov Takes Bucharest Students on Virtual Tour of Bulgaria

Photographer and journalist Emil Danailov presented the story of Bulgaria through images and narration to students of Bulgarian Philology at the University of Bucharest’s Department of Slavic Studies. For two hours, Danailov stepped into the role of a guide and conducted a virtual tour through both well-known and lesser-known places in Bulgaria.

Among the guests at the event were Bulgarian actors Rusi Chanev and Valentin Ganev, the doyen of Bulgarian studies at the University of Bucharest and translator of Georgi Gospodinov’s novel Time Shelter, Mariana Magiulea Jatop, and Ognyan Iliev – First Secretary at the Bulgarian Embassy in Romania.

"I’m glad that this colourful international group gathered on May 9, Europe Day, a day on which we understand each other, love one another, and live together. That’s why I titled our meeting 'Bulgaria for Friends'. If someone still isn’t a friend of Bulgaria, I hope my photos will ignite that friendship,” Danailov said.

The virtual photo journey began with nature – a shot of the Danube River, followed by a landscape from Dobrudzha, and then images from the Balkan Mountains, Rila, Pirin, and Vitosha. There were also shots of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The photo stories then moved on to Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, and Sofia. In the finale, the author and the audience were briefly “teleported” to Romania to explore Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, the Apuseni Mountains, the castles of Bran and Peles, Sighisoara, and Maramures.

The event also featured discussions on Bulgarian literature and culture, including the works of Ivan Vazov and the stage productions of Alexander Morfov, which draw inspiration from him.