site.btaBoyana Church Frescos Presented in First-of-Its-Kind Photographic Edition

For the first time in Bulgarian cultural history, the frescoes of the Boyana Church are being presented through a series of high-quality photographs, captured with state-of-the-art professional equipment over four months of on-site work. The presentation of an album with the photos will take place on December 11 in the newly opened gallery of the Sredets House of Culture in Sofia, the hosts announced.

The team explains that more than 50 frescoes have been photographed in unprecedented detail, revealing plastic, chromatic, and psychological nuances that are normally invisible to visitors in the church.

The de luxe large-format album titled The Boyana Church. At the Dawn of the Renaissance offers the most extensive, accurate, and detailed visual study ever produced of these 1259 works: frescoes regarded by art historians as a pinnacle of medieval Bulgarian painting and among the earliest expressions of the humanist spirit that would later flourish in the European Renaissance.

"This event goes far beyond a standard premiere – it is a celebration of the Bulgarian spirit with a message to Europe and the world. For the Sredets House of Culture, it is both an honor and a mission to support productions of national and global importance," said Minko Lambov, director of the Sredets House of Culture.

At the presentation, guests will hear a lecture by writer and public figure Ivo Milev (the compiler of The History of Bulgarian Fine Art). They will also have the chance to learn about the photographic and editorial process behind the album, speak with the author and team, and view limited high-quality photographic prints. The first print run of the edition will be available on site. 

The expert texts in the book analyze the work and genius of the Boyana Master: his strong psychological insight, individualized figures, dramatic expression, and human emotionality. The book includes numerous quotations from distinguished art historians such as Kiril Krastev, Dr. Bogdan Filov, Andre Grabar, and Prof. Atanas Bozhkov, who place the Boyana Church within the 13th century as a period of remarkable artistic flourishing and a “lucky star of Bulgarian art.”

“Some of the most striking images in the album are the close-up details of the saints’ faces and eyes — frames that reveal extraordinary sensitivity, psychological depth, and a surprisingly modern artistic language,” the team notes. “The frescoes stand as visual proof that the Boyana Church contains some of the most refined and forward-looking works of European medieval art.”

The 184-page album is published in Bulgarian, English, and French in a limited edition of 2,500 copies. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the project will continue with initiatives focused on promoting and preserving the Boyana Church. The edition will also be available for purchase at the International Book Fair from December 9 to 14 at the National Palace of Culture.

Beyond the national premiere, a multimedia international exhibition is planned for 2026 in European institutions and capitals, presenting the album and its visual discoveries to a global audience.