site.btaExhibition in Varna Showcases Ukrainian Sculptor Mykhailo Parashchuk's Legacy in Bulgaria

An open-air exhibition in Varna, on the Black Sea, presents the artistic legacy of Ukrainian sculptor Mykhailo Parashchuk (1878-1963), who was active in Bulgaria from 1921 until his death. Curated by art historian Ivo Milev and photographer Stefan N. Shterev, the exhibition is displayed in Atlantic Solidarity Square.

At the opening on Monday, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk, said: “We are showcasing the creative journey of a master who brings stone and bronze to life, gives them a voice, and lets them tell stories.” She said the sculptor was born in Varvaryntsi and began crafting architectural ornaments at the age of 13 in a neighbouring village. “He studied at academies in Krakow, Vienna, and Paris, and was a favourite student of Auguste Rodin.” According to Ilashchuk, his life is worthy of an adventure novel, “sculptor, revolutionary, diplomat, and teacher who worked even as a prisoner-of-war in camp”.

“Parashchuk arrived in Bulgaria in 1921 with a Red Cross humanitarian mission and later became a representative of the Ukrainian charitable organization in Bulgaria, and then of the Ukrainian government-in-exile. Fleeing Bolshevik occupation, he settled permanently in Bulgaria, where he married, made friends, but always remained devoted to Ukraine and vocal in his protest against communist repression of Ukrainians,” Ilashchuk said. “His artistic legacy includes portrait reliefs, capitals, columns, and ornaments that still adorn cities across Bulgaria. His work can be seen at the National Library, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia University, the Bulgarian National Bank, several ministries and embassies in Sofia, on buildings in Plovdiv and Burgas,” Ilashchuk added.

In Varna, Parashchuk worked on the sculptural decoration of the Central Post Office and the Polish coat of arms on the Vladislav Varnenchik monument. He sculpted the capitals of a high school building, now the Saints Cyril and Methodius Primary School. The exhibition also features busts made by the sculptor and preserved in the Sliven Art Gallery, including figures like Tadeusz Grabowski, Danail Krapchev, and Dimitar Blagoev.

The exhibition is a joint project of the Embassy of Ukraine in collaboration with the curators Milev and Shterev, Deputy Ambassador Anna Tertychna said. She added that “Parashchuk lived and worked in Bulgaria for over 40 years until his death in 1963, maintained ties with renowned artists worldwide, devoted many years to Ukrainian-Bulgarian relations, and left behind an extraordinary cultural legacy.” According to her, his fate was tragic as he was forced to spend over 60 years in exile. He served as a diplomat in the Baltic states before settling in Bulgaria. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

The exhibition has previously been shown at Sofia University and in Pernik and Kardzhali. In Varna, it will be on display until mid-September, Tertychna added.