TEMPORARY EXHIBITION "THE ARMY OF GOD"

Joint exhibition of
Regional Archaeological Museum - Plovdiv and private museum "Aretè"

Yesterday, on May 17, 2021 in RAM - Plovdiv opened a temporary exhibition entitled "The Army of God", and among the official guests were Mr. Plamen Panov - Deputy Mayor "Culture, Archeology and Tourism" and Prof. Dimitar Ivanov - Chairman of the Arete-Fol Foundation.

The exhibition is on the occasion of the celebration of the International Museum Day (May 18) and presents rare samples of icons from the 10th to 20th Century (copies and originals), lithographs (the earliest of which is from 1809) and church utensils, part from the collection of the private museum "ARETE".

One of the earliest icons presented is the copy of the ceramic icon of "St. Theodore Stratilat ”, 10th Century - a sample of Preslav painted pottery (a remarkable work of Bulgarian art from the time of the First Bulgarian State).

Other interesting exhibits are the two-sided (double-faced) icon from the 12th century with an image of St. Kliment Ohridski and St. Naum Preslavski (copy), as well as the double icon of St. Theodore Tyrone and St. Mina (Tarnovo region, 19th century); rare icon of St. George, Coptic, woven (4th Century) and St. Simon the Zealot (19th Century).

Valuable samples of icons from the 15th-19th Century, such as "St. George on horseback" (15th Century), “St. Dimitar, crowned on the throne" (16th Century), "St. Theodore Tyrone and St. Theodore Stratilat” (1603) “St. George and St. Demetrius” (18th Century), Copy of the miraculous icon of “St. Holy Mother of God” from the Bachkovo Monastery.

Among them are two icons (of St. George and St. Demetrius) - remarkable works of one of the academic artists of the 19th Century Nikolay Pavlovich.

The main icon-painting schools from the 19th century are presented: of Tryavna (Zahari Tsanyuv), of Samokov (Ivan Tonchov), of Edirne, of Ohrid, icons from the town of Kotor (Montenegrin Mount Athos), Siderokastro (Greece), as well as contemporary authors: Violeta Gospodinova, Ivan Todorov, Dr. Rositsa Manova, Petar Antonov and others.

The exhibition can be visited in the period May 18, 2021 - February 28, 2022, Hall VIII of the Regional Archaeological Museum - Plovdiv.