Famous people from Haskovo region

Comenius Multilateral School Partnership project“European Multiguide”

2012 - 2014

Sredno Obshtoobrazovatelno Uchilishte “Vasil Levski” Haskovo, Bulgaria

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/graphics/beneficiaries_all.pdf

Scientist:Asen Zlatarov

Prof. Zlatarov was a prominent Bulgarian scientist, writer, public person

and publicist in the 1920s and 1930s. He was born on 4th February 1885 in Haskovo in a respected family of the

Bulgarian National Revival. From 1904 to 1907 Assen Zlatarov studied

Chemistry at the University of Geneva, and immediately after that he became a

PhD in Chemistry and Physics at the University of Grenoble. For some time he

worked as a teacher in Plovdiv. In the period between 1909 and 1910 he

specialized in Munich. Later he was an editor of several science magazines:

“Chemistry and Industry”, “Nature and Science”, “Nature-philosophical

Writings” and “Science and Life”.

Asen ZlatarovIn 1922 he became an Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the

University of Sofia, In 1935 the scientist became a full-time Professor at the

University.

Prof. Dr.Assen Zlatarov also wrote volumes of poems, a novel, lyrical prose, literature

criticism and journalistic articles.He died in 1936.

In 1959 a bust-monument was erected in Haskovo, and in 1970 – the local

authorities established an award on his name.

Two secondary schools in the region are named after Asen Zlatarov.

Artist:Dimitar Ivanov - Litso

Dimitar Ivanov - Litso was born on 1st March, 1888 in the town of Haskovo, in the family of Ivan Roussev artisan. Since his

childhood the young Mitko had tendencies to paint. In the school he began to paint landscapes. He astounded teachers with

his drawings. In the higher school his fame spread

like lightning - "child prodigy." As a student he became popular in the city for

painting portraits of our Renaissance people, scenery and curtains. For a short

time he emerged as a talented, unique artist in Haskovo.

He decorated the scenes of the Haskovo theater and other towns of the

county. Dimitar Ivanov wanted to continue his education, with the hope to go to Italy for finishing painting, but because of the

difficult financial situation of his big family (four brothers and two sisters), he was

forced to become a seller of copper cookware of his father.

Dimitar Ivanov - Litso

Initially Dimitar Ivanov had passion for portraits, but gradually his passion for

landscape appeared - love, which faithful to the end of his life. He painted

with oil paints. He made meaningful portraits of the Renaissance people, prominent people in Haskovo. The public attached his name “Litso"

/The face/ because he knew how to paint faces. Litso formed as a mature artist

during 1912-1918.

He had no academic education but he followed the ideological currents in

Bulgarian literature and art, and they are reflected in his work. For the period

1912-1938 years D.Ivanov - Litso had 22 solo exhibitions - in Sofia, Plovdiv,

Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Rousse, etc.. cities.

He was extremely hardworking and talented, and he created many works.

He was known as landscapist, but also left several compositional work. Litso

died on 05.06.1953.

In his memory at the center of Haskovo there is a monument.

Musician:Nedialka Simeonova

The first Bulgarian violinist-virtuoso, declared by the American Critics of the

1920s, is one of the best violinists in the world.

She was born on 2nd December 1901 in Haskovo in a poor family. She started

playing at 6, her first teacher being her father – Dimitar Simeonov – self-taught musician, trumpeter and a violinist. At 9 she was said to be “a child prodigy” by the musical critics in Bulgaria. Her first

concert was in Haskovo when she was 10. In 1913 she went to the USA and

performed many charity concerts, and the earned money she gave to the Bulgarian Red Cross to help the Bulgarian who had

been affected by the Balkan Wars. Given a stipend by rich Americans,

Nedialka Simeonova studied violin with the famous Russian Pedagogue Prof.

Leopold Awer, who made her musician of world class.

Nedialka SimeonovaShe had many performances in Germany, the USA, Belgrade,

Prague, Bratislava, South America and Bulgaria, when she returned to

our country in 1932.She was awarded a distinguished

civil service medal. In 1938 she studied in the Dresden Conservatory

and graduated only for 6 months with excellent results.

In 1946, she was employed full time in the Musical Academy in Sofia, and

two years later she became a Professor.

The repertoire of N. Simeonova included almost all violin works, some of them devoted to her.

She died from cancer on 14 March 1959 in the Paris State Clinic.

Every year in Haskovo takes place the Festival called “Nedialka

Simeonova” for young and talented violinists from Bulgaria and many

foreign countries.

Writer:Eli Videva

Eli Videva was born on 20th November, 1955 in Haskovo. She studied Mathematics at

Plovdiv University. She specialized Marketing and

management in the University of Sofia and information

technologies in the Thracian University in Stara Zagora. She

workes as a teacher of Mathematics and information

technologies in Haskovo. She participates actively in

Maths competitions and Olympiads. She is the Chairman of the Club of culture, which is

co-organizer of Traditional literature days "Southern

Spring". She is an author of poetry "Fire in the Rain," "House," "Life Version",

"Heavenly Rider," "Words on" "In axis", "Relive".

Eli VidevaHer poems have been translated into Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian,

Polish, Italian and Turkish. She has printed in literary journals in

Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia, Poland and the USA. She is a winner of

several prizes: “Dimcho Debelyanov”- Koprivshtitsa,

" Southern Spring “ - Haskovo, “White-legged spring "- Harmanli. She is a member of the Union of

Bulgarian Writers and the Union of Mathematicians in Bulgaria and

Slavic Literary Artistic Academy.

Sportsman: Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov was born on 16th May, 1991 in the town of Haskovo.

He is a professional Bulgarian tennis player who on February 11,

2013 is ranked World No. 31by the Association of Tennis

Professionals (ATP). Dimitrov is the most successful

Bulgarian male tennis player, both in ranking reachead – first

and only Bulgarian player torank inside the top 40 - and prize

money won, being the only player to reach $1M.

Grigor Dimitrov is the first (and only) Bulgarian to reach an ATP final in singles (in 2013) and doubles (in 2011). Prior to his professional career, Dimitrov enjoyed a successful junior career, in which

he held the World No. 1 ranking and won the Boys' Singles titlesat the 2008 Wimbledon Championships and the 2008 US Open.

Grigor Dimitrov

Team involved:

Iliyana Panayotova – school project coordinator and teacher of English

Milena Stoeva – integrated teacherDimitar Erfandov – librarian

Students from 5,6 and 7 grades involved in searching of the information.

Photos and music are taken from Google.bg and local media.

Thank you for your attention!