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We expect Sofia Dance Week for a second time! The festival aims at bringing aesthetic pleasure and new cultural models to its participants and this will not be possible without the presence of the best European dance companies and choreographers.

Last year’s first edition was a definite and determined expression of the fact that Bulgarians need to rethink the way art is made, distributed and perceived in our country.

Sofia Dance Week begins on the 24th of September and ends at the 1st of October, so we all should start setting our minds to a dance mode. You can do this successfully by nodding your head and  tapping with your finger tips while on your way to buy tickets for the various dance events.

Visiting Vertigo shop was a nice experience in any way. The guys who work there not only showed me that they know every detail in inline skating but also they made me change my views on the subject. Skating, first and foremost is a way of life, thinking and attitude, then it comes the business part.

Vertigo shop is the only shop in Sofia that explicitly specializes in inline skating and all the equipment, parts and accessories needed, including clothes, snickers, protectors, graffiti spray cans, magazines and whatever you can think of.

Of course, different styles of skating require different type of boots and the shop offers a whole lot of them. If you are a person who likes to be on the extreme, then aggressive skating is for you, allowing you to impress people with tricks like jumps, grinds, slides and flips. On the other hand, if you like to pointlessly skate in parks for the sport’s sake, then you should go for the fitness skates. Personally, I am more into the fitness part and I was surprised how light they are – perfect for spending the whole afternoon on wheels.

The quality of the items is beyond any doubt – they are of leading companies in the field and most of them are imported from Germany. However, the best thing you can do is to go and check it for yourself.

Address: 26 Krum Popov str.

Website:  http://www.vertigo-skates.com/

I wanted to visit this museum since its very opening last year and now when I had the chance I regret that I haven’t done this earlier. The museum does not occupy the whole building – only the first floor but has a very modern appearance inside, despite the old building that belongs to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The exposition displays the many-sided nature of our predecessors – not only the way they are buried with all the ceremonies, but it also reveals their cultural and historical background through their physique.

Arranged in a chronological order from the Neolithic until the National Revival, one can experience the change of traditions during the centuries. There is so much history in so many bones and skeletons – distinctive traits, diseases, traumas, fashion even. Also, a number of skulls that once belonged to our great leaders have been rendered visual by the method of plastic anthropological reconstruction. You will be able to see how, for example, our Tzar Kaloyan and Tzar Samuil once looked.

I strongly recommend visiting it because you will definitely learn a lot about the way people perceived the world.

There is only one strong disadvantage – all the signs are in Bulgarian but the kind guide will help you to figure out what is what.

Address: 73 Tzarigradsko Shose Bul.

Open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The long and rich history of Bulgaria deserves one of the largest historical museums on the Balkans.  Its collection of more than 650,000 items scrutinizes the political, military, religious and cultural development of our nation. In other words, from the Paleolithic era up to the present-day events, or from lots of coins, crowns, and clothes up to swords, shields and skeletons, making it the only place where one can gain a complete and overall picture of our dynamic history.
The huge building and the garden that surrounds it are part of the complex of Boyana residency – where our president lives. This fact additionally contributes to the grandeur and the magnificence of the place, inviting tourists to pay attention to every single detail, to take a walk in the garden and to enjoy the beautiful mountain view in a calm and pleasant atmosphere.

The biggest disadvantage of the museum, however, is its location since it is situated in the outskirts of Sofia. It is not an easy task to reach it, especially if you don’t have a car. Taking a taxi is an option and from the center to there it will cost you around 10 Leva (5 Euro). The other option is with the public transport, in particular trolley number 2 which goes along Patriarch Evtimii boulevard. When you get on it be patient because you have to reach its final station – where the circular road is. Then, following the signs it won’t be difficult to see it, as it is very close.

The entrance is 10 Leva but every last Sunday of the month you can enjoy the whole collection for free!

The address is 16 Vitoshko Lale str.
Find more information on the official site of the Museum.

We are witnessing a change in the way this magnum opus looks!

I like the iron cell surrounding the leftovers of the massive construction – it lends a very futuristic appearance. It can be used as a final scene of an apocalyptic movie where the protagonist fights the evil powers to save the world.

It also signals for transition from one state to another. As far as my experience shows, however, this process of transformation won’t be that fast having in mind how many years it took the decision-makers to start the initiative for renewing it.

Only time will unfold whether the monument would be given its original image or a new one. I am so impatient to see!

Talking about exhibitions, the one in Shipka 6 gallery is interesting in that the Bulgarian Artists Association displays paintings from its collection. From the poster I understood that these works have been gathered to give tribute to little known authors or long forgotten works.

Most of the paintings are from the archive of the association and are there because no one has claimed them back. The periods they cover are from the 60s, 70s and 80s and it is obvious that they are profoundly influenced by the Communist culture, themes and techniques used at that time.

One shurely makes comparison between now and then, turning the visual experience into a cultural trip way back in time.

The exhibition is on the 3rd and the 4th floors of the gallery and continues up to 13th of March.

Shipka 6 Gallery is on 6 Shipka str.

Naster (a.k.a Nassimo) will open his first stand-alone exhibition this Saturday, February 28th at 19:00 o’clock at 1908 Gallery on 1 Angel Kunchev Street and will last until the 8th of March, 2009. He is one of the first and most prominent Bulgarian underground artists, who started making street graffiti in the early 90s and hasn’t stopped ever since. He has taken part in numerous projects around the country, and keeps pushing and developing his extraordinary abilities and style. His first solo exhibit in Sofia will include around 50 canvases, which are also to be shown in his first exhibition in Canada later this April. Respect!

The metal subculture is among the most expressive ones either in appearance or in ideology. And this tendency exists since its appearance in the world of music. Metal fans are immediately recognized in the way they look or behave, sometimes provoking negative reactions but I believe that this is part of the whole idea – to be distinctive from the crowd.
In this respect, О.Ч.З. takes care of all metal fans many years in a row, decades even. The abbreviation literary means Monsters and Villains Organization (inspired by the TV series “The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin”) and is quite suggestive, since this place is far beyond a mere shop for metal music and accessories of any kind. During the years, it has become an institution for the alternative styles by supporting and organizing prominent events, or organizing trips around Europe aiming at visiting huge metal concerts.
What is more important, however, is that in 1997 the people working behind the idea expand their activities by turning O.Ч.З. in an independent musical company, thus strengthening their position and presence in the Bulgarian underground. The coolest part is that they would never go commercial, as they claim it.
In the shop you can find all a metal fan needs, there is a tattoo & piercing studio as well, but  what I find most impressive are original drumsticks that once belonged to Lars Ulrich from Metallica which decorate the entrance. I have friends who kneel before them. Totally Cool!

О.Ч.З. is on 3 Tri Ushi str.

In Sladchogled store, meaning Sunflower in Bulgarian, interesting things are being sold. The store is organized on two floors and one can literally lose track of time when visiting the place.

On the first floor, there are innumerable number of materials and supplies – everything an artist needs, while on the second one, the area is dedicated to everyone who gets inspired from time to time and likes to create their own decorations, jewelery and whatever they can think of. Obviously, they rely on the imagination and if it happens so that you lack some of it, the how-to-do book collection is impressive, with the English editions dominating.

What is new there is that they have started to offer very exotic mixtures of tea that are all labeled in an interesting way. Perfect for a present, I would say.

Slanchogled store is on 13 Ivan Vazov str.

This monument is a popular place for hanging out and lots of skateboarders, skaters and people with other interests could be spotted. One of the reasons is maybe because there is space to move around and a monument to climb on. But this wasn’t so fifty four years ago, when the place, burdened with symbols, expressed the Socialist power, progress and determination.

A similar message carries the NDK Monument too, which is now hard to decode bearing in mind its crumbling state.

The 34-metre high statue is actually part of a bigger complex that starts from Alexander Osvoboditel Boulevard, thus we have a variety of scenes, representing the glory of the Soviet Army. At first, you see bronze human statues on their way to the war front and at the end, a Russian soldier, followed by Bulgarian woman and man, are elevated above all.

Presently, you won’t be able to take a walk around the statues, since the construction of the subway has overtaken the whole area, still you could enjoy the view while sitting on the stairs of the monument that is in praise of the Russian soldiers.

On the other side of the boulevard, Sofia University is situated.