The (Un)Convenient Truth about the Paintings of Igor Markovski


A note published here on 23 September, and shared on my Face Book (as I like to call Facebook), calls for some explanation, as well as a continuation.
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This article, which you are about to read here, will NOT be published in any media outlet, because the media are serviced by anonymous journalists who, on top of that, receive ready-made interviews, ready-made articles, and often do not even sign their names to them…

1. THE PAINTINGS of Igor Markovski

I will not burden you with my biography—what I studied, what I worked, how I lived. That is not the purpose of this article.
Anyone who wishes to do so can easily find and review such information.
However, during the past year (2015), events occurred that strongly resemble the dark chapters of another story with a very different ending.
Quite simply, I watched a television report showing artworks being removed from the vaults of Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) in January 2015, among which I personally recognized (that is, my own) paintings. When I subsequently appeared on that same television channel—first on the program “120 Minutes” on bTV, hosted by Mr. Svetlyo Ivanov—the powerful tentacles of the Octopus were immediately set in motion.
The very next morning, at 9:30 a.m., I was visited at my home address by a representative of the Investigative Department of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, who served me with a summons to appear immediately for questioning.
Do not think that I attempted to hide—quite the opposite. I called back and arrived three hours earlier than requested, clearly in order to demonstrate and prove that I had nothing to conceal.
I was questioned for approximately 150–160 minutes, after which I signed the interrogation record—two sheets, that is, two and a half pages. The questions focused primarily on where exactly I had kept my paintings in the KTB vault, since when, and whether I possessed the relevant documentation. Not only do I possess such documentation, but I also submitted it—in full, with the appropriate protocol and inventory—that same week, on Wednesday at 1:39 p.m.
Almost immediately thereafter, friends began calling to ask whether I had read the exceptionally “interesting” article published in the newspaper “Vseki Den”, where I was publicly vilified, nailed to the wall, and all that was missing was someone shouting “Fire!”.
What is particularly noteworthy is that the article cited “sources from the investigation” and discussed documents which I had allegedly submitted (again, to the Investigation!), describing them as documents with false content. One cannot help but wonder how the journalists who wrote the article knew—in advance—what documents I would submit, given that the article was clearly written the previous evening, since the newspaper must appear on newsstands early in the morning.
We shall leave this minor detail to the attention of that same investigative authority.
I reacted immediately and contacted the investigators to ask who exactly these “sources of information” were, and to point out that if this was how matters were to proceed, further meetings would be meaningless.
After that, I began to wait.
I expected to receive some explanation regarding the seizure of my personal property (in this case, paintings) from the KTB vault, as well as the reasoning behind their transportation (in bulk!) to the National History Museum (NHM).
Here I must add something curious. “Professor” B.D. appeared across all news outlets to demonstrate to the public which paintings the NHM would “acquire once they are confiscated from Tsvetan Vassilev, as I will personally insist that this portrait of the young Boris III, painted by Mrkvička, remain in the NHM” (end of quote, according to televised reports).
The artwork “Boy with a Wooden Horse”, painted by Mrkvička, signed and dated (1888), cannot possibly depict Tsar Boris III as a child, for one simple reason: Boris III was born on 30 January 1894—that is, six (SIX!) years after the painting was created.
Let us, for the moment, set aside the euphoria of “Prof.” B.D., as well as the blind and servile compliance of the media. We will return to that shortly.

In the period from January until today—28 September 2015, other developments took place that remain inexplicable to me:

  • On the part of the Investigation – complete silence;

  • On the part of the media – public vilification (which you will see for yourself below), with the sole exception of the website “Afera”, which conducted its own independent inquiry;

  • I received a request from the National Revenue Agency (NRA) (which you will also see below, as the opening page), containing a deliberately added section related to paintings (that is, works of art);

  • I responded to the NRA and submitted my reply on 1 April of this year. The response consisted of 18 pages, supplemented by two binders with a total volume of 630 pages, or approximately 1,000 additional documents, all duly certified and signed;

  • By law, a response from the NRA should be received within one month—that is, I expected it at the beginning of May. May came and went, June passed as well, and then suddenly, in July, while I was on vacation, a notice was issued by another NRA office (not the one corresponding to my place of residence), requesting a tax audit for the same period covered by the original request (five years). The audit also includes my wife;

  • There is nothing wrong with that—they are entitled to conduct inspections; that is precisely their role as supervisory authorities. I have nothing to hide, for the simple reason that throughout my entire conscious life I have never concealed anything.

What is “problematic” is that I do NOT own a yacht, I do not have a Bentley, nor do I own properties abroad—let alone assets in foreign banks. I do not hide boats in Greek bays. The money I earn through my work, through fees, and through the sale of my personal (own!) paintings, I invest in my family and, once again, in paintings.

I live in an apartment (under 100 sq. m.!!!) purchased in 1995, which I have mortgaged to a bank (and it is NOT KTB) in order to take out a loan and purchase the so-called “seaside” apartment (under 80 sq. m.).

My family consists of four people. My wife is employed, and my children are students—that is, they have no income.

Let the NRA conduct its inspections.

But why are they inspecting me?

Is it not because my paintings were stored in the vaults of KTB? Everything connected to KTB is being scrutinized.

Most likely for that reason—and perhaps also because I possess a certain gift (like Aunt Vanga, since everything seems to be linked to her lately)—I closed all my accounts with that very same KTB back in February 2011, that is, three years before the bank was declared insolvent.

Quite foresighted of me, wouldn’t you say?

2. PAINTINGS AND KTB

Here is what appeared in the media up to that point:

9 February 2015 – Afera.bg

….Published on 09.02.2015 / 21:49

http://afera.bg/%D0%B6%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D0%B4.html
“JOURNALISTIC INVESTIGATIONS FOR A SONG.”
Are there 30–40 paintings belonging to Tsvetan Vassilev in Delyan Peevski’s office at the Rodina Printing Complex?
Did Delyan Peevski gift Tsvetan Vassilev a watch worth a “mere” €160,000?
It is evident that the Prosecutor’s Office maintains convenient teams of journalists with whom it communicates and to whom it feeds controlled information.
In recent days it became clear that Tsvetan Vassilev was allegedly a collector of serious proportions. He owned paintings (more on those shortly), properties (which did not exceed the six apartments owned by Tsvetan Tsvetanov), and over 1,000 coins.
The media crowd was eagerly summoned to yet another “high-profile” operation—the removal of paintings from the premises of KTB—to watch, to film, and to publish information generously narrated by “their sources” from the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, the Investigative Department, as well as by Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov, who over the course of four consecutive appearances made five different statements, only to retract them a week later.
Let us recall that Bozhidar Dimitrov categorically declared that “Tsvetan Vassilev’s collection would be confiscated for the benefit of the people, and that this painting by Mrkvička depicting the young Boris III must remain in the National History Museum, because ‘that is where it belongs.’”
It later turned out that the painting was created in 1888, while Boris III was born in 1894.
It also turned out that the collection did not require identification, as Professor Dimitrov had claimed, since no such legal requirement exists. Then it emerged that it was not a collection at all (his own words), but merely a group of paintings—many of them gifts (no one specified how many), including gifts from the mother of MP Peevski, Irena Krasteva, Grisha Ganchev, and other well-known domestic figures.
Igor Markovski appeared in the spotlight last Sunday on bTV, stating that 275 paintings—out of an unspecified total, transferred in the most brutal manner in vans—were his, and had been placed for safekeeping in the vaults of KTB since May 2007. He presented a contract with Tsvetan Vassilev, as well as an inheritance document dating back to 1986.
That same Sunday, Igor Markovski was also a guest on Nova TV, accompanied by Yavora Stoilova (daughter of Vasil Stoilov), who confirmed that she had sold Markovski her father’s extensive collection and had also gifted him many paintings, as he had supported her family free of charge. It is well known that Vasil Stoilov and Igor’s grandfather—the poet Venko Markovski—were close family friends.
Immediately thereafter, media outlets close to a powerful MP launched a fierce attack against Markovski, accusing him of having a contract with Tsvetan Vassilev that had supposedly been signed “just days ago” and of attempting to reclaim paintings that had allegedly already been paid for by Vassilev—in cash!—to Markovski. This, they claimed, came from the Prosecutor’s Office, as relayed to them.
“Reliable sources” from the so-called art circles were also brought into play—prominent “experts” and “art historians,” all of them anonymous, for reasons that remain unclear.
And now, thanks to our brilliant sources, let us also ask a few questions—quite elementary ones:
How many paintings does Vassilev actually own?
State the exact number.
In the television reports, inventory numbers are clearly visible, many of them well above 400—for example, a painting numbered 726. Does this mean that there are over 700 paintings? Over 800? At some point it was mentioned that there were more than 2,000. Is that true?
Where are the remaining paintings?
Where are they stored?
Is it true that, in addition to receiving paintings as gifts, Tsvetan Vassilev also gave paintings as gifts?
Is it true that in Delyan Peevski’s office at the Rodina Printing Complex there are 30–40–50 paintings? How many exactly?
Which of them were gifts from Tsvetan Vassilev?
Is it true that Peevski sent art dealers to search for paintings by Dimitar Kazakov and Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, as he allegedly collected works only by these artists?
How were these paintings purchased?
With contracts?
Paid in cash?
Were there proper documents?
Certificates of authenticity?
Is it true that in the MP’s residence in a hotel with a German name, there are only such paintings?
Is it true that 50 paintings were purchased from Pavel Mitkov (an artist close to the Presidency)?
Were they purchased with contracts?
How were they paid for?
In cash?
Today, the newspaper “Vseki Den” claims that the paintings sought by Igor Markovski are worth 5 million leva.
When was this valuation made?
Weren’t the paintings allegedly “dubious”?
How, then, does one value forgeries?
Or is this deliberately suggested so that the paintings can be undervalued, priced low, and then conveniently redirected into someone else’s office?
In the same newspaper, “Vseki Den,” it is claimed that Igor Markovski takes the paintings and returns them to Tsvetan Vassilev.
How exactly?
Does he load them onto railway wagons at Central Station and send them to Belgrade?
The media also wrote that Tsvetan Vassilev owned a collection of 1,000 coins, one of which was worth €8 million—that is, 16 million leva for a single coin.
How much easier it would be to find an “art dealer” to take one coin and deliver it to Vassilev, rather than loading 300–400 paintings onto wagons and transporting them to Belgrade.
Did the Brothers Grimm and the other storytellers from the journalistic brigade think of that?
Or was this detail not suggested to you by headquarters?
“Vseki Den” provides precise information on how much each painting supposedly cost. They give an example of a “controversial” painting by Mrkvička, priced at €18,000.
How do they know that Tsvetan Vassilev paid this amount for that painting?
We will answer for you—because we, too, have brilliant sources.
Tsvetan Vassilev was the master of the house at KTB, and absolutely everything was recorded in special catalogues. There was a catalogue for the paintings as well—with inventory numbers—as well as information on where each painting was located: in the vault, in an office, or elsewhere.
He insured ALL paintings, drawings, coins, statuettes, the infamous Burov desk, Burov’s personal belongings, and so on—specifying the insurance value he wished for each item, and paying the corresponding premium.
For some reason, the “investigators” failed to consider this.
Why?
A curious detail: ALL gifts received by Vassilev were also insured!
Why would Vassilev need to insure gifts?
And there is more.
What did Tsvetan Vassilev personally receive from Peevski as a gift?
Not a painting—on the contrary.
Vassilev gifted paintings to Delyan Peevski, while Peevski gifted wristwatches to Vassilev.
For example, one single watch was worth a “mere” €160,000—approximately 3.2 million leva.
Were these watches insured?
Where are they now?
And what watch does Peevski wear on his wrist today?
How much is it worth?
Finally:
Is there a court verdict against Tsvetan Vassilev stating that he has been convicted and that his personal property is subject to confiscation?
Apparently not.
But it is convenient to stage loud, demonstrative actions—or to divert attention, for example, with “attempted assassinations.”
Afera.bg
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
The newspaper “Vseki Den” (and its website)
http://www.vsekiden.com/166512
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Tsvetan Vassilev Attempts to Steal Paintings Worth 5 Million with the Help of Igor Markovski”

09.02.2015 | 09:30 | 6 | 19890

The banker and the art dealer attempt to extract 275 valuable paintings

Banker Tsvetan Vassilev is attempting to steal another 5 million leva from the state with the help of Igor Markovski, according to an investigation by the newspaper Vseki Den.
The scandal-ridden banker, who drained Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) and left tens of thousands of Bulgarians ruined before fleeing disgracefully to Belgrade, is now making brazen attempts to reclaim 275 valuable paintings stored at the bank.

All of these works were allegedly purchased with KTB funds, meaning depositors’ money, yet no documentation exists for them. The estimated value of the paintings is approximately 5 million leva, with some individual masterpieces priced at 40,000–50,000 leva each.

In order to succeed in stealing artworks worth around 5 million leva, Vassilev allegedly activated his close associate, the art broker Igor Markovski. A week earlier, Markovski “dropped a bomb” by claiming ownership of 275 of the ‘seized’ paintings, which he said he had deposited for safekeeping at KTB under a contract with Tsvetan Vassilev. Markovski even waved around a piece of paper bearing the banker’s signature.

In recent days, Igor allegedly continued to lie shamelessly, even involving Yavora Stoilova, daughter of the late painter Vasil Stoilov.

“It is clear to all of us that Markovski’s claims are an absolute lie. However, he has fallen into a serious trap, because in practice he is committing a crime that can easily be proven. In attempting to help Tsvetan Vassilev steal paintings worth 5 million leva, Igor is giving false testimony and presenting completely fabricated documents,” experts commented.

The Prosecutor’s Office has already summoned the art dealer twice for questioning. It is possible that charges may be brought against him for providing false testimony and submitting documents with false content. The fraud is crudely stitched together and easily exposed.

According to insiders, the entire absurd operation was devised by one of Tsvetan Vassilev’s lawyers in mid-January, when, by order of the prosecution, the paintings were removed from KTB and placed in storage at the National History Museum (NHM) and the Ministry of Culture. The idea was for Vassilev to manage to extract some of the most valuable works from the collection purchased with depositors’ money.

For this purpose, the assistance of Igor Markovski was sought—one of the country’s most prominent art dealers for many years. With the fake bilateral contract he presented, the paintings allegedly appeared to be his personal property rather than assets of KTB.

“Yes, indeed, a large portion of these paintings originally belonged to Igor. However, he sold them to Tsvetan Vassilev and received payment. There is no documentation because the payments were made in cash. Markovski could be getting himself into serious trouble,” sources within the art guild commented.

Bank employees recall that Igor visited KTB’s headquarters almost every week, usually carrying ten or so paintings which he attempted to sell to the banker—and almost always succeeded. Tsvetan Vassilev allegedly paid him in cash, ordering funds to be delivered from the bank’s cashier by phone. How these transactions were later accounted for is known only to him. Some of the paintings he took with him, while the more valuable ones remained hanging on the bank’s walls.

Everyone in the fine art business laughs at Igor’s claim that the paintings were stored in the bank vault.

“That is absurd! Vaults are underground, without light! The paintings would rot—no owner would leave them there for more than a month or two. And they supposedly remained there for five years—complete nonsense and a lie that wouldn’t fool even primary school children,” industry experts commented.

In an interview broadcast last week on bTV, Igor Markovski stated that the paintings had not been identified by the Ministry of Culture because he was not selling them. Some, he claimed, he had sold “long ago, before 2009, before the Cultural Heritage Act came into force.”
The Cultural Heritage Act, however, has been in force since 10 April 2009.

Here lies a contradiction.

It turns out that on 10 December 2009, a full eight months after the law came into force, Markovski attempted to sell one of the paintings at auction without registering it with the Ministry of Culture. The work in question is the refined painting “Boy with a Wooden Horse” by Ivan (Jan) Mrkvička. The auction, organised by Apollon & Mercury (owned by Igor Markovski and Dimitar Fitsov), took place on 10 December 2009 in Triaditsa Hall at the Grand Hotel Sofia.

The portrait was offered to buyers at 29,250 leva (€15,000) and was described in the special auction catalogue. The owner failed to sell it and withdrew the work. Today, that same painting is part of the KTB collection, seized by the prosecution. According to a source at Vseki Den, the painting was sold to Tsvetan Vassilev in 2010 for €18,000. Incidentally, according to some art dealers, the work’s authenticity is disputed.

Last week, the prosecution initiated an investigation into whether the art dealer’s ownership documents for the KTB paintings are genuine. Magistrates suspect that the storage contract was concluded after the vault was closed, and that Markovski’s current action aims to return the artworks to the former owner, Tsvetan Vassilev.

“Igor lies shamelessly. Even after KTB was shut down, every client had access to the vaults to retrieve their belongings. Why didn’t he seek his paintings for months, if they were truly stored there? It is obvious that this is a deliberate fraud,” insiders commented.

There is yet another suspicious detail, according to the prosecution: even if a contract with Tsvetan Vassilev existed, why were the paintings hanging on walls and in directors’ offices—including the banker’s personal office—instead of being kept in the vault?

Note:
It is beneath my dignity to respond to such writings, which are signed collectively as “the team,” if only because publications controlled by a single individual never present the other side, nor do they respect the right of reply. The “style” of the article is openly malicious and tendentious. It contains numerous falsehoods. Let me add only this: I was questioned exactly once—ONE single time—as a witness by the Investigative Department of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
3. Website “Ploshtad Slaveykov”
…http://www.ploshtadslaveikov.com/igor-markovski-prodaval-sam-i-sam-poda/
(Please note: this interview continues across three pages.)

……….

Igor Markovski: I Have Sold and Gifted Paintings to Tsvetan Vassilev

They are not stored in the bank vault, according to the contract I have.

Dilyana Dimitrova | 09.02.2015

“My grandfather was not an art dealer. Most of the paintings he left me in 1988 (he passed away on 7 January) were primarily gifts received over the years. He himself purchased paintings from artists he knew personally and was friends with, and he also exchanged artworks with other friends from the circles of painters and writers,” says Igor Markovski.

A complex case has emerged around the paintings confiscated in early January from Corporate Commercial Bank, which were claimed to belong to Tsvetan Vassilev.
Art dealer Igor Markovski stated on the programme 120 Minutes on bTV on 1 February that many of the paintings are his property.

Markovski claims that he possesses documentation for 273 of the artworks seized by order of the prosecution. Among them is the painting depicting a boy with a wooden horse, signed by Jan Mrkvička. According to him, the painting was left to him by his grandfather.

The valuable works, however, do not have certificates, as Markovski states that he is not selling them. Under the Cultural Heritage Act, paintings created more than 50 years ago and intended for sale are subject to mandatory identification. Nevertheless, this particular painting by Mrkvička was offered at auction by the Apollon & Mercury Auction House.

Markovski also revealed that he has sold paintings to Tsvetan Vassilev. The works in question in this case, however, were his personal property and were not for sale; he stated that he had placed them in the bank vault in 2007. During the television broadcast, the guest presented a copy of the original contract for the paintings, signed by Tsvetan Vassilev.

Igor Markovski announced his intention to file a lawsuit against Tsvetan Vassilev on the grounds that he was unable to retrieve his paintings from the bank. Following his public statement, the prosecution summoned Markovski three times to give testimony regarding the artworks removed from Corporate Commercial Bank.

We invited the art dealer to give an interview for Ploshtad Slaveykov, which he agreed to provide in written form. We present his answers below, along with reproductions of those paintings currently held at the Historical Museum that Igor Markovski confirmed to us as his own. Tomorrow, we will present the remaining works that we were able to photograph.

– Mr. Markovski, why did you feel it was necessary to announce on television that you wanted to retrieve your paintings from KTB, instead of doing so quietly, without media attention?

– The television channel is bTV, and the programme is 120 Minutes. They invited me for an interview.

– Many people are asking why you delayed for so long the announcement that some of the paintings stored at Corporate Commercial Bank were yours.

– There was no delay. My contract expired in December 2014, and in January 2015 the procedures for returning my paintings were initiated.

– Why did you not retrieve your property from the bank at the same time as the other KTB clients did? Why are you doing so now, three months later?

– They were not stored in the bank’s vault, according to the contract I have. My lawyers advised me that I had the legal right to claim my paintings once the contract term had expired, which happened at the end of December 2014.

— Do you have certificates of authenticity for all the paintings? Do they have provenance documents tracing each previous owner?

— A certificate of authenticity—for what exactly, may I ask? And to whom would I be required to present it? At different times, a varying number of paintings owned by me were kept at Corporate Commercial Bank. According to an appendix dated March 2014, I had deposited 275 (two hundred and seventy-five) paintings. Over the years—from 1986 to 2014—I have acquired and purchased artworks for which I possess the appropriate documentation. After the auction activity of Auction House Apollo and Mercury was suspended on 27 May 2010, I deliberately stopped adding new acquisitions to my personal collection. Part of this collection was kept in KTB’s vault. Let me repeat—only part. As for provenance, I do have it: first, through a document signed by my grandfather for works gifted to me by him; second, through purchase contracts for artworks acquired otherwise; and third, through donation documents unrelated to the first two categories.

— Over the years, have you ever shown these paintings to experts from the National Gallery, who could now confirm that they belong to you?

— Some of these works may have been seen by experts at a time when they were not yet my property—I have no information on that. By the way, are only experts from the National Gallery considered authoritative and licensed? If you have a specific question about a specific painting, please ask. I do recall that experts from the National Gallery attended one of the auctions organised by Apollo and Mercury, where they viewed all the artworks on offer, so they may have seen some of those currently seized.

— You have expressed concern that you might eventually receive copies instead of originals. Why not request a commission from the National Gallery to examine the paintings at the National Historical Museum and confirm their authenticity?

— So far, I have seen about 10–15 paintings, mostly on television or in media photographs, among which I recognised several that are mine. I have not seen an inventory list of the seized works, nor a conservation report from the seizure—as required by standard practice and regulation. I have not been invited to the National Historical Museum to identify which works are mine. It would indeed be appropriate for a commission to assess the condition, integrity, and preservation of the paintings. One thing struck me, however: the paintings were shown being transported individually, whereas I had left them packaged in groups of four or five, as is standard international practice for safeguarding artworks, and all were properly wrapped.

— The prosecution suspects that your contract with Tsvetan Vassilev was concluded after the vault was closed. What exactly does your contract state?

— My contract is confidential and has been submitted to the competent authorities—the Investigation Department of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. I have neither seen nor read any official statement by the prosecution regarding this contract. You are stating this even before I submitted the documents to the authorities, which is very strange.

— The contract was signed while Tsvetan Vassilev was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KTB. Why was your contract not concluded with the head of the vault?

— I did not follow media reports regarding Mr. Vassilev’s position on 31 May 2007, nor was it of interest to me. The contract is personal.

— Is it true that your paintings were displayed on the walls of directors’ offices at KTB? If so, why? Were they stored in the vault or leased to the bank?

— The contract clearly states—quoting from memory—that “the paintings/drawings shall be stored on the premises of KTB AD, located in Sofia, 10 Graf Ignatiev Street, within a building equipped with 24-hour physical security and/or a technical security system.” I must emphasise that for seven years, until March 2014, I had no claims regarding damage to any painting or drawing. I did see paintings displayed on the bank’s walls and in the reception area, as did many visitors, but those were not my personal property.

— You stated on television that your paintings were insured by Tsvetan Vassilev. How is that possible if they were not his?

— Yes, such a clause exists in the contract, pursuant to a specific article of the Insurance Code, which I cannot quote verbatim. I have not seen the insurance contract, as it did not concern me—it was Mr. Vassilev’s decision.

— Have you sold paintings to Tsvetan Vassilev, and did you do so as a private individual or as a legal entity?

— Yes, I have sold paintings to Mr. Vassilev. Let me add something interesting: since we began organising auctions and publishing catalogues, we have sent invitations to all banking institutions in the country, including their executives. I sent them to Mr. Vassilev as well. He never attended an auction, nor did anyone represent him. There was another curious case: when I acquired and deposited part of the “Vasil Stoilov” collection in KTB’s vault—a collection later reclaimed by the artist’s heirs from the National Gallery—Mr. Vassilev asked me to sell him Vasil Stoilov’s self-portrait, which I categorically refused. I sold paintings to Mr. Vassilev exclusively as a private individual.

— Have you seen Tsvetan Vassilev’s collection, and which works stand out?

— Do you know whether he had a collection, and of what exactly? I have read that he owned a coin collection. I can be very clear: I have not seen any collection of his, including coins. I did see several display cases with small sculptures in the bank’s lobby. I have never visited his home to see a collection, assuming he kept one somewhere.

— Do you know which experts assisted him in acquiring his collection?

— No, and I have never been interested.

— Were any of the paintings gifts from politicians?

— In the vault designated for artworks, I saw paintings belonging to others as well, some with inscriptions. I learned from the media that some were gifts. I do not hide the fact that I gifted paintings to Mr. Vassilev over the years, mainly for his birthday—drawings by Vasil Stoilov, two oil paintings (one by Boris Denev and one by Marin Ustagenov), and a watercolour sketch by Svetlin Rusev.

— Why, in your opinion, are the media not allowed to photograph all the paintings transferred from KTB to the National Historical Museum?

— I cannot know or speculate. However, the published reproductions clearly show that flash photography was used, which is absolutely unacceptable for oil paintings.

— Were you close to Tsvetan Vassilev? What is your personal view on KTB’s collapse?

— I am not involved in banking. I proposed an idea to Mr. Vassilev related solely to the development, preservation, and promotion of Bulgarian fine art. I prepared a written proposal and requested a meeting, which took place in spring 2014. He told me we would proceed in autumn 2014. The events from June to the end of 2014 surprised me greatly.

— Did your grandfather trade in paintings, given the size of the collection he left?

— My grandfather did not trade in paintings. Most of the works he left me in 1988 were gifts received over the years. He purchased works from artists he knew and exchanged paintings with friends—common practice then and now. Many of the paintings bear personal inscriptions marking anniversaries. In a donation document dated 10 March 1986, he left me 1,263 paintings (including drawings, pastels, watercolours, and oils). This does not mean all of them are with me, in KTB, or hidden elsewhere. Over the years, I sold, gifted, or exchanged some, while striving to enrich the collection.

— How did your grandfather acquire the paintings by Jan Mrkvička?

— Which ones exactly? If you refer to “Boy with a Wooden Horse,” signed and dated 1888, shown on television and speculated about based on a photograph, that painting was not acquired by my grandfather. I know the identity of the boy and the full history of the work. It was offered at an auction by Apollo and Mercury in December 2009, and I do not consider it a cultural asset under the law, as it does not meet the criteria.

— Tell us about other notable works from your grandfather’s legacy.

— I prefer to show paintings rather than talk about them, should I reach an agreement with a gallery one day.

— Did Venko Markovski leave paintings to your father and brother as well?

— My father, Mile Markovski, died in 1975. My grandfather passed away in 1988. How could he have left paintings to my father? As for what my brother inherited—ask him or consult the records.

3. WHAT COMES NEXT

What comes next? Most likely “stripping to the bone,” as a prominent Sofia-based lawyer put it when he asked to meet with me regarding this case. The meeting was informal, as I am represented by another law firm, and it concerned one of his clients who has also had conflicts with the authorities over works of art.

It is evident that the aim is to trample, seize, and violate my private property—namely works of art (including paintings). As far as I know, private property is a fundamental principle of any democratic society. Yet it is not the state that is trying to take my paintings—this is obvious even to a primary school pupil. What is clearly visible is an order placed by prominent and wealthy businessmen, who conveniently hide behind other people’s backs.

This is entirely different from the earlier demonstrative action carried out by a certain public official, who staged an entirely unnecessary raid on 27 May 2010 during a private auction of fine art at the Grand Hotel Sofia. A lawsuit was brought against me at that time, which lasted two and a half years and ended decisively, clearly, and unequivocally. It was proven before the highest judicial authority in the country that I had violated nothing whatsoever. I was awarded compensation in that case. To this day, I have not received a single cent. Such is the administration. Interest continues to accrue. There are other related cases as well, and they are still ongoing.

Officials from the Ministry of Culture, however—both then and now—have attempted to obstruct my work as an auction house. They send inspection committees, letters, threats, intermediaries tasked with “monitoring” me; they drop hints and apply pressure, attempting by every possible means to force me out of this field. I fully expect sequential audits of every company in which I have ever participated since 1989. All of this is done in order to demonstrate to the right people that work is being done on this case.

And yet the case itself is very simple: those who are not with us are against us.

Because I put everything in writing (black on white) and say everything openly—in every conversation, including here on Facebook, or as I like to call it, the Book of Faces—they are now conducting “operations.” Setting aside the malice, the obvious provocations, and the hostility in what has been written, I cannot help but wonder whether they will act like Stalinists or simply like fools. Whatever they do, the words will remain somewhere.

If some new Goebbels were to appear (and I hear there are already plenty of eager candidates ready to earn medals for such work), would paintings be burned publicly in the square? Would Ms. Milkovska from the same Ministry of Culture be so eager to hop on one leg in court defending claims that are demonstrably false? Denunciations continue.

And one essential question remains: where was the state when the donation made by the family of the great Bulgarian artist Vasil Stoilov was mouldering in storage at the Gallery for Foreign Art (now Square 500), prompting the heirs to reclaim it? I later purchased that same donation—fully documented, as are all my paintings. It was part of the 275 paintings I stored on deposit at Corporate Commercial Bank.

For those unfamiliar with the premises (as I also explained to the Investigation Department of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office): you enter KTB, turn left, reach the stairs leading down to the so-called “vault.” Directly opposite are three doors. The middle one was the personal vault of banker Atanas Burov from earlier times—that is where my paintings were kept. If, before those three doors, you make a sharp left, go up three steps, then down again with a slight turn to the right, you enter a foyer with two desks and a massive heavy door. Bank employees worked at the desks; behind the door was the safety-deposit vault, with compartments of various sizes—for documents, not for paintings. The distinction is obvious.

It is perfectly clear that I never stored my paintings in that vault. I am spelling this out specifically for journalists who write on instruction and have never set foot in these premises.

In conclusion:

  • I am prepared to answer all questions, at least for as long as I am physically able.

  • I will likely publish facsimiles of documents here, to demonstrate that I have nothing to hide.

  • I will consult my lawyers on when and where it would be appropriate to publish a complete list of all 275 paintings (including reproductions) that were held at KTB and are now in the National Historical Museum, so that one day you do not suddenly recognise them in a private residence or an executive office.

Related interviews:

NEXT:

4. FULL LIST of the 275 paintings:

PAINTINGS left with Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) under a Contract for Responsible Custody (currently held at the National Historical Museum (NIM)),
property of Igor Markovski
(listed in alphabetical order)

Alexander Milenkov, Forest, early 20th c., oil on canvas, 101 × 141 cm, signed
Alexander Milenkov, Rocks, oil on canvas, 50 × 66 cm, signed
Alexander Milenkov, The Kremlin, early 20th c., 34 × 49 cm, mixed media, two signatures and inscriptions in German
Alexander Milenkov, Forest, 1916, oil on canvas, 100 × 141 cm, signed and dated

Alexander Momev, The Old House, 1932, oil on cardboard/canvas, 30 × 38 cm, signed and dated

Alexander Mutafov, The Old Mosque in Dupnitsa, 1908, oil on canvas, 50 × 42 cm, signed “Sande” (documented in the “Lada” Society monograph)

Angel Tilov, Ohrid, 1942, watercolor, 71 × 100 cm, signed and dated
Angel Tilov, In Borisova Garden, oil on cardboard, 66 × 93 cm, signed

Ari (Argir) Kalachev, The Shepherd, 1924, oil on canvas, 103 × 124 cm, signed and dated
Ari Kalachev, Thessaloniki – The Harbor, 1919, oil on canvas, 58 × 66 cm, signed and dated
Ari Kalachev, Portrait of Yulia, 1919, oil on canvas, oval
Ari Kalachev, By the Hearth, 1920s, gouache, 28 × 28 cm, signed

Asen Nikolov – Shopa, Landscape, oil on canvas, 76 × 95 cm
Asen Nikolov – Shopa, Landscape, oil on cardboard

Asen Popov, In the Village, 1946, oil on cardboard, 49 × 56 cm, signed and dated
Asen Popov, The Village Guard, 1922, watercolor, 25 × 22.5 cm, signed and dated

Atanas Kozhukharov, Tarnovo, watercolor, 29 × 40 cm, signed
Atanas Kozhukharov, The Old Metochion, 1950s, watercolor, 51 × 69 cm, signed

Atanas Mihov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 54 × 64 cm, signed

Atanas Yaranov, Pietà, oil on canvas, 190 × 130 cm, signed

Bencho Obreshkov, Landscape from Sozopol, 1947, ink and pen, 21 × 26 cm, signed and dated
Bencho Obreshkov, Girl, 1947, chalk, 29 × 23 cm
Bencho Obreshkov, Meeting, 1947, chalk, 26 × 24 cm

Blagoy Mavrov, Nude (Symbolism), 1929, oil on canvas, 96 × 75 cm, signed and dated

Boycho Grigorov, Balchik, oil on canvas, 63 × 80 cm, signed

Boris Denev, Landscape, oil on canvas, 101 × 134 cm, signed
Boris Denev, Before the Storm, oil on cardboard, 35 × 50 cm
Boris Denev, The Bend of the Yantra River, before 1918, watercolor on paper, 24 × 26 cm

Boris Kolev, Village beneath the Balkan Mountains, oil on canvas, 51 × 60 cm, signed
Boris Kolev, Portrait of a Seated Girl, oil on canvas, 77 × 67 cm, signed
(double-sided; on the reverse: “Portrait of the Master”)
Boris Kolev, Urban Landscape with Cathedral, oil on canvas, 66 × 54 cm, signed
Boris Kolev, Reaper, 1938, oil on canvas, 124 × 120 cm, signed and dated

Boris Mihaylov, Steep Rocks, 1914, oil on canvas, 47 × 40 cm, signed and dated
Boris Mihaylov, Urban Landscape, 1890, oil on canvas, 55 × 38 cm, signed and dated
Boris Mihaylov, Early Snow, oil on canvas, 34 × 52 cm

Boris Nenov, Bay, oil on canvas, 66.5 × 93 cm, signed

Boris Stefchev, Seascape, 1931, oil on canvas, 28 × 38 cm, signed and dated
Boris Stefchev, Self-Portrait with Sea, 1930s, oil on canvas, 65 × 81 cm, signed
Boris Stefchev, By the Sea, oil on canvas, 71 × 121 cm, signed

Boris Sharov, Launching a Ship, oil on cardboard/canvas, 73 × 96 cm, signed

Bocho Donev, In the Fields, oil on cardboard, 64 × 85 cm
Bocho Donev, Portrait of a Young Woman, oil on cardboard, 101 × 74 cm
Bocho Donev, Landscape, 1966, oil on canvas, 49.5 × 70.5 cm, signed and dated

Vanya Vaskova – Tsekova, Urban Landscape (Downtown Sofia), oil on cardboard, 65 × 80 cm, signed

Vasil Barakov, Houses, oil on cardboard/canvas, 45 × 63 cm

Vasil Daalov, Sozopol, oil on canvas, 63 × 80 cm, signed

Vasil Zahariev, Rila Raspberry Pickers, woodcut, 56 × 43 cm, signed and dedicated

Vasil Ivanov, Landscape, 1960s, oil on cardboard, 49.5 × 71 cm

Vasil Macedonski, Landscape from Kratovo, oil on cardboard, 26 × 19 cm, signed

Vasil Stoilov, Portrait of a Girl, drawing, 65 × 51 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Portrait of Pop Stoil (the artist’s father), June 1933, mixed media on plywood, 120 × 140 cm, signed and dated
Vasil Stoilov, Madonna, 1942, mixed media on wood, signed and dated
Vasil Stoilov, Portrait of Yavor (the artist’s daughter), oil on canvas/cardboard, 38 × 36 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Mourners (“All Souls’ Day”), 1940, mixed media on plywood, 160 × 200 cm, signed and dated
Vasil Stoilov, Composition (Head of an Old Man and Two Figures), 1924, watercolor on paper, 55 × 75 cm, signed, inscribed, and dated
Vasil Stoilov, Self-Portrait, 1939, watercolor on plywood, 67 × 62.5 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Madonna / Reaper Woman, colored-pencil drawing, 44 × 65 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Nude, pencil on paper, 49.8 × 32 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Self-Portrait, 1980, pencil/pastel on paper, 26.2 × 17 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Study for the Composition “Epochs”, colored pencils on cardboard, 53 × 64.7 cm
(on the reverse: figure study for “Mourners”)
Vasil Stoilov, Landscape from Veliko Tarnovo, colored pencils on paper, 49.5 × 35.2 cm
Vasil Stoilov, By the River, pencil, 28 × 30 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Trees by the River, pencil, 25 × 36 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Rest, pencil, 30 × 18.5 cm, signed
Vasil Stoilov, Small Meadow, pencil, 25 × 32.5 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Village Courtyard, pencil, 25.5 × 35.5 cm
Vasil Stoilov, The Old Gate, pencil, 22 × 30 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Women in the Field, 22 May 1934, pencil, 21.5 × 29.5 cm, inscribed and dated
Vasil Stoilov, Street in Tarnovo, pencil, 35.5 × 25 cm
Vasil Stoilov, Portrait of Olga, 1975, mixed media, 47 × 34.5 cm, signed and dated

Vera Lukova, Annunciation, 1942, oil on board, 176 × 146 cm, signed and dated
Vera Lukova, Madonna, 1935, oil on canvas, 125 × 220 cm, signed
Vera Lukova, Lambs, oil on plywood, 54 × 64 cm

Veselin Staykov, Chinese Landscape, mixed media on cardboard, 38 × 48 cm

Veselin Tomov, Town by the Sea, oil on cardboard/canvas, 26 × 35 cm, signed

Vladimir Vichev, Landscape, 1941, oil on canvas, 80 × 95 cm, signed and dated

Vladimir Dimitrov – Maystora, Sleeping Child, oil on canvas, 26 × 36 cm

Vladimir Rilski, Monastery, oil on plywood, 44 × 52 cm, signed

Voyn Zakharenov, Village near Rila, 1941, oil on canvas, 50 × 62 cm, signed and dated

Genko Genkov, Landscape, 1968, oil on plywood, 54 × 73 cm
Genko Genkov, Landscape, 1966, oil on canvas, 51 × 74 cm

Georgi Belstoynev, Landscape, oil on cardboard, 52 × 46 cm

Georgi Bogdanov, Wheat, 1959, oil on cardboard, 50 × 70 cm, signed and dated
Georgi Bogdanov, 681 AD, mixed media on canvas/fiberboard, 40 × 80 cm, signed and inscribed
Georgi Bogdanov, Bulgarian Woman, oil on cardboard, 45 × 35 cm, signed
Georgi Bogdanov, The Bulgarian State, mixed media on cardboard, 34 × 55 cm, signed
Georgi Bogdanov, Contemporary Times, 1971, mixed media on cardboard, 65 × 96 cm, signed and dated
Georgi Bogdanov, Kaloyan Captures Baldwin, 1968, oil on cardboard, 81 × 86 cm, signed and dated

Georgi Karakashev, In the Park, oil on cardboard, 43 × 55 cm
Georgi Karakashev, The Palace in Balchik, oil on cardboard, 36 × 44 cm

Georgi Lazov, Near Rila, oil on cardboard, 47 × 67 cm, signed
Georgi Lazov, Rila Peak in Winter, oil on cardboard/canvas, 48 × 67 cm

Georgi Pavlov – Pavleto, The Alley, oil on canvas, 50 × 60 cm, signed

Georgi Trifonov, Composition, 1970s, oil on canvas, 129 × 129 cm
Georgi Trifonov, Ilinden, 1970s, oil on canvas, 100 × 115 cm

Gospodin Zhelyazkov, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, oil on canvas, 90 × 64 cm

David Peretz, Night Paris, 1971, oil on canvas, 40 × 142.5 cm, signed and dated

Damyan Nikolov, The Good Shepherd, 1942, oil on canvas, 150 × 125 cm, signed and dated

Denyo Chokanov, Tarnovo, oil on canvas, 80 × 100 cm
Denyo Chokanov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 55 × 69 cm, signed
Denyo Chokanov, The Kableshkov House in Koprivshtitsa, oil on canvas, 81 × 102 cm, signed and dated
Denyo Chokanov, Near Teteven, 1941, oil on canvas, 55 × 67 cm, signed and dated

Dechko Mandov, Lady’s Portrait with a Hat, oil on canvas, 63 × 47 cm
Dechko Mandov, Horo Dance in the Field, oil on canvas, 110 × 160 cm

Dechko Uzunov, Woman, watercolor, 40 × 30 cm, signed
Dechko Uzunov, Nude, watercolor, 50 × 70 cm, signed
Dechko Uzunov, Bulgarian Woman, oil on cardboard, 50 × 37 cm, signed
Dechko Uzunov, Plovdiv, oil on canvas, 103 × 73 cm
Dechko Uzunov, Fetching Water, watercolor, 65 × 49 cm, signed

Dilo Dilov, The Bridge, Tryavna, 1969, oil on canvas, 100 × 120 cm, signed and dated on the reverse
Dilo Dilov, Tarnovo, 1969, oil on canvas, 100 × 120 cm, signed and dated on the reverse
Dilo Dilov, Autumn in Balchik, 1969, oil on canvas, 100 × 121 cm, artist’s stamp on the reverse

Dimitar Buyukliyski, Nude

Dimitar Gyudzhenov, Peasant Woman, 1927, oil on cardboard, 31 × 24 cm, signed and dated
Dimitar Gyudzhenov, The First National Assembly, Oborishte (First version), 1952, oil on canvas, 130 × 180 cm, signed and dated

Dimitar Kazakov – Neron, Mad Fellow, 1982, mixed media, 104 × 33 cm
Dimitar Kazakov – Neron, Mood, 1985, mixed media, 50 × 50 cm, signed and dated
Dimitar Kazakov – Neron, Composition, mixed media, 57 × 69 cm

Doncho Zankov, Sea Memory, 1929, watercolor, 32 × 24 cm, signed and dated
Doncho Zankov, At the Foot of the Mountain, 1945, oil on canvas, 32 × 42 cm, signed and dated
Doncho Zankov, By the Erma River, oil on canvas, 60 × 69 cm, signed
Doncho Zankov, Village near Rila, 1939, oil on canvas, 71 × 95 cm, signed and dated
Doncho Zankov, Landscape, 1945, oil on cardboard, 27 × 32 cm, signed

Evgeni Poptoshev, Fishermen, oil on canvas, 152 × 190 cm, signed

Evgeni Tomov, “Vazrazhdane” Square in Sofia, early 1960s, oil on canvas, 101 × 131 cm

Elena Karamihailova, Salome, 1911, oil on canvas, 121 × 71 cm, signed and dated

Eliezer Alshekh, Girl, oil on canvas, 60 × 50.5 cm

Zhechko Dunev, The City, oil on canvas, 101 × 76 cm

Georges Papazoff, Dragonfly, mixed media on paper

Zdravko Aleksandrov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 80 × 109 cm, signed
Zdravko Aleksandrov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 111 × 81 cm, signed
Zdravko Aleksandrov, Fishermen, 1954, oil on canvas, 77 × 99 cm, signed

Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Landscape from Prague, 1960s, oil on canvas, 46 × 28 cm
Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Portrait of the Artist’s Sister, 1959, oil on canvas, 44 × 35 cm, signed and dated
Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Portrait, 1971, oil on canvas, 70 × 58 cm, signed and dated
Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Wild Boars, 1954, oil on canvas, 107 × 80 cm

Ivan Antonov, Saint Sophia, 1940, oil on canvas, 59 × 69 cm, signed and dated

Ivan Dzhambazov, Sea, 1974, oil on canvas, 51 × 66 cm, signed and dated

Ivan Dimov, Composition, 1983, oil on canvas, 140 × 160 cm, signed and dated

Ivan K. Hristov, Rural House, oil on cardboard, 45 × 70 cm
Ivan K. Hristov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 81 × 110 cm

Ivan Kirilov, Church, watercolor, 33 × 48 cm

Ivan Kirkov, Composition, 1984, mixed media, 46 × 63 cm, signed and dated

Ivan Mateev, Winter in Teteven, 1940s, oil on canvas, 28 × 33 cm

Ivan Penkov, Rila Monastery, oil on canvas, 70 × 61 cm

Ivan Tabakov, Harvest, oil on canvas, 135 × 220 cm, signed
Ivan Tabakov, Flowers, 1942, oil on canvas, 73 × 60 cm, signed
Ivan Tabakov, Still Life, oil on canvas, 60 × 83 cm, signed

Ivan Trichkov, Landscape, 1956, oil on canvas, 45 × 55 cm, signed, inscribed, and dated
Ivan Trichkov, Everlasting Flowers, 1954, oil on cardboard, 15 × 20 cm, signed and dated
Ivan Trichkov, Mountain Landscape, oil on canvas, 42.5 × 58 cm, signed
Ivan Trichkov, Panorama from Rila, oil on canvas, 56 × 65 cm, signed

Ivan Halachev, The Old Metropolis in Nessebar, oil on canvas, 69.5 × 79.5 cm, signed

Iliya Petrov, Lady’s Portrait, 1966, oil on canvas, 55 × 46 cm, signed and dated

Iliya Saraoulev, Pastoral, 1912, oil on canvas, 46 × 68 cm, signed and dated

Yordan Geshev, Mountain Landscape, watercolor, 56 × 76 cm, signed
Yordan Geshev, Spring, watercolor/gouache on cardboard, 57 × 78 cm, signed
Yordan Geshev, Landscape, watercolor, 48 × 65 cm, signed

Kiril Buyukliyski, The Tower of the Meshchii, oil on canvas, 34 × 40 cm, signed

Kiril Kazanlakliev, Village Street, oil on canvas, 52 × 61 cm
Kiril Kazanlakliev, Village in the Mountains, oil on canvas, 120 × 150 cm
Kiril Kazanlakliev, Zheravna I, early 1950s, oil on canvas, 51 × 71 cm
Kiril Kazanlakliev, Zheravna II, early 1950s, oil on canvas, 58 × 51 cm

Kiril Mikrenski, Night, oil on cardboard, 36 × 48 cm
Kiril Mikrenski, On the Shore, oil on cardboard, 36 × 50 cm, signed

Kiril Petrov, Composition, oil on canvas, 56 × 75 cm, signed

Krum Panov, Landscape in Pink, oil on plywood, 64 × 89 cm, signed

Krastyo Chokanov, Tarnovo /The Bend of the Yantra/, oil on canvas, 55 × 68 cm, signed

Lika Yanko, Bulgarian Ceramics and Fruits, late 1950s, oil on canvas, 52 × 57 cm
Lika Yanko, The Rhodopes, oil on board, 70 × 49 cm; on the reverse: signed and inscribed

Lyuben Belmustakov, The Old Bridge, watercolor, 63 × 60 cm

Lyuben Dimanov, Composition, 1970s, mixed media, 46 × 55 cm, signed on the reverse

Lyuben Doganov, Haystack, 1935, oil on cardboard/canvas, 34 × 42 cm, signed and dated
Lyuben Doganov, By the River, 1946, oil on cardboard, 33 × 39 cm, signed and dated

Lyubo Ivanov, Sozopol, 1942, oil on canvas, 43 × 54 cm, signed and dated

Margarita Boyadzhieva, Koprivshtitsa, 1985, oil on canvas, 84 × 105 cm

Mario Zhekov, Landscape, oil on cardboard, 38 × 48 cm

Masha Zhivkova Uzunova, Portrait of a Matron, 1944, oil on canvas, 81 × 66 cm

Milen Sakazov, At the Harbor, oil on cardboard, 66 × 85 cm

Mihail Petrov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 70 × 100 cm, signed

Michalis Garoudis, Woman / Fish, mixed media on canvas, 160 × 85 cm
Michalis Garoudis, Pietà, copper panel, 230 × 280 cm

Nikola Georgiev – Dedo Bozhe, Woman with a Pipe, 1942, oil on cardboard, 45 × 65 cm, signed and dated

N. Slavin, Along the Bazaar Street, 1935, oil on cardboard, 65 × 52 cm, signed and dated

Nayden Petkov, Spring near Harsovo, monotype, 50 × 69 cm

Napoleon Alekov, Sea, gouache, 52 × 95 cm, signed (dated)

Naum Hadzhimladenov, Near Samokov, oil on cardboard, 30 × 27 cm, signed
Naum Hadzhimladenov, Forest, 1948, oil on canvas, 81 × 100 cm, signed and dated
Naum Hadzhimladenov, From the Ridge – Samokov, 1944, oil on canvas, 47 × 36 cm, signed, dated, and inscribed

Unattributed author, Balchik (The White Cliffs), oil on cardboard/canvas, 41 × 51 cm, signed (dated)

Nevena Gancheva, In the Yard, oil on canvas, 84 × 65 cm, signed

Nevena Kozhukharova, Hoeing Women, 1939, oil on canvas, 94 × 79 cm, signed and dated
Nevena Kozhukharova, Peasant Women, 1935, oil on canvas, 88 × 57 cm, signed and dated

Nikola Ganushev, Male Portrait, 1941, colored pastels, 54 × 41 cm, signed and dated

Nikola Dimitrov, Road in the Rhodopes, 1973, oil on canvas, 61 × 87 cm, signed and dated

Nikola Zlatev, Landscape, oil on canvas, 90 × 105 cm

Nikola Kozhukharov, The White Cavalry, oil on canvas, 40 × 40 cm
Nikola Kozhukharov, Portrait of a Peasant, oil on canvas, 45 × 36 cm
Nikola Kozhukharov, Winter in the Monastery, oil on cardboard/canvas, 30 × 35 cm
Nikola Kozhukharov, Maidens, 1970, oil on canvas, 96 × 81 cm, signed and dated
Nikola Kozhukharov, From Macedonia, oil on canvas, 61 × 76 cm, signed

Nikola Tanev, Pancharevo, 1945, oil on canvas, 26 × 35 cm
Nikola Tanev, Monastery, oil on cardboard, 50 × 45 cm, signed

Nikolay Abrashev, School of the Arts, 1926, oil on cardboard, 42 × 65 cm, signed, inscribed, and dated

Nikolay Pavlovich, Salome, oil on canvas, 40 × 30 cm

Nikolay Raynov, Forest, gouache/sepia on cardboard, 70 × 50 cm, signed

Nikolay Yanakiev, Colorful Gardens, oil on canvas, 50 × 61 cm

Pavel Frantsaliyski, Landscape, 1931, watercolor, 27 × 36 cm, signed

Panayot Panayotov, Landscape with Mountain, oil on cardboard, 36 × 44 cm, signed
Panayot Panayotov, On the Plain (Highway), oil on canvas, 55 × 47 cm, signed
Panayot Panayotov, Hunters, oil on canvas, 59 × 75 cm, signed

Pencho Georgiev, Haroun from Oberon (after Weber), 1936, tempera, 29 × 25 cm, signed and dated (documented/monographed)

Petko Zadgorski, Dimcho Debelyanov’s Birth House, oil on cardboard, 80 × 100 cm, signed
Petko Zadgorski, Race, 1951, oil on canvas, 100 × 123 cm, signed and dated (exhibited)
Petko Zadgorski, Fisherman, 1974, oil on canvas, 69 × 109 cm, signed and dated

Petar Dachev, Melnik, 1930s, oil on cardboard, 40 × 55 cm, signed
Petar Dachev, Landscape, 1950s, pastel, 40 × 55 cm, signed

Petar Morozov, The Tower in Tryavna, 1941, oil on cardboard, 58 × 46 cm, signed and dated
Petar Morozov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 41 × 51 cm, signed
Petar Morozov, Rose Picker (oval), 1941, watercolor, approx. 37 × 30 cm, signed and dated

Preslav Karshovski, Nude, 1937, oil on canvas, 130 × 97 cm, signed and dated

Radomir Mandov, Landscape, oil on canvas, 90 × 70 cm, signed and dated

Roza Daycheva, Landscape, oil on canvas, 39 × 50 cm, signed

Rumen Gasharov, Flowers, 1972, oil on plywood, 71 × 57 cm, signed and dated

Rusi Ganchev, Woman with a Book, 1948, oil on cardboard, 59 × 49 cm, signed and dated

Sava Ivanov, Village in the Mountains, 1940s, oil on canvas, 81 × 100 cm, signed
Sava Ivanov, The Golden Horn – Istanbul, oil on cardboard, 38 × 48 cm, signed

Svetlin Rusev, Bulgarian Woman, 1975, oil on cardboard, 101 × 72 cm, signed
Svetlin Rusev, Sketch for “Woman with Bread”

Simeon Velkov, Asen’s Fortress, oil on canvas, 90 × 65 cm

Slavi Genev, A House in Samokov (the artist’s birth house), oil on cardboard, 34 × 45 cm

Stanyo Stamatov, Cherries, oil on canvas
Stanyo Stamatov, Portrait of Hristo Ganchev, oil on canvas, 90 × 70 cm
Stanyo Stamatov, The Old House in Kazanlak, oil on cardboard, 64.5 × 47.5 cm

Stefan Minev, Balchik, 1982, oil on canvas, 74 × 101 cm, signed and dated
Stefan Minev, Winter in the Small Town, oil on cardboard, 50 × 70 cm
Stefan Minev, House, 1944, oil on plywood, 50 × 58 cm

Stoyan Vasilev, Winter in Tarnovo, oil on canvas, 61 × 51 cm, signed
Stoyan Vasilev, Tarnovo, oil on canvas, 43 × 49 cm, signed

Stoyan Venev, Landscape from the Kyustendil Region, 1940s, oil on canvas, 38 × 50 cm, signed
Stoyan Venev, Three Men, oil on canvas, 67 × 92 cm, signed

Tihomir Radinov, Sunset at Sea, 1959, oil on canvas, 53 × 65 cm, signed and dated

Todorka Burova, Building a House, 1943, oil on cardboard, 35 × 45 cm, signed and dated

Toma Trifonovski, Portrait, oil on canvas, 40 × 40 cm, signed

Haralampi Iliev, River, 1920s, oil on canvas, 43 × 33 cm, signed and dated

Haralamppi Tachev, In the Park, watercolor on paper, 15 × 22.5 cm, signed (initials)

Hristo Petrov – Vlaha, Sunny Grapes, oil on cardboard/board, 50 × 39 cm, signed
Hristo Petrov – Vlaha, Pastoral, oil on cardboard/canvas, 30 × 41 cm

Hristo Berberov, Portrait of a Girl, early 20th c., oil on cardboard, 48 × 38 cm, signed
Hristo Berberov, Landscape, watercolor, 14 × 36 cm, signed
Hristo Berberov, Samodivas, oil on plywood, 130 × 160 cm, monogrammed

Hristo Yonchev – Kriskarets, Popova Shapka (near Samokov), oil on canvas, 60 × 98 cm, signed
Hristo Yonchev – Kriskarets, Landscape from Rila, oil on canvas, 15 × 21 cm

Hristo Kabakchiev, Tryavna, 1925, watercolor, 32 × 21 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kabakchiev, Veliko Tarnovo, 1925, watercolor, 37 × 25 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kabakchiev, Tarnovo, 1931, watercolor, 32 × 45 cm, signed and dated

Hristo Kavarnaliev, Harbor, 1939, oil on canvas, 48 × 60 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kavarnaliev, In the Field, drawing, 30 × 44 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kavarnaliev, Still Life with Pears, 1938, oil on cardboard, 49 × 69 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kavarnaliev, The Rocks, 1939, oil on cardboard, 46 × 58 cm, signed and dated
Hristo Kavarnaliev, Sea, oil on canvas, 42 × 58 cm, signed and dated

Hristo Lozev, Saint Sophia, 1912, oil on canvas, 116 × 136 cm, signed and dated

Tsanko Lavrenov, Ribaritsa, 1957, oil on canvas (preliminary work for the 1963 “Ribaritsa”)
Tsanko Lavrenov, Hilandar
Tsanko Lavrenov, Plovdiv, drawing, 28 × 23 cm
Tsanko Lavrenov, Workers, 1947, oil on cardboard, 51 × 58 cm, signed (documented/monographed)

Tsenko Boyadjiev, Landscape, oil on cardboard, 48 × 78 cm, signed and dated

Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Yulia – the Artist’s Wife, sanguine, 30 × 30 cm, signed (documented/monographed; exhibited)
Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Young Girl, 1882, colored pastels and black chalk, 24 × 24 cm, signed and dated
Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Peasant with a Flask, oil on wood, 25 × 20 cm, signed upper left
Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Boy with a Wooden Horse, 1888, oil on canvas (lined onto a new canvas), 60 × 50 cm, signed and dated
Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Boy, oil on canvas, 34.6 × 23.5 cm
Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Peasant Woman, 1902, oil on canvas, 22 × 19 cm, signed and dated

Jaroslav Věšín, Hunter, oil on canvas, 25.5 × 37 cm, signed
Jaroslav Věšín, Spinner, oil on canvas, 28 × 14 cm, signed

******************************

Reproductions:

Portrait of a Boy with a Wooden Horse — according to “Prof.” B.D., this is supposedly Boris III as a child, even though the painting is dated 1888 (it has a signature and date), while Boris III was born on 30 January 1894, i.e., six years later…

 

The NRA (National Revenue Agency) wants to know (see the bold text) what paintings I own / have owned, their provenance, where they are stored, and whether a storage agreement was in place for the period 01/01/2009–12/31/2013. It’s clear what this is aiming at.

A photo from my Facebook page that “suggests” where I’m supposedly hiding my yachts. Obviously, I don’t own anything like that—no such properties, assets, etc.—which certain “comrades” (male and female) are trying to pin on me…

АРИ КАЛЪЧЕВ - ОвчарятAri (Argir) Kalachev, The Shepherd, 1924, oil on canvas, 103 × 124 cm, signed and dated

ВАСИЛ СТОИЛОВ - Автопортрет 1939Vasil Stoilov, Self-Portrait, 1939, watercolor on plywood, 67 × 62.5 cm

ВАСИЛ СТОИЛОВ - Одумвачки (Задушница)Vasil Stoilov, Mourners (All Souls’ Day), 1940, mixed media on plywood, 160 × 200 cm, signed and dated

ДАВИД ПЕРЕЦ - Нощен Париж

David Peretz, Night Paris, 1971, oil on canvas, 40 × 142.5 cm, signed and dated

ДИМИТЪР ГЮДЖЕНОВ - Първото Народно събрание, ОборищеDimitar Gyudzhenov, The First National Assembly, Oborishte (First version), 1952, oil on canvas, 130 × 180 cm, signed and dated

ЗДРАВКО АЛЕКСАНДРОВ - РибариZdravko Aleksandrov, Fishermen, 1954, oil on canvas, 77 × 99 cm, signed

ЛИКА ЯНКО - РодопитеLika Yanko, The Rhodopes, oil on board, 70 × 49 cm; on the reverse: signed and inscribed

НИКОЛА ГЕОРГИЕВ - ДЕДО БОЖЕ - Жена с лулаNikola Georgiev – Dedo Bozhe, Woman with a Pipe, 1942, oil on cardboard, 45 × 65 cm, signed and dated

НИКОЛАЙ АБРАШЕВ - Школа по изкустваNikolay Abrashev, School of the Arts, 1926, oil on cardboard, 42 × 65 cm, signed, inscribed, and dated

ЦАНКО ЛАВРЕНОВ - РаботнициTsanko Lavrenov, Workers, 1947, oil on cardboard, 51 × 58 cm, signed (documented/monographed)

ЯН ВАЦЛАВ МЪРКВИЧКА - Портрет на селянкаJan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička, Portrait of a Peasant Woman, 1902, oil on canvas, 22 × 19 cm, signed and dated

ЯРОСЛАВ ВЕШИН - ЛовецJaroslav Věšín, Hunter, oil on canvas, 25.5 × 37 cm, signed

IMPORTANT:

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