In school and at the university, Bagryana excelled, we can see in her matriculation certificates, which are kept in the museum, besides, she was also of exemplary behavior. We learn from Lisa's classmates that she read a lot outside the compulsory school curriculum and knew more than others, she was interested in modern Bulgarian, Russian and foreign literature. In 1911-1915, she studied "Philology and Literature" at Sofia University, she wrote in one of her certificates. During her student years, Lisa joined the circle of young and talented young people, some of whom later became famous writers and poets, critics and journalists, such as Dimcho Debelyanov, Konstantin Konstantinov, Dimitar Poddveznachev, Atanas (Nacho) Bukureshtliev, Nikolay Liliev, Hristo Yasenov, Nikola Yanev, Georgi Raichev, Mityo Yovchev and others. "Poetry was at the center of our conversations. We really appreciated Dimcho. He was already being talked about," she later recalled. In this transitional moment, when she only secretly composes poems, but does not yet know that she will devote herself to poetry, she meets a person who inspires her confidence that she can become a poet. It was the future famous writer Yordan Yovkov, who encouraged her to write and published her first poetic attempts in the magazine "Savremenna Mytla".
In 1915, Elisaveta Bagryana went to Vratsa as a literature teacher, where she spent two academic years, then moved to Kyustendil for two more. From this four-year period as a provincial teacher, the NIM keeps her photos and a Service Note about her teaching at Kyustendil High School.
When it comes to Bagryana's youth, we often ask ourselves the question - what did she look like then? Many of us remember her from her more mature years, and even then you could see how beautiful she was. NIM holds many of her portraits and other photographs taken over decades. In one of them, she is in profile with her chin proudly raised and her curly hair tied high at the nape of her neck. A true poetess, the embodiment of voluptuous and spiritual beauty.
In 1919, Elisaveta married Ivan Shapkarev, son of the famous folklorist Kuzman Shapkarev, whom she had known since her student years. He was a soldier by profession, he knew French, he was fascinated by poetry and literature, he sang well, says Bagryana herself. In December 1919, their son Lubomir was born. Unfortunately, their marriage did not last long and in 1925 the poetess left Shapkarevi's home.
In the years surrounding her marriage to Ivan Shapkarev and her relationship with Boyan Penev, Bagryana increasingly asserted herself as a poet. Her name became recognizable thanks to her collaboration with "Vestnik za zhenta", where she published poems under various pseudonyms and the first translations of poetry. The first laudatory reviews of her poetry appear on its pages. One of them has a wide response, and one phrase in it makes a strong impression on her: "The fate of this woman is connected with love and death." And indeed, from here on, the great loves in Bagryana's life go hand in hand with death and separation. Such is the case with the famous literary historian and critic Prof. Boyan Penev, who died suddenly after an appendicitis operation in the midst of their love affair, and the Serbian poet Rade Drainac with the same diagnosis almost died in her arms. A few years after she broke up with her close friend, the writer Matvey Valev, he died at the front in 1944. After a 10-year marriage, her second husband, Alexander Likov, died of cancer. About this part of the poetess's personal life, the NIM fund preserves a few scarce testimonies. Especially valuable is a love letter from Prof. Boyan Penev to Bagryana dated March 1, 1925, necessarily quoted by their biographers. It is among the rare documentary evidences of their sublime love. In the exposition of the museum, a round medallion of Elisaveta Bagryana with her portrait is on display, and on its reverse side is inserted a rare photo - her with Boyan Penev.
Part of Bagryana's rich library is preserved in the NIM, with the first editions of her collections of poems with personal autographs - "The Eternal and the Holy" (1927), "Heart of Man" (1936), "Star of the Sailor" (1932), " Svetlosenki" (1977), as well as the books for children - "The Rolling Year" (1931), "Stars" (1938) and "Plane for Moscow" (1953). The group of books (all with autographs) is large, which also includes her translated editions, as well as works by foreign authors - most famous translators and Slavists, with whom she maintains a wide correspondence. First of all, we should mention here the two great Slavists - Andre Mazon and Roger Bernard, the Serbian poet Desanka Maksimović, the Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić, the Belgian poet and writer Maurice Karem, the Czech Bulgarian writer Zdenek Urban and others. The documentary group includes her poems in manuscript - "Abroad", "The Word of Pain", "Happy New Year" and one printed - "Sofia through the ages", with the popular image of the poetess - a graphic secessionist mask painted by Dechko Uzunov.
A large part of the "Bagryana" collection is occupied by congratulatory addresses and awards. Among the high awards, we should mention the Honorary title "Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria" (from the Museum "Bulgaria and the Slavic World"), Orders "People's Republic of Bulgaria" I and II degrees, Honorary Badge of the Union of Translators in Bulgaria, etc. There are numerous congratulatory addresses to her on the occasion of her 70th and 80th anniversaries from various organizations and institutions, such as from the Union of Writers, the Committee for Culture, from the editorial office of the magazine "Septemvri", where she worked, from the Committee for Bulgarian Women and many. etc.
