The National History Museum opened a jubilee exhibition under the title "50 of 50" in the presence of Vice President Iliana Yotova

Today, May 10, 2023, Vice President Iliyana Yotova opened in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture Prof. Dr. Plamen Slavov the jubilee exhibition of the National History Museum under the title "50 of 50". The event brought together the former directors of the museum, Academician Vasil Gyuzelev (1976-1977) and Prof. Ilya Prokopov (1998-2001), Archpriest Radko Ivanov from the Church of St. Panteleimon in the district of Boyana, Ekaterina Djumalieva, director of the Directorate "Cultural Heritage, Museums and Fine Arts" in the Ministry of Culture, directors and colleagues from museums in the country, guests and friends.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Thank you for being there and spreading the glory of Bulgaria all over the world!" is part of the message that the vice president wrote in the special anniversary wish book of the National History Museum.
"I wish the National History Museum to live to celebrate its centenary, as a guardian of the ancient Thracian and Old Bulgarian cultures", Academician Vasil Gyuzelev made a wish.

The anniversary exhibition "50 of 50" is dedicated to the half-century history of the National History Museum. The largest museum institution in Bulgaria was founded by Order No. 90 of the Council of Ministers of May 5, 1973, which initiated the construction of a museum complex in the city of Sofia. Prof. Strashimir Dimitrov was appointed as the first director of the museum in June 1974. Shortly thereafter, the appointments of the museum staff began. The very first exhibition of the museum - "Prehistoric Art in the Bulgarian Lands" (May 5, 1975) is a request for the future transcendence of the chronological boundaries laid down in the Decree on the establishment of the National History Museum.

In 50 poster panels, the exhibition "50 of 50" collects and presents some of the most impressive events, exhibitions and activities of the National History Museum in the period from its foundation to the current year 2023. The jubilee presentation also includes over 150 exhibits in showcases, part from the museum's funds, purchased objects and donations, as well as representative gifts for the National History Museum, donated by Bulgarian and foreign guests and friends of the museum.

The public motives that caused the creation of the National History Museum were the collapse of the People's Museum established in 1893 in the museum network of Bulgaria, which led to the lack of an institution that could cover with its functions the search, preservation, documentation, conservation and restoration, research and exhibiting, studying and popularizing movable monuments of culture from all possible manifestations of human creativity from the entire territory of the country, the Bulgarian ethnic territories abroad and the Bulgarian diaspora.

In 1979, by decision of the government, two floors of the Courthouse in Sofia were given over to the National History Museum. In 1983, the offices, stock rooms, and technical rooms were ready, and in March 1984 the exhibition itself was opened. After long discussions, the exposition of the National History Museum was built on the basis of the juxtaposition of two museological principles - chronological and collection. The museum has become a resource for the entire state.

In 2000, the National History Museum was moved to the residence "Boyana" - House No. 1, located in a beautiful building at the foot of Vitosha. The new permanent exhibition was officially opened on June 29, 2000.

In the last few years, the National History Museum has accumulated over 600 cultural monuments. Enrichment of its funds takes place in the traditional ways for any large museum - archaeological excavations, ethnographic expeditions, purchased items, donations, confiscations for the benefit of the state, carried out by the court, the police and customs. The collections are so vast, diverse and breathtaking, a maze of different artistic and cultural worlds.