Boris Denev State Art Gallery
Boris Denev State Art Gallery in Veliko Tarnovo is one of the oldest and richest galleries in Bulgaria.
Opened in 1934, the gallery collects and preserves works of Bulgarian artists and shows the development of Bulgarian art over the years.
It has 3 sections (paintings, drawings and sculptures) and provides a total 850 square meters of exhibition area. Here you can see paintings of famous Bulgarian artists like Vladimir Dimitrov, Boris Denev, Nikola Tanev and many others.
Works themed “Veliko Tarnovo through the eyes of the artist” are arranged on the first floor of the gallery and are updated periodically. On its second floor, the gallery displays artworks from its permanent exhibition, as well as works of visiting exhibitions.
Boyan Denev State Art Gallery is located at the heart of the Old Bulgarian capital, in a beautiful building in the park “Asenevtsi” which reveals enchanting views to the traditional Bulgarian houses of Old Town of Veliko Tarnovo. Only a few meters from the gallery is the “Asenevtsi” Monument, which was built in 1985 in honour of great Bulgarian tsars.
Originally the building was designed for an art school, but due to lack of funding, it hosted the North-East Bulgarian Veterinary Institute. Tarnovians weren’t happy with this fact and there was much dispute about the ways the Institute acquired ownership of the place, so in 1951 one of the most iconic and beautiful buildings in town was given to the District Police Department.
The building became a state art gallery after it was reconstructed by the architect Nikola Nikolov. It is named after the famous painter Boris Denev in 2002, whose works have immortalized the beauty of his hometown Veliko Tarnovo.
