Memorial sign – relief of Petar Bonev
City of Perushtitsa, Primary School “Peter Bonev”
In 2020, I got a job as a fine arts teacher at “Peter Bonev” Primary School in Perushtitsa. As in most schools, there was a relief of the school’s patron saint in the lobby. I, as a new teacher, was overwhelmed with the current work, the workload of which is not to be neglected. It’s been a few months. One day I took a closer look at the relief and what a surprise – on the lapel of the patron of the school I read the inscription “Viktor”. Suddenly something hit me – my father is the author of the memorial sign at the school where I work.
I turned to the history teacher who had a long tenure there. That’s how I found out that the opening of the relief took place around 2006-2007. She exclaimed, “But your father, he looked a lot like you.” I replied, “I’m more like him.” And we burst out laughing.
I am telling this story because I am sure there are many more works by Viktor Todorov that we do not know about, despite the extensive research we have done.
“At that time, I met your father after a recommendation from a friend, who said he knew Viktor Todorov, a very famous sculptor, whom we could engage for a relief of Peter Bonev. Initially, the idea was to place the relief outside, on the facade of the school. It turned out that the legal framework is too problematic for this to happen, but for the internal space of the school there were no obstacles. Viktor Todorov quickly finished the work on the relief with the sign and the plaque. I tried to engage more sponsors – both from the city government and private individuals – but most did not respond, even though it was about their own children’s school. Viktor received a minimal fee, rather symbolic, and did not complain about it at all – although someone else in his place would have done so, and with full right. I express my gratitude and that of the whole school.”
interview with Boyko Ivanov, former principal of “Peter Bonev” Primary School, March 2023
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