Partisans
Village of Starosel, center
In the 1960s, Viktor Todorov received an assignment for a monument to fallen partisans from the village of Starosel, Plovdiv region.
The monument is a one-figure highly dynamic composition, made of Vratsa limestone and situated in front of the village hall on the open area.
The tension placed in the human figure is reinforced by the plastic surrounding it. Together, they radiate strength, irreversibility and decisiveness of the processes. The names of the dead are written on the front – inseparable from the sculpture. The plinth is of rough syenite blocks, suggesting even greater rigidity of aspiration.
The monument is much more triumphant than mournful. Viktor Todorov managed to preserve these qualities in his works and achieved a rare synthesis between subject matter and ultimate suggestion.
Here again it is time to praise the stone from Gorna Beshovitsa (Vratsa limestone). It is a living organism that gives almost magical life to art works. The Partisans monument is from the 60s and time has enhanced its highlights because of that exact material. The Vratsa limestone has the property of becoming increasingly hard when exposed to atmospheric conditions.
See all zoomable photos of the monument here:
