Located on the Black Sea shore, Varna is the third most populated city in the country. Sometimes during the summer it even becomes the second one. The city has a rich history going back not just to the Roman Empire but also to the Thracian tribes who used to live in the area. Traveling to the not so distant past the city of Varna was flourishing in the beginning of XX century. Trade markets, banks, hotels, restaurants, a catholic church, a mosque and local craft shops – almost everything could have been seen among the then main street of the city Preslav Str. Due to its location near the port and between the Turkish, Greek, Armenian and Jewish neighbourhood it had been populated area where people had the opportunity to buy goods from fish to elegant modern hats and also to socialize with other citizens. On the street one can still find some of the most beautiful architectural pieces left from the architect Dabko Dabkov and the sculptor and architect Kiril Shivarov.
On a square on this same street Preslav today visitors of Varna can enjoy an interesting open-air exhibition, which consists of historical photographs from the city dating from the beginning of XX century. The idea behind it? Motivated people from Innovator Foundation together with Association Talyana and Varna – European Youth Capital are trying to differentiate a zone meant to be a neighbourhood of the creative industries named Talyana. Locked between Preslav Street, Tzar Simeon I Street and the Railway Square, Talyana aims to make the old center of Varna start flourishing again.
By looking back to the past and the way people used to live, the exhibition, which is part of Plovdiv - European culture capital’s programme, aims to preserve the memories of old Varna. This way all people involved in the idea behind Talyana can observe what changed throughout the years and conclude what we can do now to keep that historical and cultural heritage for future generations.
An interesting aspect of the exhibition is the way it is portrayed. Forget about the typical boring exhibition stands that have nothing to do with the presented art above them. The case with exhibition Talyana is different. Elegant wooden stands are placed on the square and make everything fit perfectly to the surroundings, bringing that hygge feeling in the air. The author of the wooden stands, a young carpenter, is Dimitar Tumbarkov. The exhibition is a great example of the never-ending desire of the local community to help and be creative in terms of urban development. Some of the people working on this project also took part in the creating of Rapana - a free street library with a contemporary design, which greatly influenced the perception of reading among citizens.
Among the photographs in the exhibition one can also see the famous building of Musala hotel. Built in 1927, visitors soon began to call the hotel the Pearl of the Black Sea. Besides the presented beautiful buildings, there are also some interesting moments which had captured the everyday life of people in Varna. Local fishermen, girls after a carnival, members of a sports club, firefighters and craftsmen, an ad for a movie from 1929 and last but not least a rock concert on the beach. Each photograph keeps the spirit of the past and serves to remind us how people used to live and what they believed in.
More info: boredpanda.com
Exhibition Talyana
