On 19 November 2025, the Vladimir Bashev National Prize was awarded to the young poet Denis Olegov for his anthology, ‘Justification for Existence’, published last year by Beyond the Covers Publishers. The ceremony took place at the Vladimir Bashev Literary Office.
Denis Olegov was also presented with an artwork titled ‘Silhouette’—a lithograph by Andrey Vrabchev—by the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund.
The prize was established in 1969 and is awarded for an anthology of poetry published by the National Literary Museum and the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund. Since 2000, it has been bestowed every two years. The Literary Museum manages the collection and acceptance of books by young authors, the assembling of a six-member jury, and conducting the award ceremony.
By tradition, NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ presents the winner with a work of art. Over the years, the Fund has also provided financial support to the National Literary Museum, covering fees for the jury members and the costs for the artistic design of the diplomas.