On 1 July 2022, the award ceremony of the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Prize in support of young talent in contemporary arts and science, presented biennially for innovative achievements and for postgraduate qualification at accredited higher education institutions in Europe, by NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’, was held in the Palace Ballroom of the National Gallery.
The prize in the competition’s second edition was awarded to Dr Ivalina Trendafilova. She is a postdoctoral student at the University of Namur, Belgium, under the BEWARE Fellowships Programme co-financed by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Ivalina is a senior assistant at the Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry (IOCCP) at BAS. She is the author of scores of scientific publications in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnologies, and is the leader of innovative projects in the same area.
The jury selecting the title bearer and the other three nominated contestants comprised Chair Ms Vesela Kondakova, Deputy Minister of Culture, and members Academician Vasil Nikolov (National Archaeological Institute with Museum at BAS), Prof. Adriana Blagoeva, D.M. (Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music), Assoc. Prof. Dr Penko Gospodinov (NATFA ‘Krastyo Sarafov’), and Prof. Stanislav Pamukchiev (Union of Bulgarian Artists).
Ms Vesela Kondakova awarded the special diploma that accompanied the prize to the new winner, Dr Ivalina Trendafilova, while the Fund’s Executive Director, Ms Slava Ivanova, presented her with an artwork by a participant in the ‘River of Tolerance’ International Youth Art Festival. Dr Trendafilova emphasised the significance of the award for the professional career of young artists and scientists, as well as the motivation it gave them to continue their development in Bulgaria. She also expressed her immense gratitude to the jury and to NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’.
The other nominees—Ana Kostova, painting; Victoria Zhelyazkova, cultural sociology; and Delyan Balev, international relations—also received diplomas from the members of the NEF ’13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ Management Board: Prof. Georgi Lozanov, Rashko Mladenov and Prof. Ventsislav Velev. On behalf of the Fund, Slava Ivanova presented the three young talents with graphics created during the ‘River of Tolerance’ Festival. They all expressed their gratitude for the honour.