The event was opened by Ambassador Sfari
On 22nd of April, the exhibition ISRAEL OF SAPPHIRE AND GOLD: A TALE OF TWO CITIES was officially opened by Ambassador Yossi Levi Sfari, Deputy Minister of Culture, Assoc. Prof. Todor Chobanov, artist Zoe Sever, and the Chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Assoc. Prof. Nataliya Kiselova.
In his welcome speech, H.E. Yossi Levi Sfari greeted the guests and noted that the ties between Israel and Bulgaria are not just diplomacy, but relationships between people, between two nations, built over centuries. He noted that as early as 1948, Bulgaria recognized the independence of Israel, with bilateral diplomatic relations actively developing until 1967. After a break, they were restored in 1990, gaining new momentum, which we celebrate today as the 35th anniversary of the friendship between our peoples.
Deputy Minister Todor Chobanov likened the exhibition to a blossomed flower, a symbol of the lasting, beautiful, and successful relations between our two countries, and called it one of the most exciting and representative exhibitions ever displayed at the "Sredets" gallery.
Artist Zoe Sever admitted that these 35 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations are particularly meaningful to her, as she emigrated from Ukraine to Israel in August 1990.
In her speech, Zoe Sever expressed hope that through her paintings, guests would get to know Israel.
The Chairwoman of the National Assembly, Nataliya Kiselova, noted how uniquely Sever’s works connect antiquity with modernity and serve as a reminder of the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and Israel.
The exhibition is part of the celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it will remain on display at the “Sredets” gallery until May 8.
