| Bust of Vasil Levski | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The bust in front of theEmbassy of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C. | |
 | |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Subject | Vasil Levski |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Coordinates | 38°54′44″N77°02′55″W / 38.912275°N 77.048663°W /38.912275; -77.048663 |
Abust ofVasil Levski is installed outside theEmbassy of Bulgaria (1621 22nd Street NW), nearSheridan Circle, alongEmbassy Row and in theKalorama Heights neighborhood ofWashington, D.C., United States.
The artwork has an inscription with both Bulgarian and English text "Svoboda i sekimu svoeto" and "Freedom and to each his own", respectively.[1]
In 1995, the President of BulgariaZhelyu Zhelev advocated for erecting a monument toVasil Levski in the United States.[citation needed] The Vasil Levski Foundation, founded inSofia in 1991, undertook this initiative. The foundation proposed the U.S. monument to be an author's copy of the monument to the Apostle in the parkBorisova gradina inSofia, built a year earlier.[citation needed] The bust's author is the Bulgarian sculptorVladimir Ginovski, and the architect of the composition isIvan Bitrakov.[2] Ginovski is the best known in Bulgaria with the monument to theSaints Cyril and Methodius, unveiled in 1975 in front of theNational Library in Sofia (with author's copies built inRome,Italy andMurmansk,Russia).
Ginovski completed the monument in 1996 and attended its unveiling in Washington, D.C., on July 18 of the same year when it was the 159th anniversary of Levski's birth. On his only trip to the States, Ginowski was able to visit art galleries inNew York.[3]
In 2007, the monument was included in the album of monuments and sculptural portraits of Levski - "Memory of the Apostle". The collection includes nearly 130 illustrations. Additional information about the author, the year of construction and unveiling of the monument, etc. are provided for every artwork. Among the 14 most valuable photographs of sculptures of the Apostle is the photograph of the monument in Washington, D.C.[4]
In July 2016, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior AffairsRumyana Bachvarova visited the U.S. and with AmbassadorTihomir Stoychev laid flowers at the monument in honor of the 179th anniversary of the birth of Levski.[5] In October 2020, the U.S. Ambassador to BulgariaHerro Mustafa paid tribute to the monument to the Apostle in Washington, D.C.[6]
Every year around February 19, the day of Levski'shanging byOttomans, many Bulgarians living in the U.S. pass through Washington, D.C., and pay tribute to the memory of the Bulgarian national hero.[7] On July 18, the Levski's birthday, the embassy staff regularly laid flowers in front of the monument and paid tribute to the memory of the Apostle.[8]
