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Yanka Kyurkchieva is an emblematic figure in Bulgarian photography. She was born in Veliko Tarnovo on April 24, 1929. “Her name is widely known throughout the country. The hundreds of students who graduated from the Photography Department of the High School of Polygraphy and Photography remember it… – this is the beginning of her artistic portrait by Boris Yuskeseliev, published in the “Bulgarian Photo” magazine in 1981. These words are still relevant today, but we must also add the students from the New Bulgarian University where she was a lecturer from 1996 to 2006, as well as the photo amateurs and all professional photographers in Bulgaria. Yanka Kyurkchieva graduated in French philology in 1955 but life took her in a different direction – she started working at the X-ray Institute of ISUL University Hospital. One of her tasks there was to establish a photo lab. This determined her entire further life path. She began with scientific photography – the first nuclear photography and the first autoradiography in Bulgaria were made by her in the period 1959-1962. 1962 marked the beginning of her long journey as a lecturer in photography which continued. until the end of her life. Her great contribution was recognized by the order “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” 1st Degree, the diploma and distinction “Expert Lecturer” of FIAP, Lecturer of the Year for 2000/2001 at the NBU. As a member of the FIAP lecture group, she delivered numerous reports at international seminars, some of which have been published in the collection of the International Federation of Photographic Art. In parallel with her teaching activity, Yanka Kyurkchieva also worked in the field of education, publishing four textbooks on photography, which to this day are the most serious works on photography by a Bulgarian author and are a unique contribution to the specific education in this field. Contacts with Yanka Kyurkchieva did not end with the completion of photography education – only then did they begin. They continued throughout the entire artistic and professional journey of photographers. For them, she was not only a teacher, but also a friend, a person who could always be counted on for both professional advice and help or just human understanding. However, her significance for Bulgarian photography is not limited to the photographers she trained. She herself was also a prominent artist who participated in many Bulgarian and international exhibitions. She received international recognition as the AFIAP (Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art) in 1974, the title Fine Art Photography Artist in 1970, many diplomas, certificates and awards. The first solo color art exhibition in Bulgaria was the result of her efforts. “It was one of the first and then rare meetings of photo art connoisseurs with color photography which left strong impressions and the confidence that art can also be created with the means of color photography.” Speaking of Yanka Kyurkchieva, we must not forget to mention the numerous articles in the field of photographic mastery, photography pedagogy, scientific photography, the history of photography. Her participation as a member of the jury was a guarantee for an uncompromising evaluation of the works and prestige for every photo contest. And yet, perhaps one of her greatest contributions to Bulgarian photography was the establishment of the Bulgarian National Association Academy of Photography in 1999, of which she was the Founder and Honorary Chairperson. It is the network that unites photographers from all branches of the profession as well as prominent photo enthusiasts countrywide. Participation in the annual reviews of photographic art, organized by the National Academy of Photography (Bulgaria), which today proudly bears the name of Yanka Kyurkchieva, is prestigious for every Bulgarian photographer, and the award received in these reviews is an expression of recognition of the author’s artistic achievements. The highest distinction that a photographer can hope for in our country is receiving the ACADEMICA Statuette, which is the Grand prize awarded for special merits in photography. In 2006, Yanka Kyurkchieva was awarded the Honorary ACADEMICA Statuette. Yanka Kyurkchieva restored Bulgaria’s membership in FIAP in 2003 with the National Academy of Photography (Bulgaria) becoming the operational member and the official representative of FIAP. Her work and personality will leave deep traces in the life and professional career of several generations of Bulgarian photographers. Her whole life was marked by activities directed at the development and acknowledgement of the community devoted to the art of photography. SELECTED WORKS The exhibition presented in this publication includes photos made with classic photographic equipment and manual color copying. They reveal the wealth of colors and shapes obtained in the creative interpretation of graphic photographic techniques. Unique artistic and documentary frames had captured many cultural monuments, people and events that happened for the first time in Bulgaria. Yanka Kyurkchieva displayed this exhibition in Veliko Tarnovo only a month before her death and donated it to the Tarnovo Museum.
