- Title: BULGARIA: Bulgaria reveals communist version of 'Last Supper' painting
- Date: 7th June 2007
- Summary: (CEEF) SOFIA, BULGARIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF LORAN GALLERY IN SOFIA
- Embargoed: 22nd June 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bulgaria
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA7NMISALUOBHTO08H36SJNNO72
- Story Text: A Bulgarian version of the iconic painting "Last Supper" featuring communist leaders is on display in Sofia. A painting of the 'Last Supper' which has replaced the religious icons with former communist leader Todor Zhivkov and his aides is on display in Bulgaria.
The painting filled with irony, is packed with humorous takes on the era. Zhivkov features in the centre as Jesus Christ and is surrounded by the communist elite of his time, the Political Bureau, including, Milko Balev, Georgi Yordanov, Zhivkov's daughter -- Liudmila Zhivkova, Stanko Todorov, Dimitar Stoyanov, Pencho Kubadinski, Ognyan Doinov, Andrei Lukanov, Petar Mladenov, Alexander Lilov and General Dobri Dzhurov.
The painting is on show at the Loran gallery in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
"I regret to say that this is our previous life. I feel robbed by those people in the painting," said visitor to the Loran gallery, Violeta Lukach.
"They built communism for themselves only, and gave small parts of it to the rest of us. My recollections are not pleasant at all," she added.
There are theories that Bulgaria's version of the 'Last Supper' was painted after the communist era, however gallery owner Lavren Petrov believes it was painted in the early eighties.
The painting aimed to shock would have caused massive furore during the communist era. Apart from the communist leaders, other features in the painting include a microphone hanging from the ceiling and the shadow of a security policeman. And a banana peel is placed on the floor because bananas were very rare during the communist era, and only available to a selection of people in chosen stores.
It is unknown who painted the picture, and Petrov said they are currently investigating who the artist is.
The visitors Reuters spoke to had several theories on who the painter was and what happened to the artist.
"I think the painter was not alone. There was probably a group of people, who gave him the idea and then one of them later gave him up to the police, as it happens," visitor, Stefan Boyadzhiev said.
"I like the idea that somebody had the guts to make it during that time very much -- when you could have been sent far away by the security service. This was very brave and borders on heroism," Lukach said.
Bulgaria's version of the Last Supper is for sale. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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