Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The doyen of Bulgarian illustration Lyuben Zidarov passed away

The oldest working artist in Bulgaria was 99 years old

4
Любен Зидаров
Photo: Ани Петрова

Master illustrator Lyuben Zidarov passed away on January 3, 2023 before he turned 100, the Union of Bulgarian Artists reports. "We say goodbye to one of the brightest personalities in Bulgarian art over the past century," the union said. 
Zidarov has illustrated the works of about 200 authors. He has been awarded numerous national and international prizes. Several generations of Bulgarians grew up with books with his magnificent illustrations. 
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
Among the most significant of these are Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, Scheherazade's Tales, Bulgarian Folk Tales, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales and many others. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.
He has been chosen by JK Rowling to illustrate the complete Bulgarian edition of the Harry Potter novels, published in 2019. "The illustrator must keep his own face, but he cannot go entirely out of the author, because he illustrates the writer's work. He has to get closer to his world, to his concepts, of course with his own soul and his own plastic vision. ...I have been more concerned with these problems, which have led me to interpretation, than with grafically recreating the literary work." This is how the artist introduced us to his creative laboratory in 2014 in an interview with Julia Petrova of BNR's Hristo Botev programme. 






Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

Gallery

More from category

PM Rosen Zhelyazkov (L) and GERB leader Boyko Borissov.

GERB and DPS-New Beginning rule out early elections

‘This is not the time for early elections,’ said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov at a GERB party conference. According to BTA, he was opposed to holding elections during the country’s planned adoption of the euro in 2026. GERB chairman Boyko..

published on 10/17/25 1:12 PM
Blagomir Kotsev

Appellate Court-Sofia leaves Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev in custody

The Sofia Appellate Court left in custody Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who is charged with corruption and participation in an organized crime group.  The judgment is final. One of the three judges, Andrey Angelov, signed with a dissenting..

published on 10/17/25 11:03 AM

Justice Minister Georgiev discusses with the EC legislative changes related to the new payment under the RRP

Bulgaria’s Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev conferred in Brussels with the European Commission team responsible for the Resilience and Recovery Plan (RRP) reforms in Bulgaria, reported the Ministry of Justice. EC: RRP payment depends on..

published on 10/17/25 9:51 AM