An Interview with Valentin Starchev

On the role of Christian and pagan symbols in socialist art.

Valentin Starchev is one of the big names in 20th century Bulgarian sculpture and memorial art. His works can be seen right across the country, and one thing I have always appreciated about them is the way they weave together socialist symbols with the visual languages of Christian art, and even more ancient traditions.

Professor Starchev was kind enough to let me interview him in spring 2023. I plan to develop this into a more streamlined article at some point, but for now, you can read the full transcript below.