Opening of the Photography Exhibition "Antarctica and the Bulgarians"
The State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute are pleased to invite connoisseurs of photography, science and travel to the author's exhibition of Iglika Trifonova "Antarctica and the Bulgarians". The exhibition will be opened on February 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the Central Lobby of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".
The exhibition presents photographs created during the author's six participations in Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions over the past twenty years. The opening will be attended by Prof. Hristo Pimpirev - head of the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions and one of the key figures in the development of Bulgarian polar research.
The photo exhibition takes the audience into the world of Antarctica - a place of extreme beauty, silence and elements. Visitors will be able to get closer to the majestic glaciers, the wild rhythm of the Southern Ocean, the colonies of penguins and seals, sealed in their natural environment.
The photographs reveal the contrasts of the continent – the harsh icy infinity and the fragile forms of life, the changing light and the almost alien colors of the sky. Particular attention is paid to that specific Antarctic light – pure, sharp and magnetic, which exists only in the southernmost latitudes of the planet.
A significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to the human stories behind scientific research. The photographs present the daily life of Bulgarian scientists and researchers at the St. Kliment Ohridski base on Livingston Island – work in extreme conditions, solidarity in isolation and friendships born among the ice.
Behind each photo stands real work, risk and dedication to science. Iglika Trifonova’s lens captures not only nature, but also the spirit of the Bulgarian presence in Antarctica – the pursuit of knowledge, the courage of research and the sense of community far from home.
The photos will remain in the Central Lobby of Sofia University until March 6, 2026, with free admission for visitors. After that, the exhibition will join the “Traveling Exhibitions” program of the State Institute for Culture, which will allow it to be presented in other cities in the country and abroad.
With this initiative, the organizers continue their mission to promote Bulgarian scientific achievements and Bulgaria’s cultural presence around the world, turning photography into a bridge between science, art and society.