Unseen presidential photos: photographer Valentin Nikolov opens his archive
The presidency's photographer has covered every head of state since Zhelyu Zhelev. The head of the State Archives Agency urged former presidents to hand over their personal archives.
Archive image · Photo: Patrick Bombaert - European Commission / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Valentin Nikolov, known as the presidency's photographer, captured Zhelyu Zhelev's first steps as head of state and then all of his successors. He provided part of his archive, with many previously unseen pictures, to the broadcaster BNT. Protocol consultant Kristina Krancheva says Zhelev "was somehow closer to the people," adding that a head of state is on duty "24/7 and 365 days a year."
Mihail Gruev, chairman of the State Archives Agency, said the agency so far holds only Zhelev's presidential archive. It is still being processed, and his daughter Stanka Zheleva continues to add documents. Gruev called on the other former heads of state to hand over their personal archives as well.