A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MAGICIAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MAGICIAN

Dr. Xenia Kisselincheva

“How boring life would be without the lure of mystery and magic, without the lure of a beautiful illusion!”

She suddenly stopped juggling with the Chinese rings and jolted them gracefully onto a metal rod. Then she flipped the jeweled turban off her head and let her shiny black hair loose. All she craved for was a short break after the intense and demanding performance. Swaying across the semi-dark stage, she tiptoed down the steps and joined us at the table. She was relieved to be her old self, Dessie Novkova, a Capricorn, 26 years old, an eager pupil of the illustrious Astor. Before sipping her banana shake, she looked questioningly towards the maestro: “Am I getting anywhere?” He gave her a dignified nod of approval and she beamed all over. The young magician was in a special state of mind at the moment, she was getting ready for her first visit to the U.S. in a few days’ time. Dessie or Daisy, as her colleagues called her, was first going to take part in an international festival in Los Angeles, then she would perform at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, where an exclusive cast of world-famous illusionists performed every single night of the year. Dessie had done special preparation for the occasion: a one-man conjuror’s show, involving intricate fire play and an original number, displaying a fairy scene with flowers. According to Astor, the program suits her temperament very well. She would also give a few performances before the Bulgarian colony in Los Angeles.

It all started as a children’s game. When Dessie was around ten, her granny gave her an unusual present - Uncle Astor’s magic box of tricks, which was accompanied with a booklet. The little girl adored the box, she loved practicing and learning the tricks to the minutest detail. Then at bedtime, she would perform them in front of mom, dad, granny and her younger brother. At that time, she had almost lost interest in dolls, hopscotch and the like, she had definite preference for dangerous boys’ games and for molding all kinds of figurines out of clay. Later, at 14, she was keen on entering the vocational school for stone carving and sculpture modeling, which she finished with flying colors.

 During those formative years, Dessie also developed a passion for fashion design and started weaving her own patterns. They slightly reminded one of the traditional Bulgarian patterns on costumes, table cloths and rugs and when she started her own designer’s company, these hand-woven patterns gave a distinctively unique appeal to her clothes. Today, when Dessie is wholly absorbed with her vocation as a magician, her patterns still capture the imagination of other fashion designers, like Svetla Dimitrova, for instance, you can catch glimpse of them as recurring decorations in her collections.

 As Dessie explains, her particular case as far as magic art goes, contradicts in a way the folk proverb “If you can learn by watching, dogs will turn into butchers”. Her mom, who was a sound producer at the TV, first brought her to the Magic Theater of Astor. It was found right behind the Hemus hotel, it was at the bottom of a garden restaurant with folksy wooden sheds and a fountain spurting jets of water over the stone statuette of a young girl. Dessie did not miss a single show, she could see the best of Bulgarian magic art- the great Astor, Orfi, Irko, Corso, Danko...

Last year the best conjurors from the Balkans performed at the Magic Theater in Sofia, after their participation in an international festival. So, one night, a couple of years ago, when Astor was away on a tour, Dessie dared to perform some of his tricks in front a close friendly circle. She used some of his stage props / properties too. On the next day, the magus was back and Dessie expected to be severely scolded. But, instead, he asked her to repeat her performance of the previous night. He realized right away, she had the knack for it and that she had picked up much just from watching.

Then he took up training her on a regular basis and soon she was able to take part in the 5-th National Festival of Magic Art in 1997 at the Army Theater in Sofia. Getting a first prize for women was her first major success! Dessie admits that was probably the most moving instant of recognition for her - she was  uptight and slightly frightened,  aware that she was being watched and assessed by a bunch of over-critical and fussy professionals.

Later on Astor took her on as a participant in most of his shows, when touring the country. He noticed that Dessie was quick in learning new elements, mastering new secrets of the trade.  She presented her teacher’s tricks but with certain variations, in a style of her own. Soon, she was recognized by the elite community of the magicians - big shots like Orfi and Irko did not mind including her with a 10-minute performance in their grandiose shows when touring the country - Sofia, Plovdiv, Bourgas, Sunny beach, Haskovo and so on. She got engagements throughout 1997-1998.

When Astor was asked to prepare the second part of a circus spectacle, which toured round Cyprus, Dessie was also invited to take part. She was an immediate success, an enchantress captivating the foreign audience. When she came back to Sofia, she was invited to take part in a number of TV shows. But it seemed success did not go straight to her head- she organized free shows for children, for she knew they would remember the experience for good/ the rest of their life.

She continually tried to enrich her repertoire-apart from the classical Chinese rings, she included other numbers like “cutting your head”, “a burning handkerchief in a box”, etc. She tried her hand at different genres-tricks, manipulation and illusions. She learnt how to dance step and some oriental dances. Her experience as a designer helped her feel quite at home on the stage. She already has a growing number of fans. For instance, a fan of hers from Plovdiv got truly fascinated with the Chinese rings number. He had them ordered from a magic shop in Britain but he could not work out how to handle them. He implored her to show him, but Dessie would not give away the secret, it was a professional secret for the few God-elected!

And what are her plans for the future? This year in August, she dares “deep diving” on her own, by undertaking a one-woman show in California.  Next year she and Astor are planning to participate in a world festival in the U.S. Dessie intends to prepare a new number, with more manipulations involved. They are, in her words, the most difficult thing to do. There is no deceit in them - it is just a matter of dexterity and skill. As maestro Astor rightly says, it all comes not so much to speed, but to skill.

Who is her idol in the magic art? She has been lucky to watch the very best both at home and abroad. How about the fabulous David Copperfield? “What he does is very spectacular and beautiful, but it is not so hard to perform. It is a matter of a lot of technical contraptions and a lot of money. While with Astor, it is still a mystery for me. I watch him from two centimeters away, but still I can’t work out some of his tricks.”

It is said that Astor’s restaurant has one of the best variety shows in the country. There you can enjoy the full spectrum of acrobatics, juggling, tricks, dancing and pop music, all of the first order. Some clients book in advance to make sure they can entertain their friends or business partners there. And the garden restaurant has a special appeal on cool and clear summer nights. A special appeal, enhanced by the colorful lights, flickering and crisscrossing on the stage of the temple of magic art, complemented by the romantic gleam of the lanterns under the wooden sheds and finally by the lights, shimmering in the whirlpool of the fountain. In the middle of it, you can’t miss the graceful outline of the statuette. It looks as if a bathing girl suddenly turned to stone. At night she bathes in floods of light, while watching, fully absorbed the pageant of mystery, magic and beautiful illusions. Life would be so boring and bland if it is devoid of them. They also remind us of the parallel world of the supernatural, of the inscrutable puzzles of nature, of the miracles of civilization. And most of all, of our mysterious relation to God, who is maybe the greatest wizard of all, manipulating the interminable pageant of the creation.

Sofia Western News, 1999

A RETRO REVIVAL OF THE ORIENT EXPRESS ON THE EVE OF YEAR 2000

 A RETRO REVIVAL OF THE ORIENT EXPRESS ON THE EVE OF YEAR 2000 

      

Dr. Xenia Kisselincheva

If you mention Agatha Christie’s 1974 crime thriller  “Murder on the Orient Express” at any point round the planet, almost one out of five people is bound to respond they have read the novel, seen the screening of it, or, at least have heard about it. It’s no wonder, since the authoress, honored as Dame Commander of the British Empire is matched in popularity only by the Bible and Shakespeare. How does the international film co-production “Death, Fraud and Love on the Orient Express” relate to the classical thriller?

Here is what Mark Ropper, its British director has to say: “This is a contemporary action thriller, taking place on board the Orient Express on the eve of the year 2000. But I have still kept the suspense and the sinister mystery of Christie’s novel. I made it that way between myself and the actors, since I want to be watched by people of all ages across the globe, mesmerized the unfading magic of the train. According to the screenplay, I don’t have a detective like Hercule Poirot, but there is a pervading feeling that there is more going on than actually meets the eye. Besides, I have managed to model one of the characters into something like an investigator who is trying to make out who is on the train and why...”

The film, recently shot and edited in Bulgaria, has gone to the Cannes film festival, awaiting a good response by the audience, the pundits and the film companies. What is it all about? The train, zooming across Europe through the auspicious night, on the brink of the new millennium has been hijacked. Guess who is on board the train in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere? The two richest and most powerful men in the world / their prototypes might be Rupert Murdock and Bill Gates / have chosen to meet the new rising millennium in the stylish retro atmosphere of the Orient Express. The two blase tycoons are completely unawares of the threat that is creeping on them. The scheme of the international gang of hijackers is simply to take possession of their wealth. As the actor Christoff Waltz, starring as the chief villain, explains the motivation of his character: “I am after their huge wealth and I am at an inch of gaining it”. The Bulgarian actor Christo Shopov who performs in the role of the train’s manager turns out to be in the center of the clash game between the mega-rich hostages and the relentless terrorists.

The greater part of the film has been shot at the Boyana film center in Sofia. A true-to-life copy of the train has been built there, recreating in the minutest details the authentic ambience of the fabulous vehicle. This has been achieved under the guidance of the Italian stage and film designer Giovanni Natalucci. Apart from this reconstruction, the team has been shooting on King Boris’s train in the vicinity of Sofia and Dragoman.  Finally, they were also given the opportunity to do some shooting at the museum of old vehicles at the Central Railway station.

The film co-production is one of the international projects of the British producer Harry Allan Towers and it draws on the resources of talented people from across the globe. Suffice it to mention one of them, the well-known American actor Richard Greco, who stars as a film star and stunts man. With his tongue in the cheek, he loves to comment about his hero in this vein “My mission is to save beautiful girls like Joanna/ i.e. the Bulgarian actress Joanna Bukovska / and kill the wicked ones.”

But Joanna Bukovska, who stars in the lead female part, has her own version of her relationship with R. Greko within the context of the film. “As a matter of fact, I save his life with the help of acrobatic abilities.” Joanna is a charismatic film star, who made a name for herself in the first post-Communist TV series “The Danube Bridge”. While doing her studies at the Theater Academy in Sofia, she has managed to perform lead parts in three co-productions under the guidance of eminent foreign directors.

 That’s what she had to say about her experience of interacting with the director of the Orient Express thriller, tall and blue-eyed Mark Ropper, who has the bearing of a proud Viking: “This is the first director in my working experience  who knows exactly what he wants to achieve and who knows how to go about it. ” She explains further in greater detail:

“He manages very well to bring out  the subdued tension between the characters, both in terms of physical action and  through the gleam in the eye of the characters, when looking at each other. He helped me bring out a touch of Slavic sensibility in my heroine, who is a Russian ballerina. At times, she is a fearless and virtuoso acrobat, while at other times, she can be really romantic and gentle.”

After seeing the film, I made a better sense of what J. Bukovska was driving at. Nadia, her heroine is much more than the action thriller stereotype of  “an iron maiden” , flaunting about her stunningly good looks. “The calculating bitch” who is the lover of one of the moguls unexpectedly falls in love with R. Greco’s hero and displays surprising nuances of her personality.

As director Mark Ropper remarked “The performance of the Bulgarian actors hasn’t been touched by Hollywood, they still have a lot of theatre in them. There is some kind of depth to their interpretation, they seem to bring it up from their stomach. That’s why they have worked so well with the British actors.”

 Then Mark went on to greater lengths about the advantages of an international production, where each national talent invests his own unique shade of color. For instance, the director and some of the actors are British, the script writer is Canadian, the cameraman and the composer  are Italian etc.

 As Peter Jobin, the Canadian-born screenplay writer put it: “It’s a fantastic mixture of people who know what movies are all about. They kind of speak the same language, they immediately grasp what the other person is aiming at. Movie talk is like music, it transcends borders, it is team work and each person is just as important as the next.” Peter also makes it clear that he tries to tell interesting stories and to entertain people.

 He is full of amusing anecdotes about how words get redefined and rearticulated in the process of shooting a film. For example, the director might sometimes get excited or angry, waving his arms around like a conductor, caught up in a frenzy: “Why will this character do that?” The screenplay writer tries to explain, putting the logic of his creation to the test. On some occasions, he prevails over the director, on others, he backs down. Or, suddenly, another person on the team intervenes, and everybody accepts his point of view. Mr. Jobin takes another story out of the bag. “Once, I was woken up by a phone call and I was urgently summoned to the shooting site. When I arrived there, I realized the team people had got into a problem. They were sitting in the retro dining car and they were having a very hot argument. “This scene has to go there! No, it doesn’t have to. It belongs here!” and so on. The actors were sharing their thoughts and I was the guy who listened to them and said: “Well, that’s a great idea. Go on and develop it further. Or, I would say: “It doesn’t sound like that character, he won’t do this. Finally, Mark takes charge of the situation, he has the final say.”

Shooting a movie is a very complex thing, all sorts of difficulties creep up like cockroaches, out of all corners. These difficulties have to be resolved immediately, because of budget considerations. Or, because of the tight  schedule, very often you do the shooting for long hours and you have to finish in four or five weeks. Some people cannot take all the pressure, their nerves crack up. For instance, while shooting the Orient Express, an actress went into a nervous fit and had to go. They were all upset for a while, but they tried to drown their frustration into endless hours of shooting.

Mark Ropper is a straightforward and dynamic person, they all love to work with him. Nobody complained they were suppressed or snubbed by him. At the farewell cocktail at the NDK, he was all over the place. Sipping Heineken, he tried to weigh up his two year experience in Bulgaria:

 “To be honest, when we first came, the Bulgarian side wasn’t prepared for our style of working, like fast multiple camera shooting and others techniques. Since then, they have managed to catch up. Now problems are immediately dealt with, by executives like Evgeni Mihailov.”   

Suddenly, the lights went out. The film started unrolling, accompanied by whistling, booing and clapping of hands. The response was unrestrained and charmingly spontaneous like the one at a pop concert where fans and performers merge into a whole, each making part of the same ritual. The lights went on again and the ritual was over.

Before leaving, I had a last pint of beer with Peter Jobin. He tried to point out the reasons why international film teams felt happy about shooting in Bulgaria:

“Apart from the fine beer and beautiful women, we find here three important things. First, a fine studio that can accommodate building complicated sets, secondly, a countryside which gives us a great variety of choice. And, last but not least, a professional film industry that can back us up quite adequately, like producers, technicians etc., including the good choice of actors, some of them starring in leading parts. So, you can make a movie in the best professional circumstances. This is why we hang around here - we have finished one project and we are about to start working on another in a couple of weeks’ time... ”

Getting away from the razzle-dazzle of the cocktail party, I felt reassured that things were going the right way in filmmaking and international artistic cooperation. In a world, fragmented and divided along ethnic, social and religious lines, this is a bright light in the tunnel. Boyana film center was bought by an American company and now it is a most desirable venue for a cross-cultural creative activity.                                        

                                             

“WE WERE VERY POOR BUT VERY HAPPY”

“WE WERE VERY POOR BUT VERY HAPPY”

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva

These are the words of painter Krassi Gurinov, when asked about his students’ days at the Academia delle Belle Arte in Rome, way back in the mid-sixties. Living on the brink of poverty, he and his mates had an exhilarating feeling of freedom - searching for an artistic identity during the daytime, while at night embarking on wild pranks in the eternal city. Whenever they ran out of money, they would go to Fontana di Trevi where visitors throw coins to return to Rome, which is a very old belief.

So, Krassi and his international gang of art students would not contemplate the sculptural configuration or the reflections of lights on the emerald green water. They would go on a “treasure” hunt, plunging in the water, collecting coins from the bottom. The Italian policemen, “the carabinieri”, knew they were no bandits and left them alone. They would say: “Here come the artists for their night swim!” Krassi and his “accomplices” would collect as much as would pay for a few bottles of Chianti and a pasta. Then they would stroll around, absorbing the sights and sounds of the immovable feast of night life. Finally around 5a.m., they would soak in the sunrise in the cooling sprays of some gorgeous fountain. Krassi knew them all so intimately- he had studied each curve of the tangle of figures, the overplay of light and shadow - he had recreated them so many times on canvas during the last four years. “We were very poor but very happy!”

So, in 1967, when he was told by the Bulgarian embassy people to go back and do his military service, he had no choice but to look for political asylum. It was a hard choice - he was painfully aware it meant he would be deprived of seeing his family and friends for good. But he had to finish his studies first! Painting had become a way of life for him and he had to forge out his distinctly individual style, inspired by the atmosphere of this artistically glamorous city. He would never forget his conversations with some of his professors, how they opened his eyes for the secrets of great art. Montanarini, the famous cubist artist was among them - he watched with curiosity while Krassi was painting but never made a comment or a remark. Later, when they sipped an espresso outside the university, the 17-year old pupil dared to ask the maestro for his opinion. Montanarini smiled and said: “There is something distinctively individual about you. Believe me or not, I myself, get a creative impulse when I look at your works.” Krassi was speechless - the professor was a true legend in the world of art!

Actually, he studied in the Academia for one year less than other students because after the entrance exam, he was admitted straight into the second year. They wrote in the newspapers about the young East European who had taken the sacred citadel of art by storm. “Those were precious, memorable moments in Rome, full of so many romantic thrills.”

He graduated and decided to try his luck in the pursuit of the American dream. He had heard so many stories about the Promised Land of unlimited opportunities - how you could become rich and successful there overnight. So, one day in January 1967, he found himself at the port of New York. He was with a Bulgarian mate of his. They had left sunny Rome for snowbound New York. They were in their suits and had no overcoats. But they were full of determination and hope!

At first, they had to do the washing up in a restaurant just to pay for their food. Then they got an offer to haul up some luggage to Chicago and ended up with a $100 each.  A Bulgarian guy overheard them speaking Bulgarian and offered them a job in his factory. Krassi started learning English while the machine processed the plastic details. He even had time to do some painting. Why did he choose to finally settle in Phoenix? He saw a film with shots from Arizona and was awestruck by the otherworldly surreal landscape. Films about Mars were often shot there. He decided that was the place to be for an artist like him. And he stayed there for the next 25 years!

“You can’t imagine the desert in springtime. It turns into a flower garden – wild daisies and blooming cacti in all shades of color – orange, yellow, purple. The sky is huge, the stars as big as apples. The scenery is of contrasts – only a two hour drive from the desert, you are at 2000 m high. Close to the Grand Canyon, surrounded by “panderosa” pines and lots of snow”.

At one time, Krassi had a villa there for a year or two he lived far from the crowd, in close communion with nature. “I was very happy and calm there, all I did was just paint. I watched closely the over-play of light and shade, as the sun moved across the sky. Something I have been doing all my life”.

Krassi does not like to be pinpointed to any school or style of painting. The spiral and the sphere are shapes which recur, there is also a sweeping sense of motion, a kind of vortex. He prefers to use oil, metal dust, sprays and some other modern techniques. The texture of his paintings stands out in relief. He just follows his emotions and, while doing this, he experiences a visual delight. Whatever the image on the canvas, you are always struck by a spiraling impetus. “Everything is spurred on by the flutter of emotion, I have the feeling that my hand is moved by “someone” up there, whether you call him the Creator or some other supernatural force. I am simply the mediator of his revelations.”

Krassi is passionately involved in astrology and believes that world territories are under the influence by zodiac signs. In his “Astrological Map of the World” he tried to grasp color equivalents of various signs. He also sees “the map” as a large-scale mural - he will be having an exhibition in Philadelphia next year.

What made him come back to Bulgaria? “I came back in 1994 because this is my native country though the Bulgarian state has always been a step-mother to me.” Spiritually he feels more comfortable here.  He does not wish to be caught in “the rat race” anymore though he proved himself to be successful at it. Again he lives close to nature in Dragalevtzi, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain. Again, he watches closely the overlapping of light and shade as the sun moves across the sky. And he paints.

Since his return he has had three exhibitions. The second one, “Arisona Dream” opened in 1995 and displayed over 80 works, all done in the US. The titles speak for themselves – “Grand Canyon”, “Life in the Desert”, “Vision in the Sky”. Everything was sold out. The most recent exhibition opened in the cultural house in Dragalevtzi in 2002 and displayed 54 works. It was done with a charitable purpose and the money was given for the repair of the old school where Krassi’s father was an art teacher.

Actually, Krassi is a third generation artist. His mother, Iova Raevska, was among the best Bulgarian ceramic artists, with many international prizes. He grew up, imbibing the atmosphere of eminent men of art who dropped by at his mother’s studio. They spoke so passionately about truth, about the depth of things in art and thus spontaneously taught him the first lessons of artistic integrity. For Krassi, artistic integrity is of crucial importance. You better earn your living in some other way but never betray your talent, your vision. He decries those painters who work for the sex shops or Walt Disney. 

Some of Krassi’s clients in America respect him exactly for this - for not betraying his distinctively individual artistic vision in an increasingly commercialized world. We were sitting on a wooden bench in the garden, looking at the snow capped tops, at the green velvet of the pine forests. Krassi was telling me how he was involved as a schoolboy in planting pines up the mountain. He had planted a few in his own yard. By now they were tall, aspiring to the sky. They would be there for generations to come, beautiful and evergreen, untouched by time, as all true art is.

On the Spot Monthly, 2004                                                                        

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BUSINESS WOMAN “Under the Fierce Scrutiny of the Public”

A   DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BUSINESS WOMAN

“Under the Fierce Scrutiny of the Public”

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva

The Vitosha avenue is a favorite venue for leisure walks of the rushed and clock-bound citizens of Sofia . One of the major commercial thoroughfares, it is framed in the distance by the backdrop of the snow- capped mountain, reminding one of a Swiss postcard. It has been designed in the style of Parisian avenues, with spacious sidewalks and lined up with horse chestnut trees. Their green canopy keeps the sun off in the hot summer months. If you walk up the avenue, it springs on you new sights and temptations every inch of the way. Flashy boutiques alternate with supermarket type of stores, posh clubs alternate with restaurants and discoteques. All in an immovable feast of the eye.  The vibrant splash of various activities on the sidewalk is even more captivating. I hesitate between browsing through gaudy bestsellers at the stalls and stopping over at an ice cream booth. Then I turn left at Neophite Rilsky street, a crossing of the Vitosha avenue, a few hundred yards off the NDK park.  I nimbly squeeze by cars, parked on the sidewalk and finally I get “perched” at an outside table of the “Visages” cafe. I cherish this instant when I can relax and soak in the pervading aroma of Lavazza coffee. The white awning is fluttering overhead, caving me in from the vicious midday sun, cooling me off as if on a sailing cruise.  There is a restrained elegance about the place-it’s all done in white and black color. The mirror walls and ceiling reflect the chessboard pattern of marble table-tops and black leather chairs.

  This same pattern repeats itself in the office of Ms Eugenia Kalkandgjieva, who is managing director of the “Visages” fashion advertising agency. She is certainly one of the youngest top executives I have ever met.  And, no doubt, she is the most glamorously looking too. She started her modeling career at the age of sixteen by joining the “High Level” modeling agency, but for the first two years she had not distinguished herself in a competition. Then, she was swept off her feet by an avalanche of success.   During  1995, she was first crowned as Miss Bulgaria and soon after she ranked Ms ”Sixth” in the Miss World Beauty contest in Sun City, South Africa. She was recognized as an international top model and was honored by offers by the most reputable agencies the world over. Kalkandjieva worked on a six month contract in Italy where, as she claims “she came in touch with all the subtleties of the trade”, as exercised at its best.  She craved to share her knowledge on her return to Bulgaria but she was poignantly aware that her native country was lagging behind world trends and standards in fashion and advertising. She was a bit discouraged for some time...

But then she decided to act and be positive and she set up the “Visages” agency.  Its head-office is based in Sofia with twelve local representations all over the country. She is very particular about selecting her staff, making sure they were up-to-scratch to her demands. The most indispensable man, in her words, is Alexander Yordanov, the executive director of the agency, a man of great experience as a long-term director of the Rila Style clothing factory.

Jenny, as most people lovingly address  Kalkandgjieva, tries to  keep    her employees on their toes, she deals with all problems as they arise, she works long hours, having won for herself the title of  “a workaholic”.  By the end of each month there is a general meeting with the local representatives where the relevant past experience is analyzed and tips and ideas are given as to the prospective tasks. Complaints are immediately handled and mistakes are openly discussed. As my charming blue-eyed companion points out “to err is only human” but “to err more than once makes you develop a bad habit which may put you off the track.”

But now we go back in time, four or five years ago, when the “Visages” agency was making its breakthrough. What was the vision behind it? ”Firstly, - Jenny tries to remember - people were not aware of the importance of professionalism in advertising or fashion. “Also,- Jenny explains in her  brisk temperamental manner - unlike countries like Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia so far we have had no  world-established  top model, no designer’s collection of  world-ranking distinction, no nominee at the top beauty contests, such as  Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Elite Model Look.

At present, there are more than forty five agencies in Sofia, competition is really tough and  dirty tricks are often practiced, for instance beating down the prices of services.  I was eager to know how Jenny responded to such challenges. “My only response is sticking to the rules and principles, established in world practice. I stick to them whatever I do - recruiting or selecting  girls, training them to be good professionals, being strict and correct with my foreign partners. I would like to make it clear that my foreign partners are among the most world-famous fashion and advertising agencies. In the long run  I have won their trust, so they prefer to deal solely and exclusively with me.”

Jenny flashes a Madonna-like smile at me, as if an apology for interrupting our conversation to answer the phone. It occurs to me that some people wrongly imagine that to run an advertising agency is an easy thing. That accounts for the disproportionate ratio between customers and services offered here, even more striking when compared to fashion capitals like Paris or London where the number of agencies is only twice more than in Sofia. Running such a business implies dealing with a lot of people, looking after them and creating work for them. As Jenny mentioned a while ago, ”to decide if a girl is to become a good  model or not what you  needed  most  of all the eye for it”. Jenny is convinced that most girls have wrong assumptions about what is required of them. They still believe that it is all a matter of posing in front of the camera and getting paid for it. Ms Kalkandgjieva is trying to make them realize the kind of dedication that is required of them, the sacrifices they have to make, the challenges they have to take. When it comes to a sense of responsibility, discipline and correctness, many girls find it hard to achieve . Very few of them make an effort to develop their artistic imagination or grace of movement. But when it comes to money they  want to have it quick. The agencies want to have it quick too. So, they start cheating the girls, telling them fibs, trying to take them in...

Ms Kalkandjieva wanted to organize a meeting of all agencies with a view of setting up a professional association which could agree on specific prices for specific services.  But she did not get the right response from her competitors, some of which are obviously involved in money laundering. Moreover, a new bill is going to be adopted, prohibiting big companies to do advertising through promotions and competitions and the like, allowing  for advertising only do through the electronic media and the press. If this bill comes into effect, it will only further hinder the development of fashion which takes a lot of investment and sponsoring from various sources.

“We are trying to do what is done elsewhere. We have regularly been running The Queen of the World contest for three years. We bought the license in 1996. This year it took place at the National theatre and part of the revenues went to charity again. The nominee will take part in the international contest ... and if she is lucky to win, she will have better offers for work”.

Jenny expresses her dislike of the trend of  placing pictures of “foreign faces” on the pages of Bulgarian newspapers and magazines. She also finds it wrong that world-renowned contests like Miss Universe or Miss World have never been shown on our TV, unlike most other countries. The prospective candidates can watch these events and learn from them.

“What are the expectations of the girls who go for modeling - I wonder- isn’t it for them another version of the Cinderella-turned princess plus media magic?”

“Yes, that’s right. They are all beautiful but ordinary girls who dream of being successful and famous, of stepping out of the shabby world of their everyday lives into the magic world of success. They want to absorb the glitz and glamour of the catwalk, to be on the glossy covers of magazines. But the trouble with them is - my companion goes on as she lights another Cartier cigarette - that they are perfectly unaware of the hard work and sacrifices required. To keep your place at the top is sometimes even harder than to get there”.

“Could you name the things they need to be successful?”

Jenny tosses back her long shiny hair and gracefully tilts her head to one side: “Oh, we have to make a long list of things and you may find it boring! We both laugh and I think we both feel perfectly at ease with each other -  by now- “It is only the  harmonious blending them that can secure them lasting success. So first and foremost it takes hard work, involving sacrifice and endurance. It takes ambition and determination, discipline and correctness, the appropriate behavior. They should be flexible  in difficult and delicate situations. They should also realize they cannot act the way they did before they turned famous. They are under the fierce scrutiny of the public and they must be very careful. They must set an example for others, they must live up to their public image. A good education is an extra asset to them.”

“Are you their guru who introduces them to the secrets of success?”

“In a certain sense, yes, I must be their guru. But to influence them I must first win their trust. I teach them how to keep a delicate balance between their private self and their public image, how to enjoy fame but not let it go to their heads. Otherwise, the fall from the top might be pretty painful”.

 

“The Visage” agency is ever bustling with a variety of events from one month to the next: The Queen of the World contest just faded away and a big show of hairdos followed. Then came nominations for designers, stylists and fashion journalists. Then another model-recruiting competition “Bulgaria without a Model” was carried out. And the Miss Paralleli contest is still running, the final stage is forthcoming next year. All our events are broadcast on TV and covered by the press.

I would like to know more about her Sunday TV broadcast called ”Faces” which has been the talk of town for some time...  The idea is to show and discuss both Bulgarian and world fashion, to teach people how to look better.  You can hear various opinions of celebrities on fashion or impressions, shared by photographers, designers, make-up stylists. Many people look forward to watching it again after the summer break.

 “Could you describe one of your days at the agency?”

“All my days follow a different pattern. I get up at eight o’clock, I take care of my appearance and I drive in my car to work. On the way I try to remember all forthcoming tasks.  As soon as I arrive at 9.30 we have a short meeting. Then I spend a lot of time on the phone. After that  I have appointments, negotiations, I  have a look at the latest issues of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire etc.

“How about your weekend?  What do you usually do then?”

“Over the weekend I usually monitor the photo tests of new applicants. I teach them how to pose in front of the camera, what style and image to strive at developing.  In this case I am doing the job of a stylist who shapes up the overall presence of the model. The tests normally take five or six hours that’s why I can’t do them on a weekday.  I I rarely go to my villa in the mountain. My grandparents live on a farm near Dupnitza but I hardly have time to visit them. When we are lucky to finish the photo tests earlier, I usually go to the Castle Hotel where I can keep fit and relax for a few hours. I love playing squash because there is a strong competitive edge to it. So you forget about your worries and you want to improve yourself. At the same time you get rid of all the toxins and the stress. At other times I like seeing films, all genres, depending on my mood.  I adore horror movies. They remind me there could be worse things in life.  I love reading Jackie Collins novels. They are entertaining and at the same time they make you dream and strive to attain the unattainable. But, when you read the biographies of famous people, you come to realize that, very much like her heroines, most of them started from very humble background and they rose to fame thanks to their dedication to their talent.

“Do you still cherish hopes to turn Sofia into a fashion capital on the Balkans?”

“Yes, I do. We have a great variety of faces, talented people working in fashion, distinguished people in the arts and the sciences.

“Is traveling an enriching experience for you?”

“Definitely. I still travel as a model to Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Russia, Japan, Korea etc. Since I am fluent in English, Italian and Russian, I have no communication problems. There are fascinating aspects to each culture and I try to know and understand them better. Also I am always   well-informed about different ways of conducting business both as a model and as managing director.

“What are the things you always want to have in your office?

“The usual office equipment, my papers, a TV and a video, a lot of plants and pictures. Also a few smart suits should be available in case of an emergency”.

“Are you susceptible to believe in superstitions?”

“No, I wouldn’t say I am susceptible to superstitions or a fatalistic outlook. But still I always carry in my bag a tiny icon image of the Virgin Mary which has been sanctified. It makes me feel confident and less vulnerable...” 

Sofia Western News Monthly, 1998

                                                                        

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva
 

In December the streets of Sofia are suddenly dipped in darkness which makes shop signs and signs of restaurants and cafes stand out more radiant and bright. I am walking along Sheinovo street a few blocks off Eagle’s bridge and passing by the National Television headquarters, I notice the hectic hustle of cars and people coming and going. Here you can sense the accelerating tempo of night life in the city, otherwise lethargic. A shrill peal of laughter mingled with banging car doors and husky horns blown at full blast. But I am heading off to the maternity clinic in Sheinovo street and I am hurrying down to my destination.

It is a large building of the mid-thirties with a few spacious verandahs and a big yard. At the moment all lights seem to be on - as if  it is on a twenty- four- hour vigil over frail human life just   delivered or yet to be delivered into the world. I bump into a brand new dad awkwardly hugging a bouquet of flowers, then I check in at the security desk and ask about the office for the doctors on duty. It is easy to find - on the first floor the second door on the left. I am ushered into a room which looks more like a reception room rather than a physician’s office.

There she is, in her sparkling white overalls, with the serene smile of a Nordic Madonna. Dr Elena Baydanova-Vassileva introduces me to her colleagues and offers me some tea. There are four of them - one is watching a football match on Eurosport, another one is giving instructions on the phone, a third one is commenting on the condition of a woman about to have a caesarian. There is an atmosphere of intense participation and partnership. Dr Vassileva suggests taking me round the hospital so that I can get an immediate feeling of her working environment. She calls the clinic her ‘second home’. Later on, when I am to learn more about her life I am to become aware that this remark made in a light joking manner is not very much of an exaggeration. It’s a bit like going to a fancy dress ball - I imagine myself as a midwife - green overalls, rubber slippers and a white bonnet.

I feel more comfortable and at ease, more of an insider than an intruder. It’s a chance to have a different perspective on patients. Then you realize how much they crave for warm reassurance and how much they appreciate it when they get it. I notice that Dr Vassileva has a special way with the patients we visit. In a minute or two she manages to put them at ease, she explains to them in a soothing voice what is coming next and reassures them that everything will end well. Occasionally, she cracks a joke and leaves them happy and laughing. Everywhere is neat and clean-something that is not so commonly met in our medical institutions-the corridors, the sick rooms, the operating theatre, the intensive ward and the surgery. My companion throws a quick glance at her watch - I gather it’s time to join her colleagues in the operating theatre.

The medical profession is unlike that of a painter or a writer. It is not a lonely job though the burden of personal responsibility is immense. It involves the team-work of good specialists in different fields - surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, midwives. And no allowances are made for errors or omissions since what is at stake is human life. The riddle, called human life which initially attracted Elena to the medical profession.

I am back to the anonymous darkness of the street. The lights are on all over the building, they seem brighter than ever, as if a perennial vigil over human life so that ‘death shall have no dominion’...

On the following night I went to visit her at her proper home in a block of flats, just off the Tsarigradsko shosse. Her husband had recently died. He was an eminent literary figure whom I had known from books and periodicals. He was nicknamed ‘Ferdussi’  by some loving friends because he had a striking resemblance to the ancient Greek poet in the Mephistophelian outline of his nose.  Elena had just made some cheese pie which she treated me. After that we had tea with brandy since the temperature was 10 degrees centigrade below zero. Her living room overlooked the central park which looked like a white tapestry against the backdrop of the winter sky. You could instantly recognize by the set up of the living room that my hostess had a passion for the fine arts, for antiques  and for old and rare books. She could not help showing me her latest acquisition - on our literary life in the 20s. And, later on, to my surprise, it turned out she had a passion for driving. Driving through the maze of the heavy traffic made her forgetful of all her problems and she was thrilled by the challenges of the ever changing road puzzle. 

What made her choose to become a doctor?  Elena starts explaining to me that it goes as far back as her childhood. They had a doctor in the family, her mother’s sister who was a pediatrician. As a little girl, Elena loved to browse through her aunt’s professional books, to contemplate the pictures and illustrations.  She loved to listen to Dr S. Toncheva  discuss in detail the health state of her patients. A physician is not like any other employee,  she or he never stops thinking about her patients.

I was curious to know about her aunt’s response when she heard about Elena’s decision to study medicine. ‘She was extremely glad to hear it. But she warned me it was a tough choice’. At this time Elena was a romantic, living in a dream world of her own and no practical considerations would intimidate her.

Did she make the right choice? After 20 years of medical practice she has no regrets about it. She said to me that if she were given another chance she would make the same choice.

What are the things that give her strength to carry on despite all the difficulties? Elena is definite that one of the driving forces in her life is the example of her teachers at university. To mention only a few-for example professor Karl Ognianov, educated in Germany, a model of professional excellence and personal integrity. He introduced “ex sanguino transfusio”. Another name worth mentioning, this is professor Yarakov , known as the theoretician of  Bulgarian obstetrics. Elena remembers with a sense of recognition how good he was at warning his students against passing fashionable trends. “What he said in his books is all of lasting value” - she pointed out.

And there are also the living models among her colleagues who carry on the high standard, set by the previous generation. The present director of the Sheinovo clinic, professor Konakchiev, has established for himself a name as an excellent diagnostician and operator. There are some distinguished specialists among women too. Associate professor  Maria Popova is one among them - a brilliant surgeon in the area of oncology.

So far the Sheinovo clinic has kept its reputation throughout the 50 years of its history as one of the best medical institutions in the country. In spite of the dramatic drop of child birth during the last 10 years, the hospital is permanently fully occupied and there are about 2000 births per year. As I already mentioned , the hygienic standard  and the technological equipment are up to scratch. As I found out there are hardly any complaints of post‑natal infections as the case certainly is with some other places. “We have all up-to -date methods and conditions for treatment.  Apart from the technical equipment and the highly qualified staff we make sure to supply all the medicines and consumptives from reputable pharmaceutical firms. Most of the stuff is bought by us but some of it donated by sponsors - ”The Future for Bulgaria” foundation, the Spanish embassy, celebrities like pop singer Sylvie Vartan from France.

The Sheinovo clinic embraces a variety of medical activities, apart from functioning as a maternity hospital. For example there is a section dealing with in vitro insemination under the guidance of Dr Tabakova. So far their rate of success is high - close to 50%. There is another section dealing with menopausal medicine where women can have control check ups, consultancy  and treatment - anything from smear tests to HRT.

We browsed through a few more antiquarian books and we had more tea with Metaxa brandy. As in any activity, professional routine builds up to climaxes of achievement when you say to yourself  “Yes, I have arrived. I have passed the test.” For Elena too, after a successful child birth, she feels like a student who has passed his test. A highlight of transient exhilaration which makes all the efforts worthwhile.

Actually, even the so called “normal” pregnancies and births are hardly ever non-problematic. But, certainly, the pathological pregnancies provide more hazards and it is often an uphill struggle to bring them to successful end. Recently Dr Vassileva has been grappling with two such cases. One of them, after a series of complications, is expected with childbirth in less than a month. Elena admits she sometimes thinks of what happens to the babies after she brings them forth into the world. Will the have normal conditions of development or will some of them be deserted by their parents as it is becoming an increasingly common practice?  But, on second thought, she realizes her duty and responsibility goes as far as the medical side of the child birth is concerned. The further fate of such a child is the responsibility of society at large. Dr Vassileva thinks that non governmental organizations do a great deal in this respect. The work they do in orphanages, in schools and hospitals, for lonely mothers and battered wives. And she can’t help admitting she appreciates the role women play in these organizations.

Moreover Elena describes herself as a born optimist. Her wish to become a doctor grew out of a youthful dream. She believes that most human endeavors that are worthwhile grow out of a dream. Don’t love and children grow out of dreams after all? But to make dreams come true it takes courage and perseverance. And a lot more.

Elena thinks herself lucky because she imbibed the example of her parents as she grew up. There was a lot of affection and solidarity around her and it gave her a sense of security for a lifetime. And how about her own marriage to the professor in literature.

Elena met him in 1982 and she was immediately captivated by his legendary literary aura. At the time he was a key figure who played a major role in the mainstream of literary life. He introduced her into another world where big issues of world spiritual culture were being discussed and where she met extraordinary personalities who had an impact on her outlook. She and her husband both shared a passion for books of all kinds. And certainly they shared a love for their son Vladimir. And the professor managed to pass on to his wife and son his admiration for Italian literature and culture. Now Elena is reading an Italian book and Vladimir is studying at the Italian lyceum in Gorna Banya. And it is not surprising that he dreams of going to university in Rome - maybe the same university where his dad taught the Bulgarian language in the course of three years.

Why didn’t they have more than one child? Elena explains in a light-hearted manner that medicine is like a demanding lover, it expects no less than the whole of you. Very often - she now remembers - when she had to go on duty she left her little boy crying. She remembers very well one incident when the boy got bruised while playing and he came home crying. But she was bound to go on night duty. She gave instructions to her mother what to do and off she went. But when out of the door she felt confused and thought to herself: “I take care of strangers but I leave my own child without my care”. But then an inner voice spoke within her “If you are kind enough to take care of strangers, God will take care of your child”.

And on this coming Christmas Eve she will be on duty at the clinic. She will have an early celebration with her parents and son and then she will go on vigil. In her mind she will join her family and all people in celebrating the mysterious birth of God’s son while at the same time she is to assist the oncoming of frail human life which still fascinates her as an unraveled riddle as it did in her early youth.                                                                                                                  

Sofia Western News Monthly, 1998

LABYRINTHS INTO THE WORLD OF THE UNSEEN

LABYRINTHS INTO THE WORLD OF THE UNSEEN

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva interviews expatriate artist Nikola Manev

Nikola Manev was born in 194O in Chirpan in the Thracian valley. For the last 35 years his haven has been Paris, though he has been traveling extensively the world over in search of natural and historical phenomena which might spur his inspiration on. He has over 25OO works to his credit and he continues to produce new ones, each time surprisingly different and yet bearing the distinctive mark of his individual artistic vision and style. In 1962 he was admitted into French Academy of Fine Arts and studied under the guidance of the world-famous Maurice Brianchon. He took part in the reputable Chanevard competition and was awarded first prize. The eminent French art historian and critic Andre Parinaud calls Manev “one of the most daring explorers in the boundless laboratory of the future”.

During the months of September and October, Nikola Manev put up a retrospective exhibition at the Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia. It comprises over 2OO paintings, watercolors and drawings, which belong to various museums, public and private collections. The exhibition takes you on a journey through apertures, crossroads and labyrinths to remind you of the world of the unseen.  The entangled explosive patterns are lit from within from above as if giving you clues of the world of the Spiritual both within and outside us. Ksenia Kisselincheva met Manev and conversed with him over a glass of Zagorka beer at the tavern round the corner from his home.

-What brought you back to Bulgaria at this particular point in time?

-It is a kind of watershed for me, personally, in more than one way. Quite recently I celebrated my birthday. Also, it is 35 years since I have been dedicated to painting. Within a wider perspective, we live on the brink of the 21st century. So I felt like striking a balance both as a man and an artist. This gallery is among the best in Europe, and I consider myself lucky to be given the opportunity to exhibit in it.

-How did the public respond to this highlight in the cultural life of Bulgaria?

-Most of the time, while the gallery is open I hang around, meet people, talk to people, read their impressions in the visitors’ diary. Come and have a look for yourself. There are some shrewd observations on my art and most importantly there is a spontaneous expression of love and admiration. People of all ages and of all professions came to see the exhibition-some of them came to me and gave me a hearty handshake. But, in fact, I have to thank them for responding in such a terrific way. They have charged me with so much positive energy that will give a boost to my “duende”, to my inspiration.

- What are the sources of your creative restlessness, what makes you take the challenge of the empty canvas almost every day?

-If I have to be brief, it is love, a pervading love for life, beauty and truth. I am obsessed with exploring the possibilities of shapes, light and color to render my individual perception of the world within and outside us. 

- Which are the influences that have molded your vision and perception?

-Rembrandt has had a lasting fascination for me since I was seventeen. I go back to his originals more than once to study the subtle way in which he uses light to bring forth the soul in his paintings. Another influence which helped me become aware of my individuality and hit upon a style of my own is Vassil Stoilov. In France I fell in love with the poetry of Alain Bosquet, who later became a very good buddy of mine. In his larky Gallic manner, he called my paintings ”lyrical geology”, that’s probably how he sees it. I hope each person can read something personal in my mystical visions...

-What are you doing next?

-First I am returning to France to show my retrospective collection to my admirers there. It will be shown at “Le monde de l’art” gallery in the very heart of Paris. Then I am coming back to Varna to stay for some time in my villa on the seashore, I need some time to recharge my batteries, to accumulate feelings to be expressed. And, by the way, when I grapple with the empty canvas and the tubes of paint I don’t like to have anybody around. Only my cat. I love to go back to this spot by the Black sea, because it swarms with memories from my childhood. That’s where my parents used to take me for holiday, that’s how I fell in love with the sea.

-How does traveling affect you, does it sharpen your artistic perception?

- I like going from one continent to another, flying from the North to the South. Contrasts of scenery and culture affect me profoundly, but usually I put them on canvas a bit later, when I am detached from their immediate impact. Very often I would paint the desert while I am in Holland or Paris, while I am at my cottage on the Black sea.  

 

-Tell us about your pastime pleasures, do you have any love or passion apart from art, history and nature. ..

Oh, yes, there quite a few things I enjoy doing, after spending long hours in the studio with the cat only as my company. I love grilling fish, especially blue fish and belted bonito. Also I love exclusive rose wines and I dream of having a cellar, where I can have wine-tasting sessions.

-Do you share the view that through the mediation of art people can come to understand each other better?

-Definitely I do believe in it. It unites people irrespective of their religious or cultural differences. Moreover, it is the mission of creative people in Bulgaria to counterbalance the crude materialism which is rampant and is bound to stifle the remnants of the national spirit. And to remind people that they have to keep their dignity, despite the poverty and the crisis in values.            

Sofia Western News monthly, 1998 

От мама

От мама

(Ксения Киселинчева)

Духът ти светъл и ефирен

Долавям в вятъра безспирен

Трепти във капчици роса

По босоногата трева

Не бой се, аз до теб ще съм

Не питам и не знам

Къде калинката ще отлети

Къде съдбата ще ти отреди

Аз чувам тя далеч да тътне

Кат гръм последен в лятна буря

Не бой се, аз до теб ще съм

Кат сянка ще те следвам

И в болка, в радости, в беда

Дали в сияние на плахата зора

Или в загадъчната здрачина

Кат сянка ще те следвам

Без някой да ме разпознай

Ще те закрилям аз докрай

Бъди благословена

Моя ненагледна дъщеря