Vladimir Dimitrov Gallery

In 1903, Vladimir Dimitrov-The Master made his first solo exhibition. The development of art in the town began with this.

On August 6, 1944 in the mosque Ahmed Bey an art gallery based on a collection of 50 works by Vladimir Dimitrov was opened.

A separate building for the art gallery was opened on May 24, 1959. The fund contained 152 paintings by 18 artists from Kyustendil. The gallery collected, preserved and exhibited works by prominent artists.

In 1972, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Dimitrov, the largest gallery in the country was opened which had been specially built for the purpose and had natural light sourced from the ceiling. The interior is subordinated to the idea of creation of suitable surroundings for the paintings by Vladimir Dimitrov.

Nowadays, the art gallery owns an exceptionally well-balanced collection both in terms of quantity and quality. It owns 3180 works by 585 artists, of which 1357 are by The Master, Vladimir Dimitrov. The rich and diverse collection has been divided into a number of sections:

- Kyustendil artists

- Bulgarian artists

- Greco-Roman, Mediaeval and Renaissance art

- Foreign art

Together with its collecting, a scientific archive and documentation has been created and systemised at the gallery. The main representative activity of the gallery is the organisation and opening of exhibitions which are diverse in genre.

Since its foundation to date 506 one-man and group exhibitions have been organised for artists from Kyustendil, throughout Bulgaria, and well-known European and worldwide cultural centres and institutions.