The new recipients of the ICOM Bulgaria Annual Awards 2025 – Bulgarian National Committee of ICOM

The Board of Directors of the Bulgarian National Committee of ICOM has approved the jury’s proposal for the recipients of the prestigious awards for achievements in museum practice and museology for the year 2025. The expert panel, composed of Prof. Dr. Vera Boneva, Ekaterina Dzhumalieva, and Stefan Stefanov, reviewed the submitted nominations and selected leading professionals and institutions across three main categories. The awards – consisting of a certificate and an original print will be presented during the organisation’s annual general meeting.

The recipients of this year’s edition are:

I. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angel Yankov (Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv)
for achievements in museum practice, cultural heritage management, and museum communication.

The award is granted for the project “The World of the Iron,” realised in the museum’s branch – the House of Nevena Atanasova. The exhibition, developed under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angel Yankov, is an outstanding example of contemporary museum thinking, combining scholarly depth with an innovative curatorial concept. Building on a unique collection of over 1,200 irons, the team created an exhibition concept unprecedented in Bulgaria, using interactive elements and digital visualisations that transform an everyday utilitarian object into a carrier of social memory.

II. Prof. Dr. Nikolay Nenov (Regional Historical Museum – Ruse)
for scientific, educational, and public contribution to museology.

Prof. Nikolay Nenov is recognised for his significant scholarly and methodological contribution. A key factor in the award is his doctoral dissertation, “Fishermen on the Danube: Heritage and Cultural Landscape,” which offers an innovative perspective on the interaction between museums and local communities. Also of importance is his leadership in the successful inscription of the “Gaida” (bagpipe) into the UNESCO lists (2025), as well as his leading role at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris.

III. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Penkova (National Museum of Military History)
for overall contribution and leadership in museum practice.

With over 40 years of dedication to museum practice, Assoc. Prof. Sonya Penkova is recognised for her role as Director of the National Museum of Military History (NMMH), university lecturer, and active contributor to the development of sector policies. Under her leadership in 2025, the comprehensive conceptual expansion and renovation of the museum’s permanent exhibition in Sofia was completed. She is recognised as a leader who has successfully modernised the institution through digital technologies and builds sustainable professional teams with long-term impact.