V.I.P.

Zlatan Todorov Dudov was born on 30th Jan. in Caribrod (Dimitrovgrad, now) of father Todor and mother Mila. He originates in the family of railway men, one of the oldest and best known families in Czaribrod (Dimitrovgrad) Dudini (Mulberry). Its descendants even nowadays live there. About the age of 15, his family moved to Sofia , but he went to Berlin to study architecture at the beginning of the thirties. A year later, he enrolled E. Reiner 's school for theatre and films. From 1925 to 1929, he studied on the Faculty of Arts, Berlin University . As a student, he showed interest in Labour movement and was granted scholarship for a short-time specialist training in Moscow (1929). There he learnt about the work of MHAT where he worked as an assistant. In Moscow he, also, got to know Mayakowski with whom he often met and involved in provoking discourses about art. He became acquainted with a famous film director, Suzenstain, too.

On return to Berlin , he continued to work in the film and theatre field. He became linked with Bertolt Brecht by the bonds of long-lasting friendship and assistance. He directed many of Brecht 's works, and for the first "Masname" the music was composed by Hanns Eisler .

" Kuhle Wampe " is his first feature film. Hans Bush , one of the greatest German actors in the theatre of B. Brecht played in it. From 1934 to 1945, Dudov lived in France and Switzerland as an immigrant. In Paris he put on stage the plays of Bertolt Brecht "The Weapons of Mrs Karar " (1937) and "Fear and Misery in the Third Reich " (1938). In France , he wrote his first comedy "The Coward".

After World War II, he lived in East Berlin where he became one of the originators of DEFA and worked as a professor of direction at the Collage of Film Art in Babelsberg.

Zlatan Dudov is the author of several plays "The Coward" (1938), "Doubting Thomas" (1939), "The Paradise of Fools" (1943).,"The Soap Bubbles", "The Hand Unwilling to Greet", "Our Daily Bread", "The Bentin Family", "Women's Destinies", "Stronger than Nights", "The Captain from Köln", "Love Delusions", "Christine" (unfinished) are the films he based upon his own screenplays.

As an author, Dudov was brought up under the influence of the most progressive tradition of German proletarian art of the thirties and forties. His contribution in the history of German film was, most of all, his new interpretation of historical movements. He did not confine on searching of structure enclosed in itself, on narrow human subjective experience, on the contrary, he tried to uncover mutual features in individual and humanly intimate qualities as a result of historical. These are the roots of monumental epical tone of his films. They have become a true school of German film authors. What remains behind Dudov is a creative heritage which comprises a great number of interesting examples of the use of film medium in achieving certain moral, political or social goals. Had he made only "The Hungry Bellies" his reputation would have remained almost the same. It is due to this masterpiece that he becomes included in every anthology. Various interviews on the occasion of the celebration of the first century of film show that it assigned him a place among the hundred greatest films ever. The artistic mastery of his directing ensured his films a long-lasting popularity and love of millions of spectators.

This is just a critical review of an especially rich and abundant creative work of Zlatan Dudov , who is certainly the most successful and most important man born in Czaribrod (Dimitrovgrad).

1926: Born in Pirot on 22nd January as the first child of Kruma, a salesman, and Jordanka, a housewife

1928: His parents return to their hometown - Czaribrod (now Dimitrovgrad), where Slobodan grows up and spends his childhood

1943: At the age of 16, is accepted at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia (Painting Department), in the class of Professor Ilija Petrov

1946/47: Spends two semesters studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade , in the class of Professors K. Hakman and 1. Tabaković

1947/48: Continues his studies in Sofia . Holds his fist individual exhibition in Leskovac

1948: Takes part in a collective exhibition organized by ULUS in Belgrade for the fist time

1949: Becomes Assistant Professor in the high school for Bulgarian minority and in the Teachers' College in Dimitrovgrad, where he teaches drawing, as well as world and Bulgarian literature until 1952. Gets married for the fist time

1952: Moves to Niš, where he is appointed Professor at the School of Applied Arts and where he teaches mural decorative techniques and analytical drawing until 1955

1955: Settles in Belgrade and takes part in the city's art life, where he remains till today; Paints his first portraits of the people of Belgrade

1962: Is appointed a lecturer, and then Professor at the Pedagogical School in Belgrade , where he stays until 1982 teaching analytical drawing, technology of painting materials and methodology of teaching art; For a while he is Head of Department

1964: Receives the Golden Palette Award for painting from the Artists' Association of Serbia

1968: His first individual exhibition abroad - in Rome ; Paints portraits for the Gallery SM- 13 Studio d' Arte Moderna in Fabriano; Individual exhibition in Sweden - Orebro ; Paints portraits in Fabriano, Rome , Stockholm , Upsala and Orebro

1971: Individual exhibition in Milan ; paints portraits in Rome , Detroit and Sweden

1972: Lives in Rome and paints portraits for the Gallery SM - 13 Studio d' Arte Moderna

1974: Is awarded with the September Award of the city of Dimitrovgrad ; Builds his art studio on the bank of the Danube in Slankamen, where he paints during the summer

1982: Individual exhibition of portraits in Belgrade ; Stops teaching and dedicates his time exclusively to painting

1983: Gets married for the second time to Dragana Milosevic ; His first child, Marija, is born

1986: A member of the International Colony in Fluhli, Pfarreiheim, Switzerland; His fist exhibition in Switzerland - Fluhli; Paints portraits in Fluhli; Individual exhibition in Zurich – Gallery Dien und Partner where he also paints portraits

1987: A monograph "The Painting of Slobodan Sotirov ", by Dr. Stanislav Zivkovic , is published; Individual exhibition in Zurich - Gallery Haus zum Geissbork, where he also paints portraits

1989: Individual exhibition, Sempach , Switzerland , Gallery "ZYT"; Paints portraits for the Sam - gallery

1990-94: A permanent exhibition of Sotirov's paintings is open in the Gallery Haus zum Geissboch, where he also has a studio for making portraits

1997: Is awarded the Bulgarian medal " Ivan Vazov " for achievements in culture

2000: The secand managraph "The World of Slobodan Sotirov ", by Dr. Stanislav Živkavić, is published

2002: Individual exhibition in Czaribrod- the City Gallery Individual exhibition in Palanka - Gallery of Modern Art

2003: Individual exhibition in Sofia - the National Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria

THE PORTRAITS OF SLOBODAN SOTIROV

If one accepts the art of "enformel" and conceptual art as the Belgrade manifestations of "anti-art", then the colourist painting of Slobodan Sotirov appears to be its contradiction: opposite the broken composition of a defocused image stands rigid organization and solid architecture; opposite the use of non-painting materials stands classical technique of colour-filled canvases; opposite the monochrome stands abundance of colour; opposite destruction and scepticism stands self-confident optimism and faith in the destiny of the future man.

Although Slobodan Sotirov started painting portraits spontaneously, he was drawn into a risky, but exciting competition with a talented group of both older and younger portrait painters. If we put aside world classics or local masters from the past century, it is worth mentioning a few famous painters of today: Kosta Milicević , Veljko Stanojević , Jovan Bijelić or Marko Celebonović . Almost every one of these artists marked their time, making a contribution to the development of Serbian painting through their portraits.

We can say that Sotirov opted for the thematic solution to this difficult task: he chose the study of character. In order to avoid distractions, he placed the figure in a neutral background. Nevertheless, precisely that neutral background served to separate the objects of concentration, and to differentiate inspirations of the painter. Sometimes the background is calmed with the well-balanced use of neutral tones, thus aiming to emphasize the plasticity of the character and the discreet harmony of the colours. This can be seen especially on the portraits of those persons with whom the artist didn't have close contact, the method of painting the background almost being in contrast with the method of painting the character itself.

On the other hand, we can distinguish portraits in which the background - whether it was painted with subtlety or if it was enriched with some seemingly insignificant details - participates actively in the forming of the painting, adjusting itself to the colourist whole. If in the first case the character of the person portrayed seems more convincing and better represented, in the second case, the creative effort is cantered on transposing the idea to an independent and new aesthetic experience.

In order to make this transposition, Sotirov in the first place uses his great experience in drawing, as well as his moderate sense for colours, which without doubt makes him a typical follower of the traditional discipline.

Nevertheless, he renounces neither the contemporary dimension nor his personal style, which we discover in the robust matter that transmits the experiences of abstractions the author lived, as well as in his unrestrained compositional solutions. On those canvases where the two elements – the traditional and the contemporary one - were brought together well, we will certainly discover the most beautiful examples of an extraordinary production.

In fifty years, Slobodan Sotirov has painted more than a thousand portraits of children, adults and the elderly. More than 300 of them were made abroad and are being kept there, which is the reason we cannot see them here. Nevertheless, there is still enough left for us to realize that the discipline of making portraits, never interrupted, remains alive and is even entering a new phase. If we agree that this is true, then we can also agree that Slobodan Sotirov is not only a follower, but also one of the promoters of that phase. In moments of true inspiration, he manages to be more than a simple chronicler, for which he deserves an important place in Serbian art of making portraits.

Nikolov A. Bogdan (17.04.1924) a journalist and artist, was born in the village of Kamenica , in Czaribrod region. He finished primary school in his home village, and grammar school in Pirot (1937-1940) and Czaribrod (1941-1943). As a student, he joined Czaribrod Partisan Detachment –‘ Duke Momčil'*1, where he remains till 1944. After the liberation, he studied in Belgrade , Pedagogy College , Department of Art. He worked as an Art teacher in Czaribrod Grammar School till 1948. During that period, he edits juvenile periodical ‘Yugoslav child'*2, and takes part in the publishing of the newspaper ‘The Voice of the Bulgarians in Yugoslavia' published in Belgrade in 1949, and after the founding of the newspaper ‘Bratstvo'*3, he works as a journalist, in the beginning in Pirot and later in Niš, where he still lives.

As a journalist he shows interest for the history of Czaribrod and Czaribrod region, thus in 1963 he published ‘The Chronology of Important Events (1833-1961)'*4 published by ‘Bratstvo'. In cooperation with the newspaper ‘The Voice of the Bulgarians in Yugoslavia ', he wrote a book ‘About Liberty and Socialism'*5. Together with Dr. Slobodanom Vasilev he co-authored the ‘Alphabet and Writing book' for primary school in Bulgarian. In 1968, he published ‘Dimitrovgrad chronicle', banned in 1970 until 1990, when the Supreme Court allowed its sale. B. Nikolov is the co-author of the monograph of his home village of Kamenica, as well as the monograph of the Czaribrod Grammar School in honour of its centenary. He organized several individual and group exhibitions in Yugoslavia and Bulgaria .

1*Momčil Vojvoda
2*Jugoslavjanče
3*Fraternity
4*Hronologija na po važnite sbitija v Caribrodsko (1833-1961)
5*Za svoboda i socializm

Spas Sotirov (09.01.1929) a biologist, scientist and publicist, was born in Czaribrod. Primary and grammar school he finished in Czaribrod, and graduated from the Naturalist-Mathematics Faculty, Department of Biology, in Belgrade . He spent certain time teaching Bulgarian language and literature in Czaribrod Grammar School . As a biologist, he conducted a research of the Czaribrod region as well as other regions of Serbia and Bulgaria . As a member of the Education Committee of S.R. Serbia, he presided the Commission for Schools on Bulgarian, wrote students' and teachers' books and popularised scientific achievements of well-known biologists like Dr. Milka Jakić and Dr. Aleksandar Gigov. He directed special attention to the river Erma valley and wrote articles and books titled ‘Along Erma Valley '*6 his book about Erma is one of the first books on Bulgarian published by ‘Bratstvo' and has two editions. In 2002, his book about Poganovo Monastery titled ‘Poganovo – a Link between the Land and the Sky'*7 was published by Czaribrod Library and Sofia City Library. Sotirov is a full associate of the ‘Bratstvo' weekly, as well as many other magazines in SCG and abroad. He has published over 2000 magazines about vegetation in East Serbia , bio-resources of Vlasina Mountain and biographic characteristics of Pirot valley. He has authored several biology course-books. He lives and works in Niš.

Detko Petrov, a writer, was born in 1936 in the village of Prtopopinci, and died in 1990 in Sarajevo . He gradated in Yugoslavian Literature from The Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade . A considerable period of his life he spent and worked in Sanski Most, and to the end of his life, he lived and worked in Sarajevo . Here are the titles of his published works „The Border“*8 (1972), „Quiet Dusk in Zabrđe“*9(1974), „The Smile of Uncle Radovan“*10 (1977), „To Live Right“*11 (1982), „A Shot in Little Vakuf“*12 (1985), „The Secrets of the Sunflowers“*13- juvenile stories (1986), „The Days of the Great Justice“ *14 - juvenile novel (1990). A compilation of prose written by this author was published by Bratstvo, Niš, in 1982, titled „An Apple –tree by the Road“*15. Detko Petrov 's works are a part of the edition of „Modern Literature of the Nations and Nationalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 50 volumes“*16. The library in Dimitrovgrad has been named after him.

8*Granica
9* Tihi suton Zabrđa
10*Smešak strica Radovana
11*Živeti ispravno
12*Pucanj u Malom Vakufu
13*Tajne suncokreta
14*Dani velike pravde
15*Jabuka kraj puta
16*„Savremena književnost naroda i narodnosti B i H u 50 knjiga“