Bulgarian master of wood carving Alexey Alexiev is author of more than 80 crosses, miniatures of wood carving. He likes to create outdoors, in the parks, in order to give soul and a new form to withered trees. Unfortunately, of the fifteen trees turned into beautiful sculptures, only two remained. One of them can be seen in the yard of Sheynovo Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. The second one is in the local lane of Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard near Latinka Street in Sofia. “Lovers” of beautiful shapes are often tempted to take a piece of these works of art when passing by. However, these people do not realize that these pieces lose the essence Alexei gives them when they are not part of the whole work of art anymore.

These days you can see master wood carver Alexei in Sofia’s Lozenets residential district, where he is breathing a new life to a withered Japanese sour cherry which has caught his attention. There, between the Exaltation of the Holy Cross church and the building of the Bulgarian Red Cross, two meters away from the Monument to James Bourchier, master carver Alexei is transforming the withered tree in memory of the victims of Covid-19.

“The coronavirus pandemic is a very topical issue. For some people it is quite painful. This tree is a symbol and is dedicated to all victims of the coronavirus in Bulgaria and abroad. No such monument to the Covid-19 victims has been unveiled yet. Some people already pass nearby, watch the tree and enjoy the masterpiece. I believe that my work of art will be ready by the middle of July”.

Unlike his other creations, which are literally looted piece by piece, Alexei hopes that the transformed sour cherry will remain intact. “After all, hundreds of thousands of people became victims of the virus worldwide. I am not only talking about the Covid-19 fatalities, but also about people who were affected by the crisis one way or another”.

His greatest masterpiece is a two-sided cross with 30 scenes from the New Testament. The author followed the pattern of the unsurpassed work by monk Rafail from the Rila Monastery. Although monk Rafail was unable to finish his work of art due to loss of vision, the wooden cross has been amazing visitors with its perfect workmanship for over 200 years. Rafail’s masterpiece inspired Alexei to make his own wooden cross. The cross was named after me, Alexei Alexiev notes and adds:

“It was made of 300-year-old boxwood tree. I found this withered tree in the nature. I think that this is a good work of art, because the wood itself is unique. I would like as many people as possible to see the work of art, but I have not found a place to exhibit the cross yet. ”

Although his wooden outdoor sculptures have vanished already, Alexei continues to convert old trees into sculptures. He has not given up on his idea to recreate in full height the heavenly patron of Bulgaria-Saint John of Rila. He even chose the place- the Doctors’ Garden downtown Sofia. “There is no other Bulgarian saint who is as vividly present in our history as Saint John of Rila”. An initiative committee has bet set up in support of the idea. Its task is to persuade the municipal councilors to give a green light to the project.

Edited by: Darina Grigorova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: BGNES archive, Facebook / AlekseyAleksievWoodcarvings