Milyo Baltov paints 'the most vivid angel' in the churches of Bulgaria

Iconographer and educator - these two words naturally come to mind when we seek to bring back from the depths of history an artist who began his artistic journey in the first years after Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. Milyo Marinov Baltov, a master whose sacred icons and murals grace church altars and whose portraits of inner light adorn gallery walls, stands as a testament to a life devoted to art. His creative spirit bridged the sacred and the secular, dividing his time between ecclesiastical and secular painting.

Born in 1871 into one of the most distinguished families of Strelcha, the painter showed artistic talent from a young age. However, it was only after his 25th birthday that he had the opportunity to receive formal academic training in art. Thanks to the efforts of such intellectuals and artists as Konstantin Velichkov, Ivan Mrkvichka and Anton Mitov the State School of Drawing was opened in our country. Milyo Baltov was not among the 48 aspiring artists who were admitted to the first class. But a year later fate brought him together with Jaroslav Věšín.

Unlike many young Bulgarians who left the country after liberation to study at the prestigious art academies in Europe, Milyo Baltov found European art education in his homeland.

"Jaroslav Věšín had just come to Bulgaria," says Nikoleta Petkova, director of the Strelcha History Museum. - He brought the spirit of the new times, he brought the new ideas from Europe. Milyo Baltov had the good fortune to study under the Czech painter and absorbed his professor's teachings with great dedication.

When the Balkan wars broke out, Milyo Baltov, like many of his fellow artists, was mobilised and sent to the front. It was in the theatre of war that he discovered his talent as a landscape painter during this crucial period. The Strelcha Museum has three of his works depicting the tragic fate of the Bulgarian soldiers at Sivri Tepe.

After the glorious battles of Bulair, the 27th Chepinski Infantry Regiment was disbanded on Sivri Tepe near the Gulf of Saros on the White Sea," says Nikoleta Petkova.

On 15 February 1913, a 72-hour snowstorm began, during which the soldiers did not light fires to avoid attracting Turkish troops. This led to one of the greatest tragedies - not on the battlefield, but in the camp. Bulgaria lost many soldiers and officers who froze to death, while a number of others survived with serious injuries. Milyo Baltov painted his masterpieces three months after the drama. One of his canvases bears an inscription in red paint that reads 'The Valley of Death'. The landscapes are rendered in pastel colours - trees, the sky and the sea, all in soft tones that evoke a sense of sadness".

"It is a little known fact that Milyo Baltov also took part in the First World War. He stayed in Moravski Leskovac, where he founded a school and was appointed head of the district. Even during the war, the artist found a way to teach children and continue his beloved profession," the museum director points out.

Milyo Baltov also fulfilled his civic duty to his birthplace, becoming mayor of Strelcha in 1923. His life in post-liberation Bulgaria took a similar course to that of many young men of his time.

"This renaissance fervour did not disappear after the liberation, on the contrary, says Nikoleta Petkova. Most people did their best to help their birthplace. Milyo Baltov took an active part in the cultural life of Strelcha, even building sets for theatre productions, which unfortunately have been lost. In addition to being elected mayor and secretary of the municipality, he also served as the rector of the church.

The Strelcha artist painted frescoes and icons in a number of churches. In the Church of the Assumption in the village of Kadievo, near Plovdiv, he recreated the Last Supper. In the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Pazardzhik he painted the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary with the Child, which has helped many families to have children. In his hometown he created the most vivid image of an angel ever painted in our country.

"Only those who completed the three-year course at the State School of Drawing and then enrolled at the School of Iconography could obtain the right to paint churches," recalls Nikoleta Petkova. "This was the case with Milyo Baltov, who received his first commission for our church of St Michael the Archangel. One of his best works is the icon of Archangel Michael on the iconostasis - a full-bodied image painted in motion, with a flaming sword, a shield and beautiful sandals in bright colours.

And while the saints in Milyo Baltov's church paintings have idealised human faces, for his portraits he borrows features from the spiritual world to give his loved ones an ethereal aura. This is particularly evident in the portraits of his four children, each of whom is adorned with an angelic halo. The image of his daughter Nevena is particularly significant - her pensive face, eyes averted from the viewer, resembles a messenger from a higher realm who has come to us with an important message.

Milyo Baltov ended his earthly journey in 1951 in Plovdiv, where he spent his last years as a teacher and artist.

"He painted at an interesting time, when the young Bulgarian state was beginning to cultivate its own artists," says Nikoleta Petkova. "They were already taking part in exhibitions, and art in general was being raised to a very high level. Milyo Baltov was part of this process, and it is important to have more opportunities to talk about such people - those who are remembered in their hometowns, but who unfortunately have not been given the place they deserve in the history of Bulgarian art of the early 20th century."

Photos: Museum of History - Strelcha

Posted in English by E. Radkova