Dragomir Kotev (Father Dragomir) Born in 1911 in Sofia.
He settled in the village of Bistritsa, Sofia after graduating from the
Theological Seminary and was a parish priest for 65 years. Contributes
to the construction and expansion of the church in the monastery „St.
St. Joachim and Anna, but his crowning work is the church of St. Elias
in the upper Bistrita monastery of St. Petka, for which he prepares the
architectural project, directs the construction, produces the
iconostasis of woodcarving, icons, murals and leads the worship. He has
been engaged in painting since 1930. He is the author of about 300 icons
that can be seen above all in the churches in Bistritsa. Also paint
secular oil paintings (landscape, still life, portrait, composition). He
also appeared as a musician (playing violin and various folk whistles),
studying the local shop folk art, dedicating his original work,
illustrated with drawings and supplemented with humorous verses. He
published the collection of poems Moments of My Life (1991), and in 1993
received the St. Pimen Zografski Prize for his contribution to the
Renaissance of the Sofia Mountains.
Solo exhibitions in Sofia in
1993 and 2001, in 1994 – in the village of Bistritsa. Presented by the
artist Georgi Todorov. Works in the National Art Gallery, churches and
monasteries in the village of Bistritsa and private property. He ended
his life in the early 2000s.
Source: Tatyana Vucheva, „Naive Art in Bulgaria“, St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House, Sofia, 2001
