The National Academy of Art awards Zelma Almaleh the Honorary Sign of St Pimen Zografski – a necklace with a blue ribbon
2026.04.03
8 April 2026 (Wednesday), 4:00 pm, Academia Gallery
1 Shipka Street, Sofia
The National Academy of Arts expresses its gratitude to those individuals from public life in Bulgaria, who have accepted culture and arts as their mission and calling. On this occasion and on the occasion of the upcoming Easter holidays, the National Academy of Arts decided to award Zelma Almaleh the honorary sign "St. Pimen Zografski" - a necklace with a blue ribbon.
The awarding ceremony will take place on 8 April 2026 (Wednesday) at 4:00 pm in the Academia Gallery of the National Academy of Art.
Zelma Almaleh is an established journalist, cultural chronicler and film playwright. She graduated from the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with a degree in "Television Journalism and Documentary Film". During her long career, she has held a number of significant positions, including editor-in-chief of the BGNES news agency. Together with her husband, director and journalist Stefan Dzhambazov, Zelma Almaleh founded the Vpreki Foundation and the eponymous cultural website. Today, this platform is established as one of the most authoritative, meaningful and independent media spaces for culture in Bulgaria. Through her work, Zelma Almaleh not only covers the events of the country's artistic life, but also creates an empathetic and professional environment for understanding the visual arts, building a strong bridge between artists and the audience. Her connection with the National Academy of Art is not accidental. It represents a purposeful, consistent and long-standing mission that has made a significant contribution to the quality media and public presentation of the Academy's cultural and educational product.
Zelma Almaleh's presence is an indispensable part of the artistic life at the NAA, and our coverage of events goes beyond protocol - it is personal, at times critical and carefully prepared. At the same time, through the many in-depth interviews and portraits of lecturers from the Academy, she affirms the authority of the National Academy of Art and emphasises the continuity between generations of artists in Bulgaria. The numerous publications of Vpreki today serve as a rich, objective and invaluable digital archive of the history, development and successes of both the Academy and Bulgarian culture as a whole.
Zelma Almaleh's high journalistic ethics, her deep connection with the rhythm of visual arts and her proven role as a like-minded person, spiritual partner and loyal friend of the National Academy of Art are an indisputable proof of her importance for the Bulgarian cultural scene.
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