History

On October 30, 1977, following Petko Staynov’s death, the Executive Committee of the Municipal Council of the town of Kazanluk adopted a resolution for the restoration of the nationalized house where the composer was born and for the arrangement of a museum exhibition in it. Although the house was restored in 1982 and composer’s sons donated to the Iskra Museum of History the entire personal archive and library of Petko Staynov, the lack of coordination among the “competent” central authorities prevented this resolution from being implemented.

After 1994, when the ownership of the family was returned to the composer’s heirs, they approached the Municipality of Kazanluk and the Ministry of Culture to explore the possibility of jointly realizing the idea of establishing the Petko Staynov’s Home and turning it into a center of cultural activities. However, by 1997 it became definitely clear that this proposal would not interest the continuously changing powers that be.

This is when Petko Staynov’s heirs and associates, led by the conviction that the work of Petko Staynov, this classic of Bulgarian music, his remarkable physical and moral courage, as well as his deeds in benefit of his people, must become and remain widely accessible to the present and future generations, decided to establish a private foundation bearing his name. The fact that some of the founders were foreign citizens explains the long period of time needed to register the Foundation, which was completed on December 11, 1998.

The founders of Petko Gruev Staynov Foundation were the composer’s sons Grigoriy and Stefan, his sister Penka Shishmanova, his nephew Doncho Staynov, his late brother’s wife Violina Yankova, his close collaborators and associates Prof. Agapiya Balareva and the conductor Petya Pavlovich, and Alexander Dyankov, attorney-at-law.

The Foundation’s seat is in Sofia, 23, Ivan Vazov Street. This was Petko Staynov’s home in Sofia, where the Contemporary Music Society of Bulgarian Composers was founded on January 24, 1933.