Assen Vasiliev

Assen Vasiliev Petrov (1900–1981) was a prominent Bulgarian art critic and artist, professor, People's Artist and Hero of Socialist Labor. He was born in Kyustendil, graduated from the Academy of Arts in Sofia in 1925. From an early age he participated in art exhibitions together with Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master and other prominent artists.

He worked as a teacher, and later as an artist-researcher at the Archaeological Museum and as a leading specialist in the construction and development of the museum network in Bulgaria. He is one of the founders of the Institute of Fine Arts at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and a professor of the history of Bulgarian fine arts. He has made a great contribution to the creation of the bibliography, archive and scientific documentation of Bulgarian art.

For half a century he has been researching the art of the Bulgarian Renaissance and the monuments of Bulgarian culture in our country and in the Balkans. He is the author of over 30 books and hundreds of articles. As an artist, he works mainly in the genres of portrait, landscape and still life.

He was a recipient of high state awards and an honorary citizen of Kyustendil. He died in 1981 in Sofia.