Ivan Velkov (May 19, 1891 - May 10, 1958). He graduated with a Ph.D. in Ancient History and Classical Archaeology from the University in Vienna in 1915. From 1919 to 1937 he was head of the Ancient Department at the Museum in Sofia. From 1938 to 1944 he was Director of the Museum. He worked primarily in the domain of the Thracian archaeology. He directed excavations of Thracian settlements, such as Duvanli, Mezek, Brezovo and Roman towns and fortresses. He studied and worked upon the archaeological map of Bulgaria and many Thracian fortresses in the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains.
Ivan Venedikov (January 10, 1916 - August 8, 1997). He graduated in Classics from the University of Sofia in 1939. Professor in 1980. He worked as an assistant at the Ancient Department of the Museum in Skopje in 1941. In 1945 he was appointed head of the Ancient Department of the Museum in Sofia. His studies were mainly in the field of the material and spiritual culture of the ancient Thracians. He directed the excavations of a number of sites, among them the ancient Greek cities of Apollonia Pontica (1946-49) and Messambria (1949-74).
Vaclav Dobruski (1858-1916). He graduated in Classics in Prague and was one of the founders of archaeology in Bulgaria. He was the first director of the Museum from 1892 to 1910. From 1891 he was associate professor at the University of Sofia. He was the initiator, author and editor of the first issue of the Museum. Excavations of the ancient towns of Gigen, Pleven region (1903), Nicopolis ad Istrum (Nikjup), Veliko Turnovo region (1906) and the sanctuaries near Glava Panega in1905 and Saladinovo in 1895. Over 50 works in ancient archaeology, history and epigraphy.
Georgi I. Georgiev (1917-1988) an archaeologist specialized in Prehistory. In 1945 he was appointed assistant at the Prehistoric Department of the Museum. Professor in 1974. He participated in the creation of the prehistoric Life and Culture of Pre-class and Early Class Societies in Bulgaria Exhibition in 1951. He directed the excavations of a number of prehistoric sites such as: Tell Karanovo, Nova Zagora region from 1947 to 1957; Tell Russe, from 1948 to1953; Azmash tumulus near Stara Zagora from 1960 to 1963; Tell Ezero, Nova Zagora region from 1967 to 1971; Kazanlak from 1967 to 1971; Chavdar, Pirdop region from 1967 to 1971; Sapareva Bania, Kjustendil region from 1977 to 1985. Over 100 scientific and popular works in reputable Bulgarian and foreign megazines.
Todor Gerassimov (1903-1974). He was a keeper of the Numismatic Collection from 1932 to 1972. In this period the Collection grew constantly. He managed to acquire for the Museum 80 coin hoards. After the bombardments in 1944 he restored the whole numismatic documentation by systematizing and describing once again all pieces in the Numismatic Collection.
André Grabar (1896-1994). From 1926 he lived in France and wrote mainly in the French. He was a member of the Institute of Archaeology and Museum since 1921 and a director of the Museum. He was a specialist in Byzantine and medieval art of the Orthodox Slavs. He was a foreign member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1969 and professor at the Universities in Strasbourg and Paris.
Ivanka Akrabova-Zhandova was born on May 25, 1911. She graduated in History of Arts in Rome in 1937 and was an assistant at the Museum from 1937 to 1949. Senior research fellow from 1968 to 1976. She was a specialist in the domain of medieval art. She carried out archaeological research in Veliki Preslav and published works on the Preslav painted ceramics.
Gavril Kazarov (1874-1958) graduated in Classics and Ancient History with a Ph.D. in Philosophy in Leipzig. He was a founding member and a chairman of the Bulgarian Archaeological Society from 1906 to 1920, and became an academician in 1906. He was the Director of the Museum from1928 to1929 and of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum from 1940 to 1947. He was also a member of the Russian Institute of Archaeology in Constantinople, a regular member of the German Institute of Archaeology, a member of the Austrian Institute of Archaeology, etc. The founder of Thracology in Bulgaria. Over 300 works in the domain of the Thracian history and religion.
Nikola Mavrodinov (1904-1958) graduated in History of Art and Archaeology in Liege, Belgium in 1926. He was an assistant from 1931 to 1935, a keeper from 1935 to 1944 and director of the Museum from 1944 to 1949. A specialist in the history of Bulgarian art. Author of one of the first chronology of Bulgarian Art.
Vera Ivanova-Mavrodinova (1896-1987). She graduated in Slavistics and Ethnography from the University of Sofia. She specialized in archaeology and history of the Byzantine art in Paris, France. She was an assistant at the Museum from 1922 to 1938, a keeper from 1938 to 1946 and an assistant professor from 1950 to 1964. She was a specialist in medieval archaeology, architecture and ethnography and directed the excavations at Preslav.
Vassil Mikov (1891-1970) was a specialist in Prehistory. Since 1925 he was an assistant and since 1931 a keeper of the Prehistoric Collection. Founder and later head of the Prehistoric Department at the Museum. He participated in the creation of the first prehistoric exhibition in 1938. He was one of the authors of the Life and Culture of the Pre-class and Early Class Society in Bulgaria Exhibition in 1951. He directed excavations at more than 40 sites including, Kubrat, Razgrad region in 1925; Krivodol, Vratsa region in 1946; Karanovo, Nova Zagora region from 1947 to 1957; Vesselinovo, Yambol region in 1935; Devetashka cave, Lovetch region in 1927 and 1950; Mihalich, Svilengrad region 1945, etc. Over 240 scientific and popular works on the archaeology of Bulgaria.
Krastju Mijatev (1892-1966). Graduated in Slavistics and History of the Balkans in Vienna, Austria, in 1915 and specialized in history of the Byzantine art in Berlin, Germany from 1922 to 1924. A keeper at the Museum from 1920 to1938. Director of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum from 1951 to 1963. His scientific work was in the field of the medieval Bulgarian culture and the Byzantine art. He directed archaeological excavations in Pliska, Madara, Preslav, and Tsarevets.
Peter Mutafchiev (1883-1943). He graduated in History and Geography from the University of Sofia in 1910. Professor in 1937. Specialized Byzantine Studies in Munich, Germany from 1920 to 1922. He was a keeper of the Medieval Collection at the Museum from 1910 to 1920. Specialized in medieval Bulgarian history and Byzantine history, and a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Nikola Mushmov (1869-1942). In 1894 he started working as a secretary at the National Museum of Archaeology. From 1918 to 1931 he was the keeper of the Numismatic Collection.
Raphael Popov (August 14, 1876 - August 15, 1940). A keeper of the Prehistoric Collection from its creation in 1909 untill 1931. From 1929 to 1938 director of the National Museum of Archaeology. He was a founding member and secretary of the Bulgarian Institute of Archaeology from 1920 to 1939, and a member of the Museum Committee. He studied a number of prehistoric sites: Temnata dupka, Lukovit region in 1925 and 1926; Bacho Kiro, Drianovo in 1938 and 1939; Mirizlivka, Belogradchik region in 1929; Morovitsa, Glozhene in 1912; Beliakovo plateau, Turnovo region in 1906 and again in 1921; the sites around Madara, Shumen region in 1902, 1903, and 1908; Kodzhadermen, Shumen region in 1907 and 1914; Salmanovo, Shumen region in 1908 and 1912; Popovo from 1921 to1922, etc.
Andrej Protich (1875-1959). He graduated in Germanistic, History of Arts and Philosophy in Leipzig, Germany in 1904. Academician in 1946. He was a member of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum, and director of the Museum from 1920 to 1928. He organized its Artistic Department. He was a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Domenico Tachella (1832-1913). First keeper of the Numismatic Collection from 1893 to 1903. During his management, the collection of ancient coins from the Balkan Peninsula became one of the richest in Europe.
Bogdan Filov (1883-1945). Graduated with a PhD in Archaeology in Freiburg in 1906. He specialized in Bonn, Paris and Italy. Director of the Museum from 1910 to 1920. In 1920 became a professor at the University of Sofia. He was a member of the Archaeological Institute in Vienna. He was the founder and first director of the Bulgarian Institute of Archaeology, and a regular member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Over 100 works in history, archaeology and epigraphy.
