Czech artist creates street art in Stara Zagora inspired by the city’s history

One of the established figures of the contemporary Czech street art scene, Tomas Stary, will create a large-scale mural in Stara Zagora — one of the major cities in southern Bulgaria, known for its ancient history and its straight-line streets. The project will be carried out between 1 and 10 July.

The initiative is part of the European project Cycle Up!, which promotes sustainable urban mobility and encourages greater citizen participation in the planning of public spaces. On 4 July, children and young people will take part in the workshop "How to Transform the City for People", during which they will map cycling infrastructure in the central urban area and propose ideas for safer and greener streets.

Their proposals will become part of the final artwork, "Grid / Layers of Stara Zagora", which will be located on Tsar Simeon Veliki Boulevard. The concept draws inspiration from the city’s distinctive rectangular street layout, designed by architect Libor Bayer after Stara Zagora was rebuilt in the 19th century after the city burned during the Russo-Turkish War. The mural will mark the locations identified by participants as suitable for the development of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Two monumental cyclist figures moving towards one another will form the centre piece of the artwork, symbolising encounter, movement and shared public space, BTA reports. Organisers describe the project as a bridge between the city’s historical heritage and its vision for a more sustainable future.

Edited by Elena Karkalanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov