Nickolay Chergarov (born in 1974, in the town of Pazardzhik). He graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, majoring in Conservation and Restoration with a Master’s degree in Restoring (1998).
He is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, in the Restoration section, a member of the Association of Restorers in Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Committee of the International Council of Cultural Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Entered the register of persons licensed to carry out restoring and conservation activities kept at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria.
He works and specializes in the field of conservation and restoring of movable and immovable cultural monuments.
He took part in a range of projects for the restoring of churches and monasteries of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and works of art, including:
- Restoration and complete gilding of the central iconostasis of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Nedelya in Sofia (1995);
- Restoration and mural decoration of the Church of St. George the Victory-Bearer in the village of Katunitsa (1996);
- Restoration of the mural paintings of the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, in the village of Harlets, Kozloduy municipality (1998);
- Complete restoration of the church decoration and partial gilding of the iconostasis in the Church of St. Nickolay Miracle-Worker, in the town of Elin Pelin (1998);
- Painting of mural decorations in the chapels of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and St. Athanasius the Great in Sofia (1997, 1998);
- Painting of the full mural decoration program and the icons of the Church of St. George the Victory-Bearer and its adjoining chapel of St. Nickolay of Sofia in the town of Pazardzhik (2003-2006);
- Painting of the complete decoration of the chapel of the Holy Mother of God in the village of Oborishte (2020); and several others.
On completing a training course in the technique of making and restoring artificial marble– scagliola in Italy (2012), he is one of the few Bulgarians who mastered this authentic technique.
Member of the Board of Trustees of King Boris and Queen Ioanna Royal Heritage Fund and head of the restoration team since its establishment in 2010;
Holder of the Pro Merito Melitensi Cross of the Sovereign Military Order of St. Ioan of Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta (Diploma of the Grand Master, 2018).
Restoration of a bust of H.M. King Boris III, done by Nickolay Chergarov
