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At just 17 years old, he began to accompany his grandfather as head of state at receptions and with delegations abroad.
Jeni Zhivkova’s fate assigned her an unusual role: in a period of time, she was the granddaughter, adopted daughter and first lady of Todor Zhivkov.
When he lost his daughter Lyudmila in July 1981, Zhivkov was very unhappy and the only one who brought him out of this state was his granddaughter Evgenia. He transfers all his hopes to her and even adopts her.
Zheni Zhivkova in the role of first lady in early 1989, when together with her grandfather they met French President Francois Mitterrand and his wife Daniel in Bulgaria.
Years later, Zhenya’s father, Eng. Lyubomir Stoychev, revealed why he had consented. “I accepted his well-being and his peace of mind. He was very hurt. He lost his wife and Mila in a few years; the blow was very strong for him. Perhaps with the adoption of Zheni he thought that it would reduce the pain,” says Stoychev.
Therefore, Zhenya actually repeats the fate of her mother, supposedly a daughter of the head of state, but actually in the role of first lady. At just 17 years old, he began to accompany his grandfather as head of state at receptions and with official delegations abroad.
“It was really strange. I had to meet politicians and their wives, and I was only 17 years old. My first visit was to Austria, then there was no meeting with the first lady, but I participated in official dinners. We talked more with the people at the table. about my training, “Zhivkova told 24 Chasa. Yet not for a moment did it occur to him to challenge his grandfather’s decision.
As a student I had more topics of conversation with the first ladies of other countries, for future plans, for cultural projects. “We have not discussed politics, but I have had official meetings with first ladies, such as Sonia Gandhi, the wife of the Indian president,
I accompany
the wife of
the french president
Francois Mitterrand –
Daniel, during his visit to our country at the beginning of 1989. They are formal meetings, there are topics of conversation ”, he recalls.
For example, Zheni accompanied Zhivkov to a reception at the Soviet embassy literally days before he was removed from office on November 7, 1989. Nothing on the night in question predicted for her the next change of head of state in Bulgaria. “I didn’t find the situation tense,” he later recalled.
In the days leading up to November 10, her grandfather was in good shape and went to work, she didn’t notice he was worried.
“A long time ago
On November 10 he told me
what do you want to submit
resign like
general secretary
of the Central Committee of the BCP
and for a while to remain the sole president of the State Council, “says Zhivkova.
And when she went to see her grandfather the day after the plenary session, Zhenya introduced her to her future husband Andrei for the first time. “On November 11 we had dinner together at Bankya’s residence and then I met them and told them that we would get married. He did not tell us anything about what happened in plenary, “he said.
In the first months after that, Zhivkov was under unofficial house arrest and only Zhenya and his son Vladimir were able to visit him. The other relatives had to ask permission from the then UBO. He was arrested on January 18, 1990.
Zheni became a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party at university, but did not join the BSP after the changes. In 2001, however, she was invited by Georgi Parvanov (then leader of the BSP) to run for the left-wing civic quota. He won two terms in parliament. From 2005 to 2011 he again headed the Council for the Child under Parvanov, but is now president.
From 2006 to 2009 he was a member of PACE and rapporteur for Azerbaijan. Then quit politics. For many years, Zhivkova’s name was among all nominations on the left, both for presidential candidate and for mayor.
“Politics
I will not miss it,
because at the moment it is full of scandals and I do not like what I see from the side ”, is categorical today. He has no regrets for giving up and has no intention of going back just yet.
She is dedicated to fashion, family and friends. You have time for creativity, you have found your peace of mind.
In fact, fashion has always been his true passion, although he graduated in history and philosophy at the University of Sofia “St. Cl. Ohridski ”. Then he specialized in the field of ancient Indian culture – Harappan culture, and until 1992 he worked at the BAS Institute of Culture.
However, her hobby is knitting sweaters by hand and in 1990 she decided to turn it into a business. This is how you enter the world of fashion: your designer clothes are successfully sold not only in Bulgaria but also abroad.
A year later she founded the fashion house “Women’s Style” and began designing and manufacturing luxury women’s clothing from textiles and knitwear, many of which are handmade. Knowledge of the history, culture and ethnography of different peoples helps her in her new role as designer. Her first fashion show was in 1993.
Over the years, Jeni Zhivkova has established herself as
one of
the most successful and
wanted bulgarian
designers
The state elite dresses in it. There are many awards in the field of fashion, including “Golden Needle” from the Bulgarian Academy of Fashion.
His daughters follow in his footsteps. Ludmila has a BA in interior design from London and an MA from one of the most prestigious universities in design and fashion, the Pratt Institute in New York.
Andrea graduated in fashion in London, but later has a master’s degree in styling from the New Bulgarian University. And it already has its own collections.
In 1999, Women founded the Lyudmila Zhivkova – Flag of Peace Foundation and restored the International Children’s Assembly founded by her mother.
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