Zdravka Stefanova, Bulgaria

Zdravka Stefanova, Bulgaria

Ms. Stefanova was 35 years old at the time of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Back then she lived with her mother and was teaching Piano at the school of Arts. She was the first Piano teacher of Vanya Tsvetkova who interviewed her.

Requiem in D Minor
The nuclear accident of Chernobyl could be hardly described with words. The grief of the time-witness is perceived through Mozart’s last and unfinished piece Requiem Mass in D Minor K626. Its richly diverse movements denote expressive spiritual depth – the dramatic sound of a tragedy.

Ms. Zdravka Stefanova (60) was born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria where she still lives today. She has a higher education in Music Pedagogy. Currently she is unemployed. Ms. Stefanova is single, her parents have passed away, but she has a sister who currently lives in Gabrovo as well. At the time of the Chernobyl accident she was 35, lived with her mother and was teaching Piano at the School of Arts. She was my first Piano teacher.

The first thing coming to her mind when she hears “Nuclear Power Plant” is “Chernobyl”. Ms. Stefanova is familiar with the term “nuclear threat” from her Physics school books. Nevertheless, she was “For” the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Back in 1986, she remembers that the society had a positive attitude towards the use of nuclear energy. Moreover, the brightest and most intelligent students applied to study Nuclear Physics since it was considered to be “a profession with future”.

Read the full interview