°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ

The "Lovers' Bridge" in Sofia is an open-air gallery that has accommodated many prestigious photo exhibitions, including the famous "" exhibit by French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

From 10 to 23 August, the large framed photographs on both sides of the bridge were of an unusual kind: they were about the beauty of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ.

Hosted by the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, with contributions from the municipality of Sofia, the Bulgarian Nuclear Society, and the Russian state corporation Rosatom, the exhibition titled "Sun of the Earth — A New Age in Nuclear Technologies" comprised some 30 large-format photographs of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, portraying massive tools, buildings, people and components.

Among the hundreds of photographs available through the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Newsline, website, or publications, the organizers selected those that "not only showed the development of the project, but also offered an impressively beautiful view of science and technology."

In showcasing °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ—"a pure example of what united minds can achieve together"—as well as Bulgaria's contribution to the project, the organizers also sought to highlight the importance of international collaboration and "the benefit that a successful partnership between science and industry brings to society."

In-vessel coils engineer Anna Encheva, who is one of four Bulgarian staff members at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, was on hand to provide explanations to visitors and the media. 

"This exhibition was a very moving experience for me", she says, "as if the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ environment had been transferred to my home. The people and the media I interacted with knew very little about the project. But when I described our work, the challenges we are facing and the ultimate goal we are pursuing, they were just fascinated..."