Exhibition Showcases Gladiator Helmets from Hollywood Films in Bulgaria’s Black Sea Resort Tsarevo

September 5, 2015 · by Ivan Dikov · in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome / Roman Empire, Ancient Thrace, Antiquity, Cultural Tourism

A total of 22 replicas based on authentic ancient and medieval gladiator helmets, which have been featured in Hollywood films, are showcased in the exhibition of the Bulgarian artists from Bird Art Studio. Photo: Bird Art Studio

An exhibition showcasing gladiator helmets, which have been featured in Hollywood films, and are made by Bulgarian artists based on authentic artifacts, has been unveiled at the History Museum in the Black Sea resort of Tsarevo in Southeast Bulgaria.

The “Gladiator Helmets” exhibition can be seen in the Tsarevo Museum of History from August 14 until October 20, 2015, the Museum has announced.

The helmets are the work of sculptor Vasko “Ernst” Bardarov and designers Liliya Koleva–Bardarova and Emiliyan Bonev from Bird Art Studio.

They have extensive experience creating historical costumes for the Boyana Film Studio in Sofia owned by Nu Boyana where a number of Hollywood productions have been filmed in recent years.

The gladiator helmets from the exhibition have been used in Hollywood movies such as “Julius Caesar”, “Spartacus”, “Hercules”, “Hannibal”, and “300: Rise of an Empire”.

“Inspired by the strength and might of the men who wore the helmets, the artists are showcasing models that became emblematic of their era. The gladiator helmets in this exhibition are an opportunity to gaze first-hand into the Antiquity, to rationalize history from details to the general, and to imagine a lifestyle that is 2,000 years away from us,” says the Tsarevo Museum of History.

The total of 22 gladiator helmet models displayed in the exhibition are based on sound historical research of authentic helmets from Ancient Rome, Ancient Thrace, Ancient Greece as well as medieval Venice and Spain. They are made of fiberglass and metal and are covered with patina emulating the original artifacts.

Before going to the Black Sea town of Tsarevo, the exhibition of the “Gladiator Helmets” made by the Bulgarian artists was on display in the Arena di Serdica Hotel in Sofia in 2014, and in the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, Poland.