20 BGN #91

Front

Boyana Church, a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church located on the outskirts of Sofia. Built in the late 10th century and expanded in the 13th century, it is renowned for its frescoes from 1259 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church represents one of the most significant monuments of medieval Bulgarian art and architecture.

Back

Tsaritsa Desislava (Desislava of Bulgaria), wife of Tsar Ivan Asen II who ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1218 to 1241. The portrait is based on the 13th-century fresco from Boyana Church showing the royal couple. She represents the cultural and artistic flourishing of medieval Bulgaria during its Second Empire. The reverse also features decorative elements from medieval Bulgarian art.

History

This note belongs to the First Lev series issued by the Bulgarian National Bank in 1991 following the collapse of communist rule and Bulgaria's transition to democracy. Printed in 1991, it circulated during a period of significant economic transformation and hyperinflation. The series was replaced in 1999 when Bulgaria redenominated its currency at a rate of 1,000:1 old leva to new leva due to severe inflation. The 20 leva denomination features medieval Bulgarian history, specifically imagery from the Boyana Church, emphasizing national heritage and cultural continuity.