The granddaughter of the former communist leader Todor Zhivkov is trying to promote a better world for children in Bulgaria by organizing annual assemblies at the Bells monument in the suburbs of Sofia.

Evgenia Zhivkova (Zheni as people often call her) was brought up on undying love for Bulgaria and the desire to contribute to the country's welfare. That is why, as a recently selected MP for the Bulgarian Socialist Party, she has been making attempts to cultivate all the values she has been taught by her family in the younger generations through international assemblies and projects.

"Living in this particular family has made me extremely thankful for all the things I have learned and possessed," she said. What she was brought up on was the notion that she and her brother were the same as everyone else and she was made aware of equality among people.

The great number of her contacts and friends means that she is appreciated by the political elite and this has given her the opportunity to fulfill some goals she has had for a long time. "Fashion is art, and art goes hand in hand with culture. All of this creates a whole universe for me and that is why I combine them in my job as a politician," she said.

Her priority in Parliament is to be a helping hand in the sphere of culture, which she is ready to expand through various projects and goals she has set herself. Involved with children and sports programs, she is ready to devote her mandate to make people aware of children's needs and necessities.

The Banner of Peace organization for children (Zname na Mira) has been out of existence for a decade now and Zhivkova is the main instigator of its revival today. Attempts to hamper this do not frighten her at all. Rather, they make her work harder to achieve it and they also provoke her to motivate other associates for the cause. "We stimulate young talents and assist children into creating even though financing is hard," she admitted.

The international youth festival is to be held this June for the second time, and it will become a tradition once again in Bulgaria, according to Zheni. She has the ambition to make it a regular happening once a year.

"The emotions and the light in the children's eyes when we are together at the assembly is the greatest motivation for me and I am absolutely determined to organize it on a regular basis on the day of the child," she said. Her wish for all youth in the country is to make them responsible and happy.

Initially having nothing to do with fashion at all, in the space of 10 years Zheni became a leading figure in elite fashion shows and a regular name. She was attracted to fashion even as a child when accompanying her mother to the stylists to pick up elegant outfits and fashionable garments. Being an amateur at first made her feel more confident about working in the stylish environment and then later on with more and more famous designers.

The most important aspect of working in the field of fashion for her is the ability to find the correct combination of colours. Feeling for material and a sense of the general look of an item of clothing together with a vivid imagination is her secret for being always up-to-date. She likes Italian designers like Valentino, Fermani and Ferre. Zheni combines classical features of clothes with avant-garde clothing and fashion.

If she had not been a stylist she would have devoted herself to science and studies in ancient cultures, but she found that fashion was much more attractive to her.

As a graduate of history and philosophy as well as theory of ancient Indian culture, she was well acquainted with the culture in Delhi and the people there. What she found amazing in their culture was the cult for the mother goddess as the pillar of the family.

For her, Indians have a high estimation of religion as a philosophy in life. "I felt pretty changed after the encounter with the Indian culture and their way of thinking," she said.

Their traditions and culture were the most positive aspect, which grasped Zhivkova. Generations there have kept up tradition and handed it down in a way that attempts to preserve its original state. Her goal now is to make the same thing happen in Bulgaria where she loves to live.