https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/rss Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:10:21 +0300 en hourly 1 https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/1104275-patriarch-daniil-proclaims-christ-s-resurrection-and-blesses-nation-during-sofia https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/1104275-patriarch-daniil-proclaims-christ-s-resurrection-and-blesses-nation-during-sofia Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:56:00 +0300 The Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniil, proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ and blessed the Bulgarian people in front of the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia in the first minutes of Easter Sunday. The Gospel and the troparion for the Resurrection were also heard, together with the exclamations: "Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!" Daniil read a festive address in front of the cathedral, saying: "Christ's Resurrection is our constant joy and inspiration. It is the meaning and purpose of our life. Christ's Resurrection is comfort for those who have lost hope, courage for the discouraged, justification for the wronged, lifting up for the fallen, faith for the faithless, strength for the weak. It is the centre of our faith." Among those attending the service were President Iliana Iotova, National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan and former king and former prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The Resurrection was celebrated with midnight religious services across Bulgaria. At the Rila Monastery in Southwestern Bulgaria, the largest and most important monastery in the country, Bishop Evlogii of Adrianople said: "We are celebrating the greatest feast on the planet today. Let us think of God ever more often and understand that He is the only true saviour of humankind. Let us place our trust in Him and believe in Him." Bulgaria Valentin Evstatiev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104108-bta-building-lit-white-for-easter-and-bright-week https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104108-bta-building-lit-white-for-easter-and-bright-week Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:51:00 +0300 From April 11 until April 19, the facade of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Sofia will be illuminated in white to mark Easter and Bright Week, during which Orthodox Christians celebrate the Resurrection. The white colour symbolizes purity, holiness and divine light. On the nights before Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the building's facade was illuminated in red as a symbol of the blood shed by Christ on the cross. On official and traditional Bulgarian holidays, significant dates and events, and on holidays of organizations in which Bulgaria is a member, the BTA facade is lit up in colours and patterns appropriate to the respective occasion. The building was illuminated for the first time on February 16, 2025, when the national news agency marked its 127th anniversary. Culture Valentin Evstatiev Lilia Yordanova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/1104139-holy-fire-distributed-from-synodal-palace-in-sofia-on-easter-eve https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/1104139-holy-fire-distributed-from-synodal-palace-in-sofia-on-easter-eve Sat, 11 Apr 2026 17:09:00 +0300 The Holy Fire from Jerusalem, kept at the Palace of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) in Sofia, is being spread out by priests taking it to evening service in their churches in Bulgaria on Holy Saturday, which for Orthodox Christians this year is on April 11. The Holy Fire descends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem every year ahead of Orthodox Easter Sunday. A Bulgarian delegation last travelled to Jerusalem to collect the flame in 2023. In 2026, the BOC leadership decided against sending a delegation to the holy city due to the Middle East conflict after the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced a Level 5 Risk, warning Bulgarians that they should not travel to the region and advising those who are there to not leave it. The first person to collect the Holy Fire from the Synodal Palace on Holy Saturday was Archpriest Petar Grudev. Asked by journalists where and how the flame from his Holy Fire would be taken, he replied: "In the jeep and up to the Monastery of the Holy Ascension of the Lord, located near Malo Buchino, commonly called the St Spas Monastery, so that the faithful may rejoice." For the Danubian city of Ruse the Holy Fire will be brought from the Romanian capital Bucharest. Romania sent a delegation to Jerusalem to collect the flame after an arrangement with Israel amid the Middle East tensions. At the Patriarchal Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky in downtown Sofia, the solemn service on Holy Saturday will be led by Patriarch Daniil, the BOC head. The Holy Fire For centuries, a miracle has been said to occur in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. After the prayer of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Holy Fire descends. The earliest records of the Holy Fire date back to the second century AD. Since then, on the eve of Holy Saturday, the Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the cave of the Lord's Tomb, the so-called Edicule (Kuvuklia), where he prays for the Holy Fire. The flame is said to be supernaturally ignited every year on Easter in the Church of the Resurrection, built directly over the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In the first minutes after it appears, the fire is said to have the unique property of not emitting heat and not burning. According to Orthodox tradition, the Holy Fire is a miracle. A blue light is said to appear in the tomb of Jesus Christ, usually from the marble slab covering the place where the body of the Saviour is believed to have been laid for burial. Bulgaria Valentin Evstatiev Dimitrina Vetova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104165-church-leaders-issue-easter-message-of-hope https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104165-church-leaders-issue-easter-message-of-hope Sat, 11 Apr 2026 18:07:00 +0300 Patriarch Daniil and the metropolitans of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church issued a patriarchal and synodal message for the Feast of the Resurrection, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said on Saturday. The message proclaims that once again God's unspoken mercy touches believers as they rejoice in the sacred Pascha, the Feast of feasts. The Church exults spiritually, beholding Christ the King shining forth from the tomb. Pascha, the text explains, means a passage: from decay to incorruption, from death to life, from sin to salvation. Christ's Resurrection, foretold by the prophets and witnessed by the apostles and the myrrh-bearing women, is the central joy and purpose of Christian life. It brings comfort, courage, justice, and strength, for through the power of the Resurrection the sting of death has been removed. As Saint John Chrysostom taught, no one should fear death, since the Saviour's death has freed humanity from it. In troubled times marked by war, injustice, and suffering, believers have one hope: Christ is Risen. The Lord Himself promises, "I am with you always, to the end of the world". The message calls on the faithful not to fear but to stand firm with trust in the Risen Saviour, to cultivate Gospel virtues, to participate in the sacramental life of the Church, to forgive, and to resist individualism, division, and every sin that entangles. The light of the Resurrection, it says, should guide Christians to serve God fearlessly in holiness and righteousness. The Patriarch and the metropolitans wish all the children of the Church in Bulgaria and abroad health, peace, spiritual strength, and paschal joy. They urge the faithful to meet the Risen Lord as the apostles and myrrh-bearers did, to converse with Him in prayer, and to bear true witness to His saving Resurrection. The message concludes with a blessing for the grace of the Risen Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit to be with all. Culture Valentin Evstatiev Dimitrina Vetova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104064-ali-band-to-hold-first-concert-with-new-lineup-unreleased-music https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1104064-ali-band-to-hold-first-concert-with-new-lineup-unreleased-music Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:41:20 +0300 After a nearly six-month hiatus, the band Ali will hold its first concert with a revamped lineup, a new sound, and the premiere of unreleased music. The concert will be held on April 29 at Stroezha, Projector Plus announced on Saturday. The promoter added that the time away from the stage proved more than enough to gather ideas and undergo transformations. The band is returning with a new bassist - Milen Metodiev - a completely revamped live set, and a new energy that the band itself describes as Ali 2.0. Among the four new songs that have not yet been performed live is Fame - a long-awaited track the band has been teasing for months but which has not yet been heard in its finished form in front of an audience, Projector Plus said. Ali features Ali Abdala on vocals and guitar, Milen Metodiev on bass guitar, Petar Schwartz on guitar, Antoni Ivanov on guitar, and Orlin Stanchev on drums. Culture Momchil Rusev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103916-world-renowned-historian-bettany-hughes-visits-bta-archives-for-upcoming-project https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103916-world-renowned-historian-bettany-hughes-visits-bta-archives-for-upcoming-project Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:43:30 +0300 British historian, documentary filmmaker, and author Prof. Bettany Hughes visited the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) together with her team, where she explored the Аgency’s archives. She was welcomed by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, who personally introduced her to the richness of BTA's archive collection.  Prof. Hughes and her team will use BTA’s archives for upcoming projects. “The BTA archives are very impressive,” she said, adding that an entire hour in a new film would need to be devoted to them.  Valchev stated that BTA would provide everything necessary for the realization of her projects.  During her visit, Hughes examined the Agency’s photo archive, which contains 1.8 million negatives, systematically organized with information about content, year, number, and photographer. She was impressed by the scale and precision of the collection, noting that each image is accompanied by detailed descriptions.  Valchev also introduced her to biographical files on Bulgarian figures, arranged alphabetically and compiled from periodicals and BTA bulletins dating back to the 1930s. She reviewed the BTA Reference Department’s card index, divided into “Bulgaria” and “International” sections, and used for quick fact-checking, a practice BTA has maintained since 1934. He showed her the hall where the archives were digitized as part of a three-year project completed on March 31 this year. “This is the most modern archive in Bulgaria and the largest news archive in the country,” Valchev said. Hughes praised the achievement, noting that an agency with over a century of history digitizing its entire archive is truly remarkable.  She also saw BTA’s oldest preserved publication - the Agency’s first handwritten news item from 1898, as well as its library of 90,000 books, including editions dating back to 1841. Hughes toured the renovated newsroom and the “MaxiM” Hall. Valchev presented Hughes and her team with a BTA catalog marking the agency’s 125th anniversary, containing news from 1898 to 2023, along with issues of LIK magazine covering topics such as Bulgarian science in Antarctica, the country’s first cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov, the 155th anniversary of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Bulgaria’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka. Cooperation between Prof. Hughes and BTA was agreed during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, where Valchev committed the agency’s support for her future projects. Prof. Bettany Hughes, born in Oxford in 1967, is a historian, writer, and documentary presenter. She studied Ancient and Medieval History at Oxford University and has taught at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as lectured at universities including Cornell, Bristol, Maastricht, Utrecht, Manchester, and Swansea. Her first book, "Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore", has been translated into ten languages. Her book "The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens, and the Search for the Good Life" is a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for the Writers’ Guild Award in 2012. "The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" is a Sunday Times bestseller. Hughes has written and presented over 50 documentaries for BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, Discovery, PBS, The History Channel, National Geographic, and others, reaching over 250 million viewers worldwide. In 2019, she chaired the Man Booker Prize jury and was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her contributions to history.  She is also co-producer of a global documentary series on the shared roots of Eastern and Western cultures, premiered at UNESCO in 2013, and co-founder of SandStone Global, a production company whose work airs on major international platforms. Her series "Treasures of the World" is broadcast in 120 countries. It includes "Treasures of Bulgaria", whose first episode, filmed in the summer of 2023 and featuring sites such as the Kazanlak Tomb, Buzludzha, the Plovdiv Basilica, Heraclea Sintica, the Rila Monastery, the Rila Lakes, the Varna Archaeological Museum, and more, aired on Viasat History on May 24, 2024, becoming the most-watched program in the UK on Channel 4 that day.  A second episode was filmed in April 2024 in locations including Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Belogradchik, Sozopol, and the Magura Cave. It aired on March 7, 2025, under the title Bulgaria – The Land of Roses.  Culture Metodi Yordanov Ivan Dolev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103307-bulgarian-navy-commander-mihaylov-fourth-rsv-421-voyage-builds-tradition https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103307-bulgarian-navy-commander-mihaylov-fourth-rsv-421-voyage-builds-tradition Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:36:00 +0300 After the fourth voyage of the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), Bulgaria can now proudly say it has built traditions, Bulgarian Navy Commander Kiril Mihaylov said on Thursday. He greeted the crew on the vessel’s return from Antarctica and congratulated them on successfully completing all assigned tasks. Mihaylov said that when Bulgaria first sent a ship to the distant southern latitudes, it had been a challenge for everyone. After the first success came the second voyage, when they had to prove that nothing had been accidental. Now, after the fourth, they could proudly say they had traditions, Mihaylov added. Mihaylov said the sailors’ profession is forged at sea, not in the classroom. The fact that naval personnel once again carried out a mission to Antarctica under the Bulgarian Navy flag showed that the Navy was firmly up to the task and capable of operating in any conditions, he added. Mihaylov said he was proud of the crew of the research vessel and of its achievements, and of the fact that RSV 421 was an excellent ambassador for Bulgaria in that part of the world, where the national flag is rarely seen. Mihaylov also said he knew of no other naval school apart from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna that sent its cadets on a polar expedition. That, he added, spoke clearly both to Bulgaria’s naval tradition and to the academy. The first Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) was welcomed at Varna Marine Station on Thursday, April 9, 2026, on its return from its fourth Antarctic expedition. Among those attending the ceremony were Christo Pimpirev, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, officials, relatives and friends. Culture BTA correspondent Mila Edreva BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva Kaloyan Kirilov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103246-un-convention-on-the-law-of-the-sea-to-be-ratified-soon-environment-minister-sa https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103246-un-convention-on-the-law-of-the-sea-to-be-ratified-soon-environment-minister-sa Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:03:00 +0300 Caretaker Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov said that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is to be ratified soon by Bulgaria. Popov was speaking during the ceremony welcoming the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) in Varna on Thursday  Popov said that preparations for the document have been completed, and it is now to be forwarded to the National Assembly for ratification. He added that the convention applies to regulating all marine and maritime activities in those parts of the world's oceans that lie outside national jurisdictions. "This is of great importance not only from a transport or military perspective, but also from an academic viewpoint," the Minister said. Popov added that the oceans and the way that they are managed are also crucial in the fight against climate change. The Convention establishes conditions for meetings of the state parties, which will discuss the development of the rules and laws governing these waters in the future, Popov said. The minister extended special congratulations to the crew of the RSV 421, emphasizing that the ship is proof that Bulgaria can have a global presence. Culture Kristina Ivanova BTA correspondent Mila Edreva BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103285-commander-muevski-rsv-421-meets-new-challenges-on-fourth-antarctic-voyage https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103285-commander-muevski-rsv-421-meets-new-challenges-on-fourth-antarctic-voyage Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:02:00 +0300 The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) and its crew developed a strong capacity to support Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions after four voyages, RSV commander Radko Muevski said at a welcome ceremony for the vessel at Varna Marine Station on Thursday. He said the ship expanded its operating range during the fourth expedition, which brought new challenges, including severe ice conditions, deeper sampling operations and the use of new onboard equipment. “On this voyage we were in very severe ice conditions, we took samples from much greater depths, and we used new equipment that we have on board,” Muevski added. He specified that the new place they visited was mainland Antarctica, where the crew and the scientists had the opportunity to go ashore and collect samples. Muevski added that they also expanded their area of operations westwards, revisiting Snow Island and a peninsula. “Neptune was a little harsher on us this time during the passage to Antarctica, and at around 42 degrees south we ran into a strong storm for about 20 hours,” Muevski said. He added that the storm tested the crew, but reminded him that the sea must always be respected. Everything passed without incident, and after that they did not encounter bad weather, Muevski said. Muevski also said that the four cadets who served as trainees on board throughout the expedition performed excellently and expressed hope that the knowledge and skills they had gained would serve them well when they joined the ranks of the Bulgarian Navy. He added that a total of 40 young people, including foreigners, trained on board during the short-term cadet placements from Varna to Cartagena and from Cartagena to Varna. The first Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) was welcomed at Varna Marine Station on Thursday, April 9, on its return from its fourth Antarctic expedition. Among those attending the ceremony were Christo Pimpirev, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, officials, relatives and friends. Culture BTA correspondent Mila Edreva BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva Kaloyan Kirilov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103257-bulgaria-s-35th-antarctic-expedition-to-include-geology-underwater-archaeology- https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103257-bulgaria-s-35th-antarctic-expedition-to-include-geology-underwater-archaeology- Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:56:00 +0300 The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute is already preparing its 35th polar expedition, its Chair Prof. Christo Pimpirev told BTA on Thursday. It will once again include numerous scientific projects. One of the key ones is related to geology and provides for research in the area of the Bulgarian base on Livingston Island and the South Shetland Islands. There will also be specialists in underwater archaeology, who will explore one of the bays for which there is evidence of sunken ships. During the recently completed 34th Antarctic mission, 35 scientific projects were carried out, Pimpirev recalled. Their results are currently being processed. Interesting data are expected from studies of ocean currents conducted jointly with German scientists from the University of Hamburg, as well as on rising sea levels and microplastic pollution. This year, particular attention has been paid to mineral resources around the Bulgarian base and in the South Shetland Islands area, as there are many rare metals that are currently extremely important for the development of modern technology and space technologies, the researcher added. He stressed that decisions on the exploitation of these resources are also taken by Bulgaria, which participates as a full member among the 29 Antarctic nations. Pimpirev emphasised that there is no place on the Antarctic Peninsula and the islands that Bulgarian scientists cannot reach, thanks to the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), on whose board four penguins have already been painted, symbolising the fourth voyage to the Ice Continent. “The most important aspect of the polar expeditions, according to the professor, is the very serious scientific programme that the team is able to develop, as the logistics and construction have already been completed and the Bulgarian base is ready. We can be proud of an extremely modern scientific laboratory, which last year won the ‘Building of the Year’ award. Scientists from all over the world are already working there and want to rent it, as they do not have such facilities. We also have excellent service premises. The laboratory is fully equipped and scientific work is carried out there,” Pimpirev further pointed out. He added that this year a small laboratory for meteorological research has also been established jointly with the United Arab Emirates, which is the first scientific infrastructure of the countries from across the entire Persian Gulf. Culture Momchil Rusev BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103268--shared-memory-jewish-presence-across-the-bulgarian-lands-exhibition-highlight https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103268--shared-memory-jewish-presence-across-the-bulgarian-lands-exhibition-highlight Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:08:00 +0300 A new exhibition, Shared Memory: Jewish Presence Across the Bulgarian Lands, showcases over 15 years of research into Bulgaria’s Jewish material heritage, featuring 50 photographs by journalist and photographer Anthony Georgieff. It opens at the Kvadrat 500 Gallery on April 16 and will be on until May 17, said the National Gallery. The images take visitors from Vidin to Burgas and Silistra to Gotse Delchev, capturing synagogues, cemeteries, mosaics, and other historic sites. Many of these sites, some dating back to the 2nd century CE, have been neglected over the years, yet they remain integral to Bulgaria’s cultural history. Georgieff’s photographs of abandoned cemeteries and crumbling synagogues evoke a sense of loss while celebrating the continued presence of Bulgaria’s Jewish communities. Highlights include mosaics at the Plovdiv Regional Museum of Archaeology, the restored Central Synagogue in Sofia, and former synagogues in Silistra, Ruse, Burgas, and Yambol, now repurposed for art or commerce. The exhibition was supported by the Shalom Organization of Jews in Bulgaria, NEGEV Organization of Friends of Israel, the Federation of Zionists in Bulgaria, the America for Bulgaria Foundation, and the American Jewish Committee, with BTA as media partner. Born in 1963, Anthony Georgieff has held over 30 solo exhibitions across Europe and North America and authored 20+ books on Bulgarian historical and cultural heritage. BTA is media partner of the exhibition. Culture https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103146-bta-signs-partnership-deal-with-regional-history-museum-in-varna https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103146-bta-signs-partnership-deal-with-regional-history-museum-in-varna Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:58:35 +0300 The Regional History Museum in Varna is the new partner of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) after the Agency's Director General, Kiril Valchev, and the head of the cultural institution, Igor Lazarenko, signed an agreement in the seaside city on Thursday. This year the museum marks 120 years since its establishment, which took place on June 11, 1906, Valchev said. According to him, records in BTA's Reference Department show that in fact 2027 could be marked as the 140th anniversary of the beginning of the exhibition, since as early as 1887 the Czech scholar Karel Skorpil and his Bulgarian colleague Anani Yavashov created the first group dedicated to collecting archaeological materials from the city and its surroundings. A year later the Municipal Council also adopted a decision to create a museum at the then city library. In 1892 the Ministry of National Education ordered the museum collection's fund to be sent to Sofia for the creation of a central museum, so it could be said that Varna is one of the origins of museum work at national level in Bulgaria, Valchev said. He presented several gifts to the museum director, provided from the BTA archives. Lazarenko received news items from the BTA bulletins, the oldest of which is dated October 4, 1959, and reports the opening of the Revival Museum, which is part of the Regional History Museum in Varna. Valchev also highlighted a news item from June 1966 marking the museum's 60th anniversary. He also gifted the museum photographs related to its history. The oldest is from 1953 and shows restorer Irinka Lulcheva working on the restoration of a baptismal font for children from the early Byzantine era, dating from the 6th century. Valchev showed a photograph of the Regional History Museum building in Varna, taken in 1983 when it was officially inaugurated in its present form. Varna's museum preserves the oldest worked gold in the world, the Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency added. He noted that over the years BTA has published materials about the cultural institution, but not as many as after 2021, when the agency's literature, art and culture bulletin, LIK, was re-launched. "Our aim is, if possible, every week to present something from the activities of the entire chain of museums united under the Regional History Museum in Varna, including the Aladzha Monastery, the Roman Baths, the museums covering different periods of Bulgarian history," Valchev emphasized. He said the new partnership agreement regulates the copyright for photographs and video materials that the Regional History Museum in Varna will provide to BTA and which will also appear in its English-language service. Valchev added that BTA is planning a special issue of LIK magazine dedicated to culture in Varna on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Varna Summer International Music Festival. He clarified that this will probably be the October 2026 issue of LIK, and it will include an extensive feature on the Regional History Museum in Varna and its anniversary. Lazarenko said that BTA's partnership and support will help the museum not only to gain publicity but also to maintain a constant presence in the media space. He noted that the Regional History Museum in Varna is known not only for the oldest worked gold in the world but also as the largest archaeological museum in Bulgaria by area and perhaps one of the most visited museums in the country. "If the Louvre with the Mona Lisa is France's calling card, then the Archaeological Museum with the world's oldest worked gold is Varna's calling card," Lazarenko said. He added that unfortunately the Regional History Museum is visited by only about 10% of the tourists who come to Varna. In his words, the partnership with BTA could help attract more people who would be able to connect with the region's history. Culture Valentin Evstatiev BTA correspondent Mila Edreva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103108-international-forum-in-sofia-to-showcase-digital-solutions-innovations-for-cult https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103108-international-forum-in-sofia-to-showcase-digital-solutions-innovations-for-cult Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:03:01 +0300 Experts, entrepreneurs and creatives from 10 countries will take part in the fourth edition of the international forum “Digitalisation and Innovation for Cultural Heritage”, which will be held at the Biad concert hall of the Federation of the Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria on April 16 and 17 in Sofia, the organisers from the Buzludzha Project Foundation announced on Thursday. Participation is free following prior registration, and the working languages are Bulgarian and English with simultaneous interpretation, the team explained. They noted that the event is dedicated to the International Day for Monuments and Sites and will bring together 35 speakers from Bulgaria and across Europe, who will present contemporary approaches to the preservation, communication and digital presentation of immovable cultural heritage. The forum will open with an introductory lecture by architect Graham Bell, a member of the Board of Directors of Europa Nostra. During the event, the digital twin of the Buzludzha Monument will also be presented - an interactive 3D virtual environment through which visitors will be able to explore the building in its current and original state, learn more about its history, and propose ideas for its future. There will also be a storytelling workshop, in which participants will be able to present their own visions of how the monument is interpreted nowadays. The afternoon will begin with a presentation by Dr Riin Alatalu, Vice-President of ICOMOS – the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The panel will examine innovative approaches to communicating sites with complex histories from Estonia, Italy and Spain. Professor Patrick Leech, long-time head of ATRIUM – an association and cultural route of the Council of Europe, will also deliver a presentation, the team noted. The final panel of the first day is dedicated to digital solutions for museums and will be opened by Alison Bearley, Digital Collections Specialist at the House of European History. Bulgarian examples of digitalization will also be presented, including Heraclea Sintica, Hisarya and the Magura Cave. The second day of the forum will begin with an opening address by Prof. Jorg Haspel, Honorary President of ICOMOS Germany and recipient of the highest distinction for lifetime achievement of the German Prize for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Three Bulgarian projects will present innovative preservation practices – the Cultural Centre in Vratsa, the Thracian tomb Ostrusha, and Provadia-Solnitsata, the second Bulgarian site awarded the European Heritage Label. The programme also includes panels on presenting cultural heritage through interactive formats, tours, games and artificial intelligence, as well as discussions on digital databases, registers and maps. Among the participants are representatives of EuroClio and Europa Nostra, the organisers announced. They noted that the forum will present the final results of the two-year project Developing an Inclusive Process for Communicating Contested Heritage under the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, led by the Buzludzha Project Foundation in partnership with the University of Bologna, Faculty of Architecture; the European Observatory on Memories EUROM, Barcelona; ATRIUM – an association and cultural route of the Council of Europe; and EuroClio – the European Association of History Educators. The event is organised with the support of the Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sofia, the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation Bulgaria, Baumit Bulgaria and PERI Bulgaria, the team further said. The Project Buzludzha Foundation was established in 2015 by Dora Ivanova and works towards turning the Buzludzha Monument into a cultural destination for art, education and sustainable tourism. Among its most recent projects are the stabilisation of the mosaics in the building and the preparation of a project for a new roof and windows for the monument. Culture Momchil Rusev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103086-national-military-history-museum-opens-exhibition-dedicated-to-april-uprising-s- https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103086-national-military-history-museum-opens-exhibition-dedicated-to-april-uprising-s- Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:29:09 +0300 The exhibition The Bloody Flame of the Bulgarian Easter of 1876, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, was opened at the National Military History Museum (NMHM) on Thursday. The opening was attended by caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. “This year we mark 150 years since an uprising that represented the apogee of the Bulgarian revolutionary spirit and our desire for national freedom. The uprising was organised and carried out by Bulgarians, without foreign intervention, and indeed this is the peak of our national spirit,” he said. Zapryanov expressed gratitude to the museum team, emphasising that the exhibition will take visitors 150 years back in time, to an era in which, with banners and weapons, Bulgarians fought with a sense of national pride and a desire for freedom. “It is no coincidence that the uprising is described as the most powerful manifestation of the Bulgarian national revolution – with the self-sacrifice of the thousands who took part in it, with their dedication, their heroism, the devastation, and the Bulgarian land drenched in blood,” said NMHM Director Sonya Penkova. She emphasised that the museum revives the idea held by Bulgarian Revival figures – to create a museum of the Bulgarian National Revival. “We are home to all the flags of the April Uprising, with the exception of three,” Penkova also said. Among the most significant exhibits is the Karlovo flag – commissioned by revolutionary Vasil Levski, under whose folds Panayot Volov declared the uprising in Panagyurishte, as the flag of Rayna Popgeorgieva was not yet ready. Also on display are three of the twelve flags sewn on the order of Georgi Benkovski for the Fourth Revolutionary District, the flag of the Gorna Oryahovitsa insurgents, the flag of the detachment of Dimitar Berovski from the Razlovtsi Uprising, the flag of the Sliven Revolutionary District, and that of the committee in the village of Radilovo. The exhibition includes personal weapons of participants in the preparation and execution of the uprising, among them Ivan Drasov, Panayot Hitov, Panayot Volov, Stoil Voyvoda, Ilyo Voyvoda, Simo Sokolov, and Hristo Karaminkov – Bunito. The exhibition also presents the strong international response to the April Uprising – words of foreign statesmen, scholars, writers, and public figures reveal the wave of outrage that the events of 1876 provoked across Europe and the world. Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear personal testimonies of contemporaries. The exhibition is part of the programme marking the 110th anniversary of the NMHM and the national celebrations on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, and can be seen by visitors until the end of May. Culture Momchil Rusev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103125-bulgarian-naval-research-vessel-berths-after-antarctic-voyage https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1103125-bulgarian-naval-research-vessel-berths-after-antarctic-voyage Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:24:00 +0300 The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) berthed at the Port of Varna on Thursday, which marks the successful completion of Bulgaria's 34th Antarctic expedition. The vessel set off from Antarctica on February 17. Its last stop was in Cartagena, Spain, from where the crew set sail for Bulgaria on April 2. In Cartagena, cadets from Bulgaria's Naval Academy and from naval academies in Romania, Poland and Norway boarded for a short-term training voyage to Varna. The cadets are specializing in navigation, ship machinery and mechanisms, and naval communications and radio systems. They received safety briefings on the use of individual and collective life-saving equipment. RSV 421 departed from the port of Varna for the Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2025. BTA has had a national press club on board the ship since 2022 and another on Livingston Island since February 2024. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said they exist thanks to the generous support of RSV 421 and Bulgaria’s St Kliment Ohridski Base, which provide the necessary facilities. The news items of BTA's special correspondents on RSV 421 and Antarctica are freely available in Bulgarian and English on BTA's website. They can be used free of charge by all media, with attribution to BTA. Culture Kaloyan Kirilov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102995-patriarch-daniil-officiates-at-holy-thursday-service-in-sofia https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102995-patriarch-daniil-officiates-at-holy-thursday-service-in-sofia Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:54:00 +0300 On this Holy Thursday, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil celebrated the Liturgy of St. Basil at the metropolitan Church of St Nedelya in Sofia. Holy Thursday commemorates the events surrounding the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His apostles. During this time, He washed the feet of His disciples, established the Holy Eucharist, delivered His final discourse to the apostles, and offered the High Priestly Prayer. Christ then went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was arrested and taken into custody to be tried. While Patriarch Daniil was leading the liturgy, the Sofia Metropolitanate once again organized its traditional Easter egg painting event, combined with sports games, titled "Celebration of the Orthodox Spirit and Traditions". The event took place at St. Nedelya Square. Culture Dimitrina Vetova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102860-international-exhibition-in-sofia-explores-utopia-through-contemporary-drawing https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102860-international-exhibition-in-sofia-explores-utopia-through-contemporary-drawing Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:15:22 +0300 An international exhibition entitled "Alternative… in the Line of Utopia" brings together eleven artists from Austria, Italy, Poland, Georgia and Bulgaria, presenting their interpretations of utopia as a space for imagination, critical thinking and visual exploration.  The exhibition will open at Sofia's One Gallery on April 14 and will run until May 14, the organizers said. The exhibition features works created during an international artistic residency in Plovdiv in 2024, as well as new pieces and installations that expand the understanding of drawing beyond its traditional forms, towards the object, space and the conceptual gesture. The project involves Peter Assmann, Elena Caterina Doria, Karolina Gacke, Isa Geiger, Violeta Ivanova, Nino Lomsadze, Max Della Mora, Leo Neuhauser, Mariana Nikolai Pacheva, Herwig Prammer, and Æno | Emanuela Serafino. The drawing is approached not as a finished product, but as a process and experimental practice. At the centre of the exhibition is utopia, conceived not as an idealized vision of the future, but as a tool for reflecting on the present. The organizers say the project includes references to Plato and Thomas More, as well as contemporary social and political contexts, through which the artists construct visual narratives between the possible and the unrealized. The exhibition features drawings, objects, installations and sculptural forms which explore the relationships between memory and matter, reality and fiction. Some works approach utopia as a historical trajectory of thought, while others translate it into personal and fragmentary artistic spaces. The project and exhibition were conceived and initiated by Severina Kehayova and curated by Furna art & culture, an association based in Linz, Austria. The project marks the beginning of a series of international artistic meetings and collaborative practices, focused on contemporary forms of collectivity and cultural exchange. Culture Diana Dukovska https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102808-bulgarian-naval-research-vessel-returns-from-antarctic-expedition https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102808-bulgarian-naval-research-vessel-returns-from-antarctic-expedition Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:12:00 +0300 The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) is expected to arrive in Varna at 1pm on Thursday, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy said. The ship is returning following the successful completion of Bulgaria's 34th Antarctic expedition. The vessel set off from Antarctica on February 17. Its last stop was in Cartagena, Spain, from where the crew set sail for Bulgaria on April 2. In Cartagena, cadets from Bulgaria's Naval Academy and from naval academies in Romania, Poland and Norway boarded for a short-term training voyage to Varna. The cadets are specializing in navigation, ship machinery and mechanisms, and naval communications and radio systems. They received safety briefings on the use of individual and collective life-saving equipment. RSV 421 departed from the port of Varna for the Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2025. BTA has had a national press club on board the ship since 2022 and another on Livingston Island since February 2024. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said they exist thanks to the generous support of RSV 421 and Bulgaria’s St Kliment Ohridski Base, which provide the necessary facilities. The news items of BTA's special correspondents on RSV 421 and Antarctica are freely available in Bulgarian and English on BTA's website. They can be used free of charge by all media, with attribution to BTA. Culture Diana Dukovska BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102777-rossini-s-stabat-mater-to-be-performed-at-state-opera-varna-on-holy-thursday https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1102777-rossini-s-stabat-mater-to-be-performed-at-state-opera-varna-on-holy-thursday Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:08:55 +0300 The State Opera Varna will present Stabat Mater by Gioachino Rossini on Holy Thursday, the Opera announced. The orchestra will be conducted by Grigor Palikarov. The soloists are Aleksandrina Mihailova (soprano), Maria Radoeva (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Robertson (tenor) and Deyan Vatchkov (bass). The performance will feature the choir of the State Opera Varna, conducted by Teodora Georgieva, and the Morski Zvuci Municipal Choir, led by Rositsa Shtereva. Stabat Mater is considered one of the most significant sacred works of the 19th century, blending religious depth with operatic expressiveness, the State Opera said. Written in the form of an oratorio or sacred cantata, it is based on a medieval Latin text depicting the suffering of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross. Rossini composed the work over a period of ten years, and its premiere in Paris in 1842 was met with great acclaim. Scored for four soloists, choir and orchestra, the composition comprises ten movements and stands out for its contrast between intimate, contemplative passages and powerful choral peaks. Aleksandrina Mihailova and Deyan Vatchkov are soloists of the State Opera Varna. Maria Radoeva has performed at the Teatro Regio Torino, the Teatro Massimo Palermo, the opera houses in Varna and Plovdiv, as well as at the Tyrolean Festival Erl in Austria. Samuel Robertson holds a master's degree in music and literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and performs on stages across Europe.  Culture Diana Dukovska BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva https://www.bta.bg/en/bg-world/1102307-bulgarian-pavilion-at-venice-biennale-opens-officially-on-may-7 https://www.bta.bg/en/bg-world/1102307-bulgarian-pavilion-at-venice-biennale-opens-officially-on-may-7 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:39:34 +0300 The Bulgarian pavilion at the Venice Biennale will officially open, on May 7 at the Tiziano Hall in Venice, with a performance of one of the creators of the project, Gery Georgieva, the Bulgarian pavilion team at the Biennale said. Bulgaria will participate in the 61st International Biennale Arte in Venice with the project The Federation of Minor Practices, curated by Martina Yordanova and created by Veneta Androva, Gery Georgieva, Maria Nalbantova and Rayna Teneva. Desislava Dimova is the Bulgarian pavilion commissioner. This year the Bulgarian pavilion is conceived as the headquarters of a fictional research laboratory structured within a time frame consisting of past, present and future, which gathers cues from four films and activates them through a video game as a medium for interacting with the audience. In it, visitors are faced with a choice, to navigate between different values and possible directions, and thus participate in the construction of a possible shared political future, the team said. A total of 99 national participations and 31 collateral events will be presented during the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale (Biennale Arte). The 2026 forum In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, will be held from May 9 to November 22. BG World Risida Dimitrova