Sofia cinemas and scenes that no longer exist

Art has always been invariably linked to the stage and the stage with art. Since ancient times, people have erected amphitheaters so that performances can be played. By now, the scene has changed a lot and even the lounges have become a space not only for theater, but also for cinema, shows, various shows, ie. scenes that can offer anything. A huge screen descends on an opera stage and it instantly becomes a movie theater. This multifunctionality enables any type of artist to gain a field of expression.

The stage, theaters and lounges are "temples of art". These "temples" are extremely difficult to build, especially in the city center, cost a lot and are demolished easily. During the time of totalitarianism, Sofia, of course, for ideological purposes, had numerous cinemas. They quickly and easily turned into theatrical and dance scenes: Blagoev cinema, Moscow cinema, Culture cinema - with two independent lounges, Young Guard cinema, Slaveikov cinema, Druzhba cinema, Zlatarov, Levski cinema, Osvobozhdenie cinema, Modern suburb, Iztok cinema, Krasno selo village, Aura cinema, Knyazhevo cinema, Serdika cinema, which is the first in Sofia stereo cinema, Thessaloniki cinema, Vitosha cinema and more.

All of these showrooms owned 400 to 600 seats, were beautifully furnished, upholstered, with beautiful scenes. Now these salons do not exist, or at least not with the purpose they once had. Blagoev Cinema has been closed and ruined for 30 years. The Moscow cinema has become a shop, as well as the Young Guard cinema, the Thessaloniki cinema does not exist. The Slaveykov cinema hall went through many hands and transformed into several different shops, one of which is currently operational. The 1 and 2 Culture Showrooms were also supermarkets and shopping centers, and now they are not. Instead, there is an Arena cinema in every mall and here and there some more modest cinema in the center, which exists more because of tradition than necessary.

Today, if one chooses to do ballet, they will throw labor and money into the wind, which will never see the white light, ie. scene. There are many dance halls in Sofia today with a serious rental that serve to move around after work or school and nothing more. Dance is a hobby that one cannot develop and turn into a profession, because the so-called "lessons" are conducted on the principle of pay per hour and what you learn. There are no dance bands, there are people who pay to spend some time in the hall. The instructors conduct a "fitness training" with dance moves, after which you are tired, but the dance is missing. Everyone is on their own, not aiming to create a group and composition to present the product of their art to the public. Even if they wanted, there was nowhere to go.

Theaters do not give their scenes, but even giving them is not enough. Rehearsals are needed. Which theater will provide its stage, rehearsals and performances? And they are not so many, and not well equipped. In practice, this condemns the Bulgarian culture of slow destruction. The situation is the same in other cities, not only in Sofia.

Culture deleted! Institutionalizing it and destroying the free stages closed the way for future artists, musicians, composers, dancers, choirs, orchestras of performance. Thus, Bulgaria deprives itself of performing arts in all its forms, in a very elegant way. If you have no place to show what you have created, there is no point in the activity - there is no sense of art. Thus, our country got a Ministry of Culture, which certainly employs more people than they sing, play and play in theaters. There is a ministry but no culture!

Once upon a time, in order to study at the Conservatory, 200 candidates competed for 15 seats. Now anyone can be accepted in any specialty - Conducting, Composition, Performing Arts, as long as they pay. But there are no vacancies. It's the same with ballet school. Every year, dozens of children graduate, who then have nowhere to dance. It turns out that even the communist regime did more for culture, though censored, than so-called democracy.

There is still no sponsorship law in Bulgaria and there will be none. So without a stage, without patronage, our culture is doomed. Maintaining the stage does not require a lot of resources and effort, but it gives a great deal to the artists and to our country, which, for almost half a century, has been a leading singer in Europe and the world. Now is the time to act to save our culture !!!