What offended me the most was that the artists of the National Theater betrayed me, except for two people. I am currently being prosecuted for discrimination. Everything that happens in the National Theater is a mirror of the state. This was said by the disciplinary dismissed director Alexander Morfov, who joined the procession that organized the new movement for culture today.
The march of the protesters started from the Ministry of Culture, passed in front of the Presidency and ended in front of the Council of Ministers. The new movement demands reform in the cultural sector and legal changes.
Such humiliating behavior of the deputy director of the National Theater is unacceptable. She humiliated herself, the theater, me, the artists. From there, we opened the bottle, said Morfov about PR Velislava Krasteva, who voluntarily left the theater less than a month ago.
The founders of the movement – Prof. Georgi Kapriev, Lilia Abadjieva, actors Albena Koleva, Kamen Donev, Valeri Yordanov, Nikola Dodov, director Kostadin Bonev, were present at the procession. Artists who support the demands of the new movement for adequate legislation also came. Among them were Hristo Garbov, Iglika Trifonova, Vasil Gyurov, Stefan Denolyubov, Leart Dokle and others.
“There is something amazing in what is happening. The people who came to support the meaning, the truth, the justice. This justice and this truth in this country has long been destroyed,” declared Morfov.
He urged people to “wake up”. “People, let us wake up and reject the hegemony of those who have ruled us for so many years. There must be freedom, dignity, honor,” declared Morfov.
“Movement for Culture” will submit its demands to the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture. The text of their letter reads:
“Movement for culture” is formed by virtue of one occasion and one reason. The occasion is the destructive crisis in the National Theater: a state institution whose condition is an indicator of the health of the Bulgarian theater, Bulgarian culture, and Bulgarian society. The reduction of the creative climate in the National Theater to and below the freezing point inevitably requires the urgent submission and acceptance of the resignation of Mr. Vasil Vassilev, the current director of the theater. His insistence on holding on to this post will open difficult-to-repair wounds in Bulgarian culture.
We categorically reject attempts to reduce this crisis to personal conflicts and situational cases. The actions of “employee Alexander Morfov” (as defined in the dismissal order) broke the cap of the bottle from which the filth accumulated over decades – the reason for our consolidation – flows.
According to the words in the letter, none of the initiators of “Movement for Culture” has any desire to hold any managerial (ministerial, directorial, etc.) position.
“Our protest is not to remove someone from power or from any institution. “Movement for Culture” has an idea to legitimize the relationship between employer and workers, generally speaking. Because borders are being crossed. I can’t forget the words he says the director Vasil Vassilev, that personalities are not important in the National Theater. That’s what this theater is for then. That’s why I’m here to support my friends, colleagues, for whom I have great respect,” said the actor Hristo Garbov.
According to the actor Valery Yordanov, the situation in the National Theater is unpleasant. “People keep quiet so they don’t get fired.” No one dares to take relationships. Why is the law such that a director has more powers than a minister, the prime minister and the president?” Yordanov asked.
