Cultural policy

in Bulgaria. Kostadine Popov

Unesco Paris 1972

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Published in 1972 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Place de Fontenoy, 75 Paris-7e Printed by Imprimerie Firmin-Didot

International Book year

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0 Unesco 1972 Primed in France SHC.71/XIX.l5/A

In this series Cultural policy: a preliminary study Cultural policy in the United States

by Charles C. Mark Cultural rights as human rights Cultural policy in Japan

by Nobuya Shikaumi Some aspects of French cultural policy

by the Studies and Research Department of tha French Ministry of Culture

Cultural policy in Tunisia by Rafik Sai’d

Cultural policy in Great Britain by Michael Green and Michael Wilding, in consultation with Richard Hoggart

Cultural poEicy in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by ,4. A. Zvorykin with the assistance of N. I. Golubtsova and E. I. Rabinovich

Cultural policy in Czechoslovakia by Miroslav Marek, Milan Hromhdka and Josef Chroust

Cultural policy in Ital-y A survey prepared under the auspices of the Italian National Commission for Unesco

Cultural policy in Yugoslavia by Stevan MajstoroviC

Cultural policy in Bulgaria by Kostadine Popov

To be published Cultural policy in Cuba Some aspects of cultural policies in India Cultural policy in Egypt Cultural policy in Finland

The serial numbering of titles in this series, the presentation of which has been modified, was discontinued with the volume Cultural Policy in Italy

, ( . . , . , “ . . .

Preface

The purpose of this series is to show how cultural policies are planned and implemented in various Member States.

As cultures differ, so does the approach to them; it is for each Member State to det,ermine its cultural policy and methods according to its own conception of culture, its socio-economic system, political ideology and technical development. However, the methods of cultural policy (like those of general development policy) have certain common problems; these are largely institutional, administrative and financial in nature, and the need has increasingly been stressed for exchanging experiences and information about them. This series, each issue of which follows as far as possible a similar pattern so as to make comparison easier, is mainly concerned with these technical aspects of cultural policy.

In general, the studies deal with the principles and methods of cultural policy, the evaluation of cultural needs, administrative structures and management, planning and financing, the organization of resources, legis- lation, budgeting, public and private institutions, cultural content in educa- tion, cultural autonomy and decentralization, the training of personnel, institutional infrastructures for meeting specific cultural needs, the safe- guarding of the cultural heritage, institutions for the dissemination of the arts, international cultural co-operation and other related subjects.

The studies, which cover countries belonging to differing social and economic systems, geographical areas and levels of development, present therefore a wide variety of approaches and methods in cultural policy. Taken as a whole, they can provide guide-lines to countries which have yet to establish cultural policies, while all countries, especially those seeking new formulations of such policies, can profit by the experience already gained.

This study was prepared for Unesco by Kostadine Popov, Counsellor to the Office of the President of the Committee for Arts and Culture.

The opinions expressed are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TJnesco.

9 Introduction

14 Aims and principles of cultural policy

19 Administration of cultural activities

28 Financing cultural activities

33 Activities of cultural institutions

52 Conclusion

55 Appendixes 57 I. Statistics 62 II. Organizational charts

Contents

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Introduction

Bulgaria-which today covers 111,000 q s uare kilometres, with a population of 8.5 million inhabitants-has existed as a State for thirteen centuries. Moreover, the original Bulgarian culture, though it first emerged in those far-off times, itself sent down roots into the culture of those peoples who had inhabited tha land before the Bulgarians came. The Thracians, an energetic and lively people, had created on that soil an art of their own, imbued with realism and freshness, as can be seen from the low-relief stone carvings, jewels, paintings and monu- ments which have survived. History has immortalized the memory of one Tbracian gladiator, Spartacus, the leader of a slaves’ revolt, who stood up to the Roman legions.

Part of present-day Bulgaria then became a Roman province. The poet Ovid was sent into exile there, as was that pupil of Seneca’s, Marcus Aurelius. Roman architecture has left lasting traces: the ancient town of Abritus in the province of Razgrad, Nicopolis ad Istrum near the village of Nikyup, Marcianopolis, the Roman villa Armira, and so on.

The Slavs, who arrived in the sixth century, brought with them an art which had developed independently of Byzantine influence. They were followed in the seventh century by Khan Asparukh’s Bulgars, and from the merging of the two tribes there was born a new culture. A Slavo-Bulgar settlement was esta- blished on the ruins of Abritus and survived down to the tenth century.

In 681, the Byzantine Empire gave official recognition to the Bulgarian State, the capital of which, Pliska, resembled the fortresses in the lands from which Asparukh had set out, with battlements of massive stone blocks and a palace decorated with marble columns, mosaics, friezes and paintings.

The successors of Khan Asparukh built an even larger town, Preslav, which became their capital: its architecture was outstanding for its beauty and boldness of imagination. But not only did the Bulgars have great builders: they also attained a very high standard in the decorative arts, as can be seen from the treasure, comprising twenty-three magnificent gold objects, discovered at Nagy- Szent-Miklos, in Hungary.

The merging of the Proto-Bulgars and the Slavs gave birth to a new civili- zation which is one of the most original of the early European Middle Ages. This is the period from which date the oldest Bnlgarian written records, columns

9

In trnduction

covered with inscriptions, of which so far sixty examples are known. These columns are a testimony to the philosophy, thinking and poetic vision of our ancestors. Thus one inscription from the time of Khan Omortag (816-831) reads: ‘Man, even when he lives well, dies and another takes his place. Let the passer-by who looks on these works remember him who made them. . . .’

Also dating from that period is a monument which is the only one of its kind in Europe: the Madara Horseman, a high-relief sculpture carved into the rock on the side of an immensely high cliff; on either side of the sculpture and ab0J.c it there are inscriptions relating to the organization of the State and its indivi- sibility.

In the ninth century, St. Cyril and St. Methodius invented the Cyrillic alpha- bet and wrote the first texts in Old C!mrch Slavonic. Until then the people had been subjected to the dogma of the three sacred languages: they had to write in Latin, Greek or Hebrew, lauguages which they hardly understood. From then onwards Old Church Slavonic became the fourth written language of the country. This was the golden age of Old Bulgarian literature: some two thousand manu- scripts containing texts in that language have survived. The texts consist of religious works, and also translations of the Trojan chronicles, through which Bulgarians became acquainted with Homer’s poetry, fragments of Aristotle and Aesop’s fables. One feature of the vocabulary is its wealth of expressions denoting abstract concepts. Whenever the Bulgarian’s creative mind feels hemmed in by the set forms of the official religious literature, he throws off their bouds and breaks through into the field of the apocryphal writings, which give free rein to the imagination, to the lyrical impulse and to pathos. One of the masterpieces of this type of writing is the ‘Secret Book’ of the Bogomils.

Bogomilism spread through Western Europe in the eleventh century. In 1111, or 489 years before Giordano Bruno and 304 before Jan Hus, the Bogomil preacher Vassil Vrach, a defender of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience, was burnt at the stake in Constantinople. But Bogomilism was also an attempt to defend those forms of art and literature which were closest to the people, most in harmony with its characteristics and aspirations.

A flowering of the plastic arts went hand in hand with a flowering in litera- ture. From the tenth century we have the ceramic image of St. Theodora, the outstanding masterpiece of the old Bulgarian School, unique in the art of the whole world.

At that time Turnovo was both the capital of the kingdom and the main centre of culture. The school of artists which bears its name broke out of the straitjacket of ,orthodox forms, allowed itself more freedom in creation, and is characterized by the vitality, elegance and richness of its decoration. Very typical products of the art of this school are the frescoes in the old churches at Turnovo, which abound in free, vigorous figures, richly coloured and lovingly portrayed. The move towards realism in portraiture continued, and is particularly obvious in the frescoes of the church at Boyana (1259). The Master of Boyana anticipates the Renaissance in Western Europe by many centuries, painting not only saints, but also lay personages. The portraits of the sebastocrat Kaloyan and his wife Desislava, King Constantine Asen and Queen Irena, are characterized by great strength of expression, lively style and rich colours. The figures in the painting showing Christ in the midst of the doctors in the temple give an admirable impres- sion of spiritual nobility. Particularly interesting is the Last Supper in the church

10

Introduction

at Boyana: so as to stress the close links between the men of his time and those partaking of the Last Supper, the artist shows the table spread with vegetables which formed part of everyday Bulgarian food. At a time when stereotypes were prevalent in art, the realism with which the characters are painted is remark- able. Alongside the Master of Boyana we must set the artist who painted the beautiful frescoes in the rock church at the village of Ivanovo in the region of Ruse, which are of striking interest to the student of the classical world and the nude.

Magnificent examples of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Bulgarian miniature arthavebeenpreserved, including the mid-fourteenth-century Chronicle of Munasses (now in the Vatican Museum) and the King Ivan Alexander Gospel (1356) (now in the British Museum). The illustrations in the Chronicle of Manasses show a highly developed sense of colour. The King Ivan Alexander Gospel has 366 miniatures, all of remarkable elegance. The first few pages carry miniatures of great historical interest: portraits of the king and members of the royal family.

From the same period date the churches of Trapezitsa in the province of Tur- novo, now brought to light by archaeological excavations, the well-preserved Bachkovo ossuary, near the monastery of the same name (eleventh century), the church of St. John the Evangelist in the monastery of Zemen, the church of the Holy Virgin near Asenovgrad, some of the chapels at Nesebiir (thirteenth and fourteenth centuries), and also the churches of St. Demetrios of Thessalonica (twelfth century), of the Forty Martyrs (thirteenth century), of SS. Peter and Paul (fourteenth century), etc., all at Turnovo.

The architecture at Turnovo, the churches at Nesebtir, Asen Castle, the Hrelu Tower at the monastery of Rila, the Chronicle of Manasses, the literary works of Patriarch Ephtimi of Turnovo and Grigori Tsamblak, the musical production of the composer and cantor Ivan Kukuzel-all show the fine flowering of a culture over which the shadow of Ottoman domination was soon to fall.

The invasion by the Osmanli Turks broke like a devastating storm over the whole country, which was put to fire and the sword. The great library at Turnovo, to which the victors set fire, burnt for a whole month. A large number of old books, golden seals and manuscripts were destroyed in the flames. Castles, palaces and churches were razed to the ground. Very little trace of the Bulgarian culture was left after the conquerors finished their work of destruction: their fanaticism and ignorance wreaked terrible havoc.

In every field of art, creative work was subjected to strict restraint. Merci- lessly oppressed by the invaders, the people yet preserved throughout the ordeal, its dignity and faith in life; and despite the enslavement, Bulgarian culture was not completely annihilated. Monasteries, remote from the great highways, tucked away in the mountains, attracted to them men of letters, painters and sculptors. Many works of art were created during those hard years of enslavement. At Rila Monastery, for example, a master sculptor, carving out a lump of wood with nothing but a needle, shaped a magnificent wooden cross which shows outstand- ing artistic mastery. The creative strength of the people found expression in various ways. The simple things of everyday life were transformed into works of art. Wood engravings, wrought iron, pottery and sculpture in stone exhibit admirable combinations of shape and colour. The embroideries and cloths of that time are equally beautiful.

Perhaps the sufferings which the people underwent sharpened their memorirs

12

Introduction

and stimulated their imagination: folk-songs were lovingly preserved, ancl new ones written. Folk-songs have always been the people’s greatest wealth-the most faithful reflection of the emotional and aesthetic preoccupations of humble people. In modern times, 120,000 folk-songs have been collected and recorded in Bulgaria, thus constituting a rare treasure of folklore.

In the most remote areas of the country, the population put up small churches at its own expense, with walls decorated with frescoes of great artistic merit. The second half of the fifteenth century, for example, saw the founding of the monasteries of Dragaletsi (1476), K remikovtsi (1493), Poganovo (1476), elc. One noticeable feature of the artists of the time is the tendency to go their own way, raise new problems and reject classical solutions. The same tendency prevailed in literature. Thus in one of the ballads recalling the memory of the legendary hero Krali-Marko, we read that the latter wished to pit his strength against God’s by raising the earth in his hand. So great was his audacity that the evening star took fright and hid behind a cloud. This theme often recurs in Bul- garian literature. The injustice of their historical fate and their centuries-long suffering drove the people to feats of audacious courage, to measuring themselves against God and breaking all the rules. This revolutionary spirit upheld the people’s faith, gave it its strength and guided it in all its cultural activities and creative work.

From its very beginnings, Bulgarian literature had put &elf at the service of the people, and writers had dealt with the problems of their times. Under Otto- man domination, the development of literature slowed down, but it remained stamped with a democratic spirit and imbued with advanced social tendencies. In their works, Vladislav the Grammarian (fifteenth century), Pop Pejo and Mathei the Grammarian (sixteenth century) exalted the Bulgarian’s moral stamina and his spirit of freedom and independence.

In 1762 the monk Paisii finished his History ofthe Bulgarian Slavs, a patriotic rallying cry which awakened the national consciousness. Proud to be himself a son of the people, Paisii wrote a work intended for the people. When it appeared, it was widely distributed, and marked the beginning of the Bulgarian National Revival. New, yet more majestic churches and monasteries were built, as were greater and more spacious new houses, with ceilings decorated with suns and garlands of flowers, the work of fine wood sculptors. In 1865, after having a number of churches and public buildings built to his own plans, the father of the new Bulgarian architecture, Kolio Ficheto, personally supervised the construc- tion over the Yantra River, near the town of Byala, of the most noteworthy bridge in the Balkan peninsula during the nineteenth century.

With the increasing demand for artistic works, several schools of art opened- at Tryavna, Samokov and Boyana. The wood carvings on church altars and the frescoes of this period are outstanding for their purity of style, optimism and humanist spirit. The admirable portraits which we owe to the painters Stanislav Dospevski and Zacharias Zographe celebrate the triumph of free man, his dignity, moral strength and nobility.

The old Balkan (the Stara Planina) range, in which more than one generation of rehels had taken refuge during the foreign domination, jealously preserved the echo of patriotic poems by the popular poet Dobri Chintulov. Olher figures of revolutinnaries, pnets, playwrights and novelists stand nut against the back- ground of the national liberation struggles: Vasil Levski, Lyuhcn Karavelov and

12

Introduclion

Christo Rotcv, an impulsive character, great poetic genius and patriot, who died fighting the Turks. This merging of poetry and life, this love for one’s country coupled with a readiness to die for it were much later to turn up in a new form in the works of poets like Gueo Milev and Nicolas Vaptsarov.

The Bulgarian people had lost its State, and no longer had either political power or liberty; hut it did have pacts, writers, painters and scholars. Despite all the difficulties, it found ways of acquiring education and making progress. Ohsti- nately, stealthily, it kept up its schools, of which there were 1,500 in 1876, on the eve of the War of Liberation, and wrote into its calendar the world’s Grst festival for the celebration of education and culture, the feast-day of SS. Cyril and Methodius (which is still solemnly celebrated on 24 May each year). The theatre came to play its part in the revival of national consciousness. Perhaps because of their country’s historical fate, all Bulgarian men of letters and artists have always stood alongside the people in its steady cultural advance. Intellectual snobbery and the desire to create for an elite have always been foreign to them. The minds of those writing and creating at the time of the National Revival were open to truth and justice, and they saw no opposition between their own fate and the destiny of the people; the aristocratic concept of the independence of art had no hold over them. After the liberation from Ottoman domination Bulgarian culture and art remained attached to realistic folk traditions. The Bulgarian State did its best to overcome the backwardness which resulted from the long foreign domi- nation; it organized construction work on a grand scale, and founded new cultural institutions.

However, instead of the ‘pure and holy republic’ which the men of the Natio- nal Revival had dreamed of, a monarchy was instituted which, three times in a period of seventy years, involved the country in bloody wars. Nevertheless, a considerable number of men of culture, who bad kept their ties with the people, by dint of fierce effort, managed to work to set the people back on its feet and to win it prosperity. Hatred of the bourgeois spirit, of hypocrisy and conservatism in thought and practice, brought them together even when they belonged to diffe- rent ideological groups. Progressive poets and writers, artists and painters spoke out bravely against the ideological encroachment of fascism. These artists did not break faith with the basic tradition of Bulgarian culture, the tradition of Botev, Christo Smirnenski and many others, but brought to it a new spirit and enriched it with new material.

A real turning-point in the history of Bulgarian culture was reached on 9 Sep- tember 1944, the date on which the People’s Republic of Bulgaria was proclaimed.

13

Aims and principles of cultural policy

The liberation of Bulgaria and the victory of the Socialist Revolution were of immense importance for the socio-historical evolution of the Bul- garian people, and in particular for the development of its culture.

The main lines of the cultural programme of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria were laid down in the Declaration of the First Government of the Patriotic Front. It provided for revolutionary reforms in all aspects of cultural life and the development of a democratic popular culture, accessible to the working masses. The programme was subsequently supplemented so as to promote respect for democratic cultural traditions and their preserva- tion, satisfy the cultural interests and needs of the people, foster the work of cultural institutions and increase the scale of intellectual activity. The work which was undertaken was based on the profound conviction that the strength of a country resides in the culture of its citizens, their intellectual and creative potential, and their drive to work towards the achievement of common aims, for the masses possess enormous creative resources to which free rein must be given. To achieve this, two series of administrative steps had to be taken: first, a huge network of cultural and educational institutions had to be set up, intellectuals had to be given material security and workers improved living conditions; second, cultural activity as a whole had to be democratized, a more lively interest in culture awakened in all social strata, and steps had to be taken to encourage creative work and promote participation of the workers in social and cultural life.

After the victory over fascism, Bulgaria started on the road to socialism under the leadership of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Radical economic and social reforms were carried out. They generated new needs, and gave the existing cultural institutions new work to do. The changes which took place in the lield of culture were but one component of the universal changes that were ushered in. For cultural evolution is closely linked with many other aspects of life and society. It is determined by a number of economic and political factors, by national traditions, the national character,

Aims and priuciples of cultural policy

customs, law, the nature of inter-personal relationships, the educational system, social mobility, etc. Thus the radical changes which came about in the area of culture were inevitable, because the problem was not only that of increasing the number of cultural institutions and doing away with illi- teracy, but also of transforming the very character, social functions and mission of culture. In a word, the task was to speed up cultural progress by the participation of all strata of society.

This cultural leap forward was favoured by a whole series of circum- stances. The number of Bulgarians who were educated was already quite high; primary education had for a long time been compulsory; and there was a large ready-made network of reading-rooms and public libraries in the country. The B 1 u garian people had inherited democratic cultural traditions, which had been further deepened and strengthened in its struggle for national liberty and social justice. A large proportion of the intelligentsia had taken part in this struggle alongside the people. The progressive intellectuals, of a democratic turn of mind, enjoyed the support of the popular masses, from whom they had never cut themselves off, since they felt it their duty to promote cultural progress among the people. The new development took a new road, but its starting-point was the most precious values of the national cultural heritage, and its appeal was to the best features of the Bulgarian character.

State cultural policy, since the proclamation of the People7s Republic, has given incentives to cultural development in all its forms. This policy is not divorced from the economic and social context; and it is indissolubly linked to science, since it is based on sociological research, a solid system of forecasting and planning and scientific analysis of current realities and prospective developments. Though it has evolved in a harmonious fashion, it has always moved forward in the same direction. Its successes have earned the support of the intellectuals and the popular masses alike. The guiding idea behind all the measures taken is that cultural progress makes calls on the energy, the creativeness and the initiative of all.

During the early years of the Socialist regime, the educational system, the libraries, publishing, press, radio, museums and applied arts had to be rcorganized on new principles. For unless the network of cultural institu- tions were developed, it would be impossible to create conditions favouring creative activities and intellectual work, or to bring cultural education and the treasures of culture within the reach of all strata of society.

In 1947, industrial firms and the banks were nationalized. Soon after- wards, similar measures were takenin‘matters of culture. All theatres and cinemas, all publishing-houses and other means of spreading culture passed into the hands of the State; the collections in the reading-rooms and in archaeological societies were also taken over. The museums became more active, and new ones were set up. All these measures were in accordance with the wishes of the vast majority of the population, which aspired to better access to culture and education. The dcmocratization of education

15

Aims aud principles of cultural policy

also fitted in with such aspirations. The State took over the running of all schools. Education became free in all educational institutions, entirely without discrimination, and from then onwards all members of society had an equal opportunity to acquire education.

Following this first phase of reform (1944-48), the number of scholastic institutions, cinemas and theatres, libraries and reading-rooms continued to increase. In addition, the State assumed responsibility for the legal protection of artistic creation. The State co-ordinated the activities of the cultural institutions and set up close links between the various cultural departments and services. A variety of laws were enacted, in order to ensure the protection of historic monuments, encourage arts and crafts, etc.

Modern Bulgarian culture has drawn from the science, culture and art of the past everything that was valuable and progressive. It has preserved the genuine spiritual values contained in the age-old traditions of the nation and has revealed the beauty and the humanistic undertones of many cultural and artistic achievements which for long had remained forgotten under the dust of oblivion. The new Bulgarian culture is progressive and democratic and asserts the domination of man over his environment and himself: humanism is its distinctive feature. It helps to make society more coherent, to alter the nature of work, to develop man’s full potentialities on the scientific and technical, psychological and moral planes. Its humanism gives free play to the strength and skills of the workers.

Now that many problems relating to the satisfaction of the cultural needs of all the workers and their access to spiritual benefits have been solved, other much more difficult problems, resulting from the former, are arising. What has now to be done is to convert the consumers of intellectual goods into producers of such goods, develop the creative activity of the people and ensure the full flowering of its creative skills. Cultural activity is directed against passivity and inertia: its aim is to train creators of works of art.

Every year, hundreds of young workers, without leaving their jobs, are brought into the educational system through evening classes and corres- pondence courses. In this way they improve their general knowledge and perfect their training. Once they have successfully finished their studies, they are given a new job in keeping with the training they have received, with the result that their place in industrial production and in society changes. Even those who continue on in their old jobs are given work of a higher intellectual level. Social mobility facilitates the movement of wor- kcrs from one category to another, which is of great importance for fulfil- mcnt of the personality and broadening of the cultural horizons.

This mobility is also evident in the scholastic field. For many years now, most young men and women entering institutions of higher education have come from the worker and peasant classes. For example, in 1961, 62.58 per cent of students belonged to families of workers, peasants and craftsmen working in co-opcrativc cnterlnises. The social make-up of the

16

Aims and principles of cultural policy

student body changes the complexion of the intelligentsia and influences the spread and the nature of cultural needs throughout society. Social mobility engenders a creative attitude towards culture.

Incidentally, it is interesting to observe that the proportion of experts working in national enterprises who have received specialized secondary and higher education is rising steadily. In 1955, the number of such people increased by 12.6 per cent; in 1968 by 18.2 per cent. Though there are unfortunately no statistics relating to the qualitative changes which result from these increases, such changes there undoubtedly are.

Creative energy is steadily increasing in all fields of human activity. The number of inventors and ‘rationalizers’l is rising. Currently, 30,000 rationalizations are introduced every year, and this increases the productive capacity of industry. Whereas, between 1947 and 1961, 310 Bulgarian inventions were approved, the number rose to 1,750 for the period 1962-67. During the first half of 1968, 213 inventions were approved.

The fact that a worker exercises a trade does not prevent him from participating in the creation of spiritual values. Everyone finds wider scope for the expression of his individual talents and creative spirit, the aim being to live in harmony with the great moral principles reflected in works of art, and to create in accordance with the laws of beauty.

Culture and art have now been put within the reach of a huge public. Workers, in their daily life, move among cultural events and works of art, and become in the full sense heirs to mankind’s spiritual patrimony.

Interest in the events of cultural life and in artistic creation is conti- nually on the increase; it is penetrating deeper, reaching the great masses of the people. In 1968, 7 m ill’ ion people went to dramatic and lyric perfor- mances or to the circus, 4.7 million attended concerts and the number of cinema admissions reached 114 million.

But participation in cultural life is not only a matter of numbers, however impressive the latter may be; what is more important is the public reaction to books, film- 1 s, p ays, concerts and exhibitions. The popular masses are now no longer taking a passive attitude towards culture. A new creative attitude can be seen in their direct participation in the formation and development of the new culture, and this is also evident from the popularity of groups of amateur artists and cultural organizations.

The interaction between art and the people is a particularly interesting phenomenon in Bulgaria. On the one hand, the population’s level of general and aesthetic education and culture is rising; on the other, art is expressing the problems of the life of the people in all its manifestations. The profound exploration and accurate portrayal of reality perceived by the original artist has given birth to remarkable works of art which reflect both the trend of development and the social and aesthetic ideals of the artist.

The new bond between the workers and the creators of artistic values

1. ‘Rationalizers’ have the job of developing more rational working methods.

17

Aims aud principles of cultural policy

is a result of the higher cultural level of socialist man, owing to the maturity with which workers judge aesthetic values. Their vision of culture and art has changed, for men too have changed, becoming qualitatively more demanding as far as works of art and artists are concerned.

Cultural development has been accompanied by research into better forms of organization. Until 1963, the direction of cultural policy was the responsibility of the Ministry of National Education and Culture. When this ministry was abolished by special decree, its functions and responsi- bilities were taken over by the Ministry of National Education and the Committee for Arts and Culture, which received the rank of a ministry.

The organization of the Committee for Arts and Culture was inspired by the idea that the direction of cultural and artistic activities must be the responsibility of the creators of cultural and artistic values, as those who know and best understand the problems to be solved. It was for this reason that a special commission was set up under the auspices of the committee; it was made up of eminent figures in the world of culture and art, together with representatives of the artists’ and writers’ associations, designated by the associations and approved by the Council of Ministers.

The Committee for Arts and Culture set up in 1963 had the task of directing and co-ordinating all work relating to the dissemination of culture, the arts and art education. It was responsible for promoting the development of the cinema, publishing and information media and for assisting cultural and educational institutions. The work of the special commission came up to.what was expected of it. It prepared the ground for a further reorganization of the committee, along even more democratic lines; this was carried through in 1967. It was then that the whole system for the administration of cultural activities took on the complexion it has today.

18

Administration of cultural activities

As socialism is built, the conditions and forms of participation by the people in all spheres of public life continually change and improve. Since the administration of cultural activities is dynamically linked to the other aspects of the life of the country, its renovation has proceeded along parallel lines.

During the last decade, certain functions previously carried out by State organs have been transferred to social institutions. The democra- tization of the national economy and, with it, the whole life of society has of course influenced cultural policy.

In 1967, in order to guide the administration of cultural affairs and the arts along lines in keeping with the objective laws of social development, and in order to stimulate cultural progress and enable all workers to culti- vate and manifest their talents, a general reorganization of all bodies working in the field of culture was carried through. A preliminary detailed study had been made of new tendencies in the socio-economic life of the country and of new cultural needs, taking into account the prospects for cultural development, the complexity and growth potential of society in the modern world and the opportunities which are available to everyone today. The aim, which was to find a better balance between the subjective activity of men and the exigencies of the objective laws, was successfully achieved. The reorganization carried out in the sphere of culture was conducive to the interests of society, the spiritual development of the people and the aspirations of writers and artists; it was, moreover, based on a certain tradition of civic responsibility in matters of culture.

The reorganization of the Committee for Arts and Culture and the other relevant administrative organs is regarded as an outstandingly ori- ginal solution to the problems of social and cultural development.

The distinctive feature of the new system for administering cultural affairs is that it combines social and governmental components, and is eminently democratic, since it is based on an elective principle. It is the

19

Administration of cullural activities

start of a new stage in the socialist cultural development of the country, characterized by democratization of the organization of cultural activities at all levels, and by the active participation of representatives of the arts in the administration of cultural affairs.

In the spring of 1967, conferences were held throughout the country in order to enable those representing the arts to designate the members of their local administrative bodies in the cultural sphere, i.e. the communal, municipal and provincial Councils for Arts and Culture. In May of the same year, 1,800 delegates from all parts of the country took part in the first Congress of Bulgarian Culture. The congress, by secret ballot, elected the Committee for Arts ancl Culture as a governmental and social body with top-level responsibility for drawing up, promoting and controlling the country’s cultural policy.

The committee reports on its work to the Congress of Culture, which lays down its functions and its terms of reference, and to the Council of IMinisters. It works out the general lines and prospects of cultural dcvelop- ment in the spirit of the government’s policy; directs and controls the institutions which are affiliated to it, together with all the cultural activities of the country; promotes the creative initiatives of cultural institutions, associations and organizations; and assists individual talents in their search for expression. Its main responsibilities include: making known to all sectors of the population progressive, democratic

cultural achievements, whether in Bulgaria or abroad; creating the conditions necessary for the progress of socialist artistic crca-

tion; arranging for the study and conservation of the cultural heritage, and pre-

serving the purity of the national language; using the resources of art and culture so as to contribute to giving the indi-

vidual a balanced upbringing and educating the people in a patriotic and international spirit;

developing programmes and methods with a view to perfecting scientific procedures for the administration of cultural activities;

ensuring that cultural premises are built throughout the country as and when required;

working out, in accordance with the ministerial decrees in force, long- and short-term programmes designed to accelerate development and moder- nization in cultural and educational establishments;

implementing the State plan fort the country’s cultural development, using the State budget appropriation for arts and culture;

improving the way in which the activities of cultural institutions are orga- nized, on the basis of the new system for the administration of the national economy;

directing the work of the local Councils for Arts and Culture ; encouraging the search for and introduction of new forms of cultural acti-

vity.

20

Administration of cultural activities

In addition the Committee for Arts and Culture Is in charge of publishing, printing and distributing books. Controls the production and distribution of films, endeavours to improve

the cinematographic network, and also administers and runs the na- tional film library and film museum.

Administers theatres and opera houses, symphony orchestras, and all other State-subsidized institutions of art and culture.

Administers reading-rooms, State libraries, museums and other cultural and educational institutions, watches over historic monuments and carries out conservation and restoration work on them, at the same time endeavouring to make them better known,

Contributes to the development of architecture and to town and country planning, including watching over public buildings.

Is responsible for the conservation and building-up of the State’s photogra- phic archives.

Runs the State archives. Has joint responsibility, with other governmental bodies, for cultural rela-

tions, co-operation and exchange with foreign countries in the realm of arts and culture.

In accordance with the laws and international conventions in force, ensures the protection of copyright, working together with the relevant profesw sional organizations.

Takes part in the drafting of laws in the realm of arts and culture, all texts of a standard-setting character affecting the iuterests of individual artists and writers and cultural or social organizations or associations being drawn up by agreement with the organizations and associations concerned.

The Committee for Arts and Culture is elected every five years by the Congress of Culture. At present, 181 writers, painters, musicians, journa- lists, artists, architects, experts and civil servants sit on it. Its executive board, which consists of a president, a number of vice-presidents, a secre- tary-general and several members, is elected from among the members of the committee. The President of the committee is a member of the goverc- ment. (At the time of writing, this post is held by an eminent poet, Pave1 Matev.) The executive board reports to the committee on the activities of the committee’s sections and organs, and also on the action taken in pur- suance of the decisions of the Congress of Culture.

The Congress of Culture, which is convened every five years, is the supreme controlling body in the field of cultural development. Its dates and agenda are announced three months in advance. On the initiative of the Committee for Arts and Culture, or at the request of a minimum of one- third of its members, extraordinary congresses may be called. The congress is empowered to approve the activities of the Committee for Arts and Cul- ture, alter its statutes, dissolve its elected bodies and elect new ones, and also lay down guide-lines for its future work.

21

Administration of cultural activities

Between meetings of the congress the committee may hold conferences at a national level to consider important questions relating to arts and cul- ture, as well as being responsible for controIling and co-ordinating all cultu- ral activity, ensuring that the necessary conditions exist for the flowering of artistic work and supervising the activities of the general directorates and local Councils for Arts and Culture. The committee meets in plenary session at least twice a year. During such sessions, it takes decisions on problems of primary importance, allocates budgetary resources, adopts long-term plans and so on.

The following bodies are affiliated to the Committee for Arts and Cul- ture: the State commercial enterprise for book publication and distribution (Bulgarska Kniga); the State commercial enterprise for the production and distribution of films and the management of cinemas (Bulgarska Kinema- tografia); the General Directorate responsible for running opera houses and comic opera houses, and concert-halls and for the production of gramo- phone records and exchanges with foreign countries (Bulgarska Musika); the General Directorate of Bulgarian Radio-Television; the Directorate of Bulgarian Circuses ; the Directorate for the Protection of Copyright; the National Institute for Amateur Artists’ Activities; the National Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and property; the National Institute of Scientific Research.

Under the aegis of the general directorates and certain of the commit- tee’s sections, there are councils which are of particular importance for the administration of cultural activity. The members of these councils are nomi- nated by the associations and approved by the Committee for Arts and Culture; they are chosen from among the most highly qualified specialists in the various branches of art, and represent the cream of the national cul- ture. The relationships which hold between the councils and the director- ates are not of an administrative nature; they are functional: their aim is to improve co-ordination of the projects undertaken.

The councils comprise the Wite of the country’s culture. For example, the council affiliated to the Bulgarska Musika general directorate consists of twenty composers, conductors and choral directors, musicologists and specialists in the teaching of music. Since such figures know the real needs and the major theoretical problems which arise in matters connected with music, they are capable of making valid statements with a view to laying down rational policies in this field. The council deals with the repertoire of the lyric theatres, of the Sofia Comic Opera House (the Stephane Make- donski Theatre) and the State symphony orchestras. Its terms of reference take in everything to do with the foundation of schools of music, the provi- sion of courses in music, musical ensembles, etc.

Under the aegis of the committee’s Fine Arts Section there is a council consisting of twenty of the most famous painters and art theorists. It deals with the planning of national exhibitions of graphic or applied arts and exhibitions of Bulgarian painting abroad, with the upkeep of art

22

Administration of cultural activities

galleries, with periodical publications on problems in art and so forth. Thanks to the spirit of initiative and sense of responsibility of their mem-

bers, these councils perform useful work, for which they have to account to the executive board of the Committee for Arts and Culture.

The communal, municipal and provincial Councils for Arts and Culture correspond to the administrative sub-division of the country. They are elected in secret ballot by the department and communal assemblies for a period of two and a half years-that is, half the interval between Congresses of Culture. Their members can be relieved of their functions before the expiration of their term of office if they do not succeed in carrying out their tasks, or prove unworthy of the confidence bestowed on them; dismissal may be decided on at a full meeting of the council concerned, by a simple majority on a show of hands.

The Councils for Arts and Culture constitute sub-divisions of the exe- cutive committees of the People’s Councils, and the funds needed to run them are provided in the budget of the People’s Councils. They come under both the latter councils and the Committee for Arts and Culture.

Further, the Councils for Arts and Culture Arc responsible for the work of State institutions for arts and culture

which come under the authority of the local or departmental People’s Councils.

Contribute to the development of the cultural, educational and artistic acti- vities of State cultural institutions, and those run by social organiza- tions, on the basis of principles laid down by the Committee for Arts and Culture and its specialized sections.

Assist the Committee for Arts and Culture in administering theatres, opera houses, symphony orchestras, art galleries and other cultural institu- tions, their representatives on the artists’ councils in these institutions advising on the content of the repertoire, and the way in which it should be performed, and seeking to improve the artists’ living and working conditions.

Co-ordinate the activities of the artists’ and writers’ associations and clubs and give them assistance.

Express opinions and formulate recommendations on plans for the con- struction of premises to meet cultural needs in the commune or depart- ment in question, and themselves prepare blueprints for the construction of premises for cultural purposes.

See to the development of the work of museums and help in building up collections.

Administer and supervise the national libraries, approve the long-term plans drawn up with a view to expanding library services and organize courses, seminars and practical work for the training and further training of librarians.

Aid all groups of amateur artists within the commune or department in question, work out plans calculated to improve their artistic quality

23

Administratiou of cultural activities

and, in conjunction with the social organizations, seek to evolve new forms of artistic creation within the scope of amateur groups.

Are responsible, on the ideological and artistic plans, for performances given locally under the auspices of the People’s Councils, and approve and check the programmes of artistic ensembles (theatre companies, cir- cuses, choirs, etc.) and touring artists.

Assist the book- and film-distribution enterprises in expanding the network of bookshops and cinemas.

Promote the development of photography and its use for propaganda and publicity, aid local enterprises and organizations engaged in photogra- phic production and watch over the quality of photographic services available to the people and photographic production intended for wide distribution.

Help amateurs in the organization and improvement of their photographic and cinematographic work.

Control communal and provincial radio and radio-relay services, endeavour to raise the professional and ideological standard of local programmes and help the Ministry of Communications to improve the material and technical infrastructure and expand the network of transmitters.

Promote the improvement of archive services. Encourage and give guidance to young people who manifest a special apti-

tude for the arts in the course of their secondary and higher education, drawing up annually a list of specially talented youngsters for whom the People’s Councils must then find some employment in keeping with their skills.

Contribute to research into and conservation of musical and literary folk- lore, and, in collaboration with the social organizations, organize folk- singing festivals and competitions.

See to the conservation of popular art forms and the development of crafts, giving aid to teachers and guilds.

Are responsible for research work on cultural monuments and property and other treasures of the cultural heritage, their conservation and the dis- tribution of information about them.

Keep a watching brief over the planning and design of public squares, streets, major highways, public buildings, etc.

In co-operation with the social organizations, arrange leisure activities which enable workers to enjoy the benefits of culture.

The composition of the Councils for Arts and Culture is such as to en- courage a scientific approach to cultural problems and ensure productive results. Thus the Stara Zagora provincial council is made up of nine writers and journalists, four musicians, four producers and actors, four museum curators and librarians, seven leading patrons of the arts, one painter, one architect and eighteen other members, all of whom are directors of institutes or heads of cultural organizations.

The communal councils consist of between five and fifteen members, the

24

Administration of cultural activities

municipal councils of between nine and thirty-one, and the provincial coun- cils of between twenty-one and forty-five.

Every provincial Council for Arts and Culture has an operational arm, the bureau, the members of which are grouped into sections; each section concerns itself with one sector of cultural activities in the province, while taken together they cover all such activities. There are corresponding sec- tions in the artists’ and writers’ associations and in the general directorates and departments of the Committee for Arts and Culture; and these sections are in contact with the local organs responsible for cultural affairs. The members of these sections are representatives of local cultural milieu. Their structure and numerical composition vary, as does the distribution of responsibilities within each council, since such distribution is deter- mined by the economic and other characteristics of the provinces or munici- palities. The existence of these sections enables problems to be solved, not through administrative channels, but directly, with more regard for local conditions.

The provincial Councils for Arts and Culture hold three or four full sessions yearly, which bring together a large number of intellectuals and are devoted to consideration and discussion of important problems relating to cultural development, such as cultural activity in the countryside, art education, museums, the conservation of cultural monuments and property, library services and the activities of groups of amateur artists. The parti- cipants consider the work done in particular sectors, and make recommen- dations with a view to the implementation of proposed projects. During these sessions, exchanges of opinion also take place and guide-lines are laid down for future work. For intellectuals from the individual provinces thus to take an active part in the consideration of so many questions affecting cultural life is an entirely new phenomenon.

In order to carry out their brief, the Councils for Arts and Culture enjoy conditions which give them unprecedented freedom of initiative and action. Their work is of an innovating nature and much energy, imagination and sense of responsibility is required to carry it out. They provide a rational framework linking the various levels of cultural activity. Their structure, functions and powers are so conceived as to reconcile the principle of plan- ning with the intellectual’s spirit of initiative. Those elected to the councils have an exact idea of their social role. They carry out their duties without remuneration, fully conscious of the moral responsibility which they carry and the need scrupulously to minister to the interests of society. Over-all, the Councils for Arts and Culture number 14,000 members-writers, painters, artists, journalists, musicians, architects, librarians, teachers and politicians. They are part of the State apparatus, and are in some sense a link between the State and the artists’ and writers’ associations, the profes- sional organizations and individual artists. At the same time they serve to strengthen the dynamic bonds between the people and the intelligentsia, and also to promote the creative activity of the masses.

25

Administration of cultural activities

With the setting-up of these controlling bodies, the position and the role of the artists’ and writers’ associations in the process of cultural develop- ment have altered. Their rights, and equally the say they have in the solu- tion of cultural problems, have taken on a new dimension. The bodies in question-the Bulgarian Writers’ Association, the Bulgarian Painters’ Association, the Bulgarian Journalists’ Association, the Bulgarian Artists’ Association, the Bulgarian Composers’ Association, the Bulgarian Musi- cians’ Association and the Bulgarian Cinema Artists’ Association-are independent, democratic organizations with their own statutes and rules, bringing together artists and writers from the various branches of culture. They organize and promote the activities of their members, contributing to their professional training and further training and striving to improve their living and working conditions. The associations have at their disposal funds which enable them to give material aid to their members, encourage beginners and organize prize competitions. Much of their work is devoted to discussing the problems of artistic creation, considering literary and artistic works and so on.

The associations, whose present membership comprises over 15,000 repre- sentatives of the world of culture, are powerful bodies with considerable financial resources at their disposal. Thus the Bulgarian Writers’ Associa- tion and the Bulgarian Painters’ Association have their own publishing- houses. Some have been in existence for many years: the Bulgarian Artists’ Association, for example, was founded half a century ago. They have great prestige and now take an active part in the administration of cultural acti- vities. Their responsibilities and sphere of action have been considerably extended. They help the State to carry out its work in culture and educa- tion, not only by successfully discharging their own functions, but also by playing a concrete part in the administration of cultural affairs. Within the associations of which they are members, intellectuals can solve ideological, artistic and professional problems which closely concern them. In addition they engage in activities which strengthen their links with reality.

The statutes and rules of the Committee for Arts and Culture lay down the nature of its collaboration with the artists’ and writers’ associations, and also with the social organizations. It is also stipulated in special regulations that there should be a direct relationship between the committee and the artists’ and writers’ associations. Some responsibilities which previously were the sole province of the State have now been given to the associations, which enjoy more extensive rights. For example, the Bulgarian Musicians’ Association periodically inspects the professional and artistic standards of the music schools and music courses, of musical and choral ensembles and of artists who go on tour in Bulgaria and abroad. It takes part in drawing up the programmes of both types of opera house, and of State symphony orchestras and music schools. The Bulgarian Writers’ Association partici- pates in preparing the thematic plan for the publication of literary work. The other associations also have a share in the planning of publications

26

Administration of cultural activities

coming within their respective provinces. In addition, the associations co- operate with the groups of amateur artists.

The Committee for Arts and Culture, in collaboration with artists’ and writers’ associations, draws up all the regulations laying down standards affecting the associations. The associations’ collaboration is also sought in arranging periodic national drama, opera or dance festivals, national sing- ing and music competitions and international festivals and competitions.

Relations between the Committee for Arts and Culture and the social organizations (professional associations, youth organizations, etc.) are becoming closer all the time. One of the chief benefits of this collaboration is that it enables the young to become aware of their cultural heritage and of contemporary artistic values.

There has been a boom in the promotion and distribution of books among the young. More and more stress is also being laid on musical educa- tion. The ‘young friends of music’ movement has grown with remarkable speed and success. A long-term plan has been drawn up for the production of documentary and feature films on subjects of interest to young people. The national and provincial art galleries too are broadening those of their activities which are directed towards the artistic education of the young.

Co-operation between the Committee for Arts and Culture on the one hand and young artists and writers on the other is also turning out to be very fruitful. In this connexion ambitious new schemes have been set afoot: a national festival devoted to the works of young composers, meetings of young book promoters and distributors, meetings of young writers, festivals of films about youth and childhood, and so forth.

As the co-operation between the Committee for Arts and Culture and the artists’ and writers’ associations and other social organizations in- creases in intensity, it accentuates the growing part played by the latter in the life of society.

Some sectors of cultural activity do not come directly under the autho- rity of the Committee for Arts and Culture. Thus the writers’ and painters’ associations and some other social organizations have their own publishing- houses; again, cultural and youth centres for students are directed by the Central Committee of the Dimitrov Young Communist Union, and film clubs are controlled by the Cinema Artists’ Association.

27

Financing cultural activities

The five-year national economic development plans regulate and co-ordi- nate cultural activities carried out on the national level. In addition the Guidelines for National Economic Development up to 1980 lay down in general terms the development of cultural institutions, capital investment and building work, etc.

Cultural development is planned, but the State tolerates no adminis- trative intervention in the work of intellectuals and artists.

The country’s economic upswing and the rapid increase in the national income have made it possible to devote considerable investment to cultural development. An examination of the comparative figures in successive five- year plans shows a steady increase in funds (shown here in million leval) provided for expenditure on education, culture and art: first five-year plan (1949-52), 40.9; second five-year plan (1953-57), 92.8; third five-year plan (195860), 97.2; fourth five-year plan (1961-65), 262.0; first three years of the fifth five-year plan (1966-68), 232.5.

The appropriations for culture in the budgets of the various cultural bodies are also steadily increasing.

In culture and art, Bulgaria has two types of activities which are closely connected : the first type comes under the heading of artistic creation pro- per, and is of an ideological and aesthetic nature; the second type involves the distribution of culture andis technical and economic in character. The requirements of artistic creation are given priority over economic needs, and this determines the forms which the organization and administration of cultural institutions take and have taken.

Bulgarian cultural institutions are divided into the following types: (a) those run entirely at the expense of the State and the local authorities; (b) those subsidized by the State and the local authorities; (c) those having financial autonomy.

1. U.S.)1 = 2 leva.

28

Financing cultural activities

To the first oategory belong, inter alia, radio, television, the Nationa Theatre, the National Opera, national libraries and museums, choirs and ballets, and all institutions of secondary and higher education in the arts.

To the second category belong other theatres and opera and comic opera houses, State symphony orchestras, the directorate of concerts and Bul- garska Kinematografia.

The following institutions have financial autonomy: publishing and printing houses, book-distribution centres, circuses, the National Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and Property, the Institute of Scientific Research of the Committee for Arts and Culture, the Directorate of Photography, and so on.

In cultural institutions, profitability is of secondary importance: the main effort is towards using the funds available in the most rational way possible.

In regard to State aid to cultural development, various forms of material and psychological incentive play an important part. Grants, prizes and titles are awarded to new or established talents, and in this way artists are given the opportunity to work in the best possible conditions. The highest reward given for the most distinguished achievements in the field of the arts or the interpretation of musical works is the Dimitrov Prize. In addi- tion, the trade unions, the artists’ and writers’ associations and some depart- mental and municipal councils award prizes once a year. Thus, the Sofia City Council awards annual prizes to the authors of literary and artistic works, to instrumentalists and theatrical producers. Another type of reward for artistic creation is the award of honorific titles: ‘People’s Artist’, ‘People’s Painter’, ‘Emeritus Artist’, ‘Emeritus Painter’, etc. Those who hold these titles receive an annual payment in acknowledgement of their contribution to culture. Alongside such forms of material incentive, there are also other, moral encouragements: solemn eulogies, decorations, medals and certificates.

Special funds have been set up to encourage cultural activity: The Aid to Creative Artists Fund is designed to encourage writers, painters,

craftworkers, etc. The Publicity and Propaganda Fund is used to publicize and promote,

through wireless and television, books and other types of publication, and also to organize book fairs, exhibitions weeks; it is also used to help pay for participation in international book exhibitions. This fund is financed from the profits of publishing-houses and book-distribution enterprises.

The Film Production Fund is used to finance and produce Bulgarian films; it is also used to provide prizes for film-makers and bonuses for film distribution; it is used, in addition, to pay for festivals of Bulgarian films. This fund is financed from taxes on the box-office takings in cine- mas, plus a fixed percentage of the revenue from the distribution of Bulgarian films abroad.

29

Financing cultural activities

The Film Hire Fund is financed mainly from the box-office takings earned by the hire of certain films, and is used to pay for the projection of other films, on which takings are less.

The Creative Experiment Fund is used to provide aid to beginners in the cinema and to promote experimentation in new forms of the art of film- making.

The Improvement of Book-Distribution Services Fund is used to improve the service provided by commercial book-distribution undertakings.

The resources of the Diffusion of Culture by Photography Fund are used to pay for holding photographic exhibitions within the country, the exchange of photographs with agencies abroad, the installation and upkeep of photographic displays intended for the public, the organiza- tion of national photographic competitions, aid to amateur photogra- phers and camera clubs, etc.

Other funds provide for more material needs: The Social and Cultural Initiatives Fund is devoted to the improvement of

workers’ living conditions and culture. The Economic Action and Aid Fund is used to come to the rescue of certain

undertakings which get into difficulties. Since, inevitably, cultural development raises scientific and technical prob- lems, and requires detailed study of the processes which operate in society, specialized scientific institutes play an important part in Bulgarian life. Here we should mention in particular the Scientific Institute of Film, Radio and Television, the Scientific Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monu- ments and Property, the Amateur Artists’ Activities Institute, etc. All these institutes are affiliated to the Committee for Arts and Culture. Scien- tific centres dealing with the various types of cultural activity are also affiliated to the committee’s general directorates.

Rapid scientific and technical progress, such as characterizes our age, requires the constant renewal and modernization of cultural institutions in capital investment, equipment, buildings, etc. For this purpose, a centre affiliated to the Committee for Arts and Culture is responsible for the plan- ning, co-ordination and supervision of construction work for cultural pur- poses. It controls the use of resources and allocates supplies, taking account of the real needs of the various regions of the country and of the various cultural establishments and institutions.

One facet of the administrative measures taken by the State to ensure that creative artists enjoy the material conditions allowing them to give full rein to their talents is the policy applied in the matter of fees. This is based on the constitutional principle whereby all work must be paid for, a principle which is implemented in the legislation controlling the use made of literary, scientific and artistic works in the People’s Republic of Bulgaria.

The schedule of fees paid to composers and performers is established by the Council of Ministers, and all public establishments, organizations and institutions which use works or organize public events with the aid of per-

30

Financing cultural activities

formers are requiredito conform to it. The amount of the fee depends on the character and type of the work or performance in question, the use made of it and the social aim envisaged, but not on the sale of the work nor on the profits of the organizations and institutions which use it. In most cases the fee is indicated in the schedule in terms of a range (maximum and minimum levels), and the exact amount paid is fixed by common accord in the contract.

The royalties paid to literary authors and authors of scientific works or books about art are fixed, depending on the nature of the work, in relation to a range setting maximum and minimum amounts per printed page of 2,000 signs. In the case of some (e.g. literary) works, the schedule also lays down different royalty rates depending on the number of copies printed. Translators’ fees are fixed in the same way; under the copyright law, trans- lators are regarded as the authors of their translations.

Authors of dramatic, lyrico-dramatic, musical or other works intended for public performance are paid on the basis of a scale which does not take into account the box-office takings from the public performance of their works.

. . The pohcy applied m matters of copyright is based on the socialist prin-

ciple whereby the author alone should benefit from royalty payments. Bul- garian legislation does not provide for any complete and final abrogation of copyright, and publishing-houses, institutes and other bodies which have come to own copyright have to give the author a share of the revenue from his works. On the same principle, governmental establishments, organiza- tions and institutions which may have signed a contract with an author commissioning a certain work cannot acquire the copyright. Here too, the author remains the owner of the copyright and receives the whole of the pro- fits which ensue from the use made of his work, even where it is being used by the institution, governmental establishment or organization which commissioned it.

The rate of taxation on authors’ and performers’ fees in Bulgaria is much lower than on other income. Fees earned abroad which have been taxed in the country where the work has been used are exempt from double taxa- tion.

The protection of creative artists’ copyright and financial interests is the responsibility of a special body afhliated to the Committee for Arts and Culture: the Directorate for the Protection of Copyright. This body is responsible, inter alia, for facilitating application of the regulations laying down standard scales for authors’ fees, working out new draft regulations and various other matters.

A radical form of the system of fees paid to creative artists in the field of culture and art is under way: the intention is further to improve the mate- rial conditions of creative artists, and to give incentives for creative work.

The People’s Republic of Bulgaria is a member of the International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (the Berne Union),

31

Financing cultural activities

and thus ensures protection of the copyright of foreign authors whose works are made use of by Bulgarian publishers, theatres and other organizations and institutions, in accordance with the provisions of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

The publication and use of w-orks by foreign authors in Bulgaria forms the subject of contracts signed with the authors or their representatives; such contracts fix the fees and royalties which the authors will receive for the use of their works. Payments to foreign authors are fixed by agree- ment, on the basis of international practice and of reciprocity. In principle, such payments are made in the currency of the country to which the authors in question belong or in which they live.

The People’s Republic of Bulgaria is taking all necessary steps to ensure that creative artists enjoy their legitimate rights, in accordance with the obligations contracted under Article 27, paragraph 2, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

32

Activities of cultural institutions

Teaching

Bulgarians’ love for learning and culture dates from the earliest times. As early as the ninth century, once Bulgarian was adopted as an official language, there were two great schools of language and literature: those at Preslav and Okhrida. Later, at the time of the Bulgarian National Revival, new institutions were founded which anticipated the requirements of modern teaching theory: scholars of the school of Paisii set up a genuine popular and universal education system. On the eve of the liberation of the country, in 1876, there were more than 1,500 schools, paid for by the popu- lation itself. In 1869, a number of Bulgarian intellectuals founded, in the Romanian town of Braila, a Bulgarian literary society which, when the foreign domination of Bulgaria came to an end, moved to Sofia and became the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The principles on which the system of education is based are set out in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. Since 1966, education has been compulsory up to the age of 15 (eighth grade). Schooling is com- pletely free in all schools. The school system consists of institutions of pre- primary education, schools of general education, polytechnics, vocational and technical secondary schools and institutions of higher education. This wide choice of institutions enables young people to choose their course in accordance with their own interests and personal tastes. Special schools are provided for handicapped children. For children who are predis- posed towards certain illnesses or have suffered from serious infectious diseases, so-called climatic schools have been opened in certain areas. About 36 per cent of the country’s schools possess canteens where the children can have breakfast and lunch cheaply. The cost of upkeep of these institutions is borne by the State, which also pays part of the cost of the meals. Throughout the country there are creches and kindergartens, where children can be sent by the day or by the week; there are also a

33

Activities of cultural institutions

substantial number of seasonal nursery schools open during the summer. Over 336,000 children of pre-primary age attend spacious nursery schools designed in accordance with the requirements of modern teaching theory.

Over the last two decades, there has been a sharp rise in the number of institutions of secondary vocational and technical education. During the academic year 1939/40 B u lg aria had 36 technical schools and arts and crafts schools, attended by 10,000 b y o s and girls; by 1967 168, the number of technical and vocational schools had risen to 253, with 165,000 pupils.

Boarding-schools and orphanages for children and adolescents who have lost one or both parents, semi-boarding-schools and study facilities also form part of the educational system. Study facilities are available to pupils after their classes, for them to do their preparation, read, play, etc., under the supervision of a teacher. At semi-boarding-schools, the children stay on for several hours after classes; they play open-air games, engage in various pastimes (chess, stamp collecting, photography, etc.) and do their preparation for the following day under the supervision of teachers. The number of study facilities is 2,716; there are slightly over 200 semi-board- ing-schools.

Out-of-schools activities are very varied: for the most part they take place in ‘pioneer’ houses and halls (the name comes from that of the Pupils’ Pioneer Organization). These are cultural centres in which the pupils arc introduced to art. They have well-equipped rooms for film-shows and concerts, play rooms and technical workshops in which young people make model planes or ships, take an interest in wireless technology and so forth; children may also take dancing, music or drawing lessons, join handicraft classes in which they do modelling, embroidery, poker-work, wood carving, etc., or else take part in drama groups, puppet performances, children’s choirs or orchestras, etc. The young performers of the Bodra Smiana (Younger Generation) Children’s Choir, the Radio Sofia Children’s Choir and the Symphony Orchestra of the Sofia Pioneer House have given con- certs in several foreign countries. More than 4,000 choirs and orchestras and 900 drama and ballet groups offer young people the opportunity to develop and perfect their talents. Throughout the country, schools have playgrounds and sports grounds. More than 600,000 pupils, distributed over 8,600 physical culture groups, take an active part in sport. More than 12,000 mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, wireless and other groups are formed each scholastic year.

At Sofia, there is a House of Literature and Art, the main purpose of which is to study the literary and artistic production intended for young people and to develop methods of putting this production to optimum use in terms of the art education of the younger generation and of contributing to the flowering of children’s artistic talents. The centre comprises sections for children’s literature, artistic sections, a library and a publishing section, which brings out a bulletin (Children, Art, Books) and other publications (collections, directories and year-books). This children’s literary and artistic

34

Activities of cultural institutions

centre arranges poetry recitals, story-reading evenings, meetings between young readers and pacts, writers and painters. The library contains a variety of interesting books. With the help of educational experts, writers and art theorists, the house arranges functions at which works of art are cri- tically discussed for the benefit of children, guides their reading and so forth.

During the academic year 1968 /69, p rimary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education took in 1,561,OOO pupils, which mcans that in Bulgaria one person in five is going to school. For this reason the number of highly qualifiecl personnel with secondary or higher education is conti- nually on the increase. To convey the rate at which higher education is expanding one need only quote the fact that during the academic year 1969 170 the number of students rose to 85,400 as against 10,169 in 1939 /40. At the present time there are 101 students per 10,000 inhabitants. Before the Second World War, the country’s five institutions of higher education were all in three towns. Today eight towns share between them twenty-six institutions of higher education (leaving aside the military institutions of higher education and the Academy of Theology). There are eighteen times more students in these institutions of higher education than in 1939. The number of trained technologists has risen to eight times what it was in the academic year 194,4/45. This rise was brought about by the need for highly qualified personnel in the most important branches of production: power, metallurgy, engineering, electronics and chemistry.

From 1949 onwards, correspondence courses were introduced in the institutions of higher education, at first in some specialized subject only, then in a wider range of subjects; by this means, workers can obtain qualifi- cations. Paid leave is granted to those following correspondence courses for the periocl they need to spend at the university in order to work for and sit the examinations.

The total number of professors, lecturers and assistants teaching in the universities in 1939 140 was 453, whereas by 1967 it had risen to 6,342. In all institutions of higher education, the rectors, deans and their deputies are elected.

Nowadays the students work in enviable conditions. As early as 1948, a law was passed on student social security. The funds which the State allocates to higher education increase every year; they are used for building purposes, for the provision of laboratories, experimental installations and libraries, for the award of scholarships and allowances, etc. In the academic year 1967 11968, 45 p er cent of students held scholarships. The institutions of higher education use their available funds to reward students for outstanding work in their course. More than 60 per cent of students take their meals in the canteens, which are paid for by the State; in addition, many students are given free lodging in student hostels where they have good working conditions, and can also indulge in sports, etc.

Children of married students can be left in creches free of charge; if only one parent is a student, there is a very small charge.

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Medical treatment is free to the whole population. In university towns there are well-equipped student health centres, while during their holidays students can stay at special rest-homes in mountain or bathing resorts and other holiday centres.

Publishing

In 1855, when the country was still under the foreign yoke, one Bulgarian, Christo G. Danov, showed great initiative by founding, in Plovdiv, the first Bulgarian publishing-house. In spite of difficult circumstances, this publishing-house was remarkably active, bringing out, for example, 111 titles in 1869 alone. After the liberation, publishing expanded rapidly, although there were ups and downs. In 1939, 2,000 titles were published, representing 6,500,OOO books, i.e. one book per inhabitant, in 1966, 3,500 titles and in 1968, 3,579, representing altogether 39,051,OOO books. Today, in Bulgaria, there are twenty-two publishing-houses, publishing five times as many books as in 1939. The average print-run has considerably increased: from 3,000 in 1939 it rose to 6,800 in 1955 and 10,880 in 1968.

The publishing-houses belong to the State, the trade unions, the Bulga- rian Academy of Sciences, the Bulgarian Writers’ Association, the Bulgarian Painters’ Association, etc.

A rapid glance through the books printed shows a perceptible increase in the numbers of books dealing with the social sciences, philosophy, history and economics. The number of popular science works is also rising.

The publishing-houses’ catalogues include the names of the greatest writers, poets and playwrights of all times, such as Aristotle, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Homer, Virgil, Dante, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Shakespeare, Corneille, Racine, Moliere, Goethe, Schiller, Heine, Pushkin, Lermontov, Dickens, Byron, Victor Hugo, Balzac, Leo Tolstoy, Turgenev, George Bernard Shaw, Mark Twain, Jack London, Galsworthy, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Theodore Dreiser, Romain Rolland, Aleksey Tolstoy and Aragon. All these writers are well known in Bulgaria and very much appreciated by the mass of the public.

Bulgarian publishing has also had successes in the field of book illus- tration and design. Several talented young designers and painters are working in this field, and the rise in the artistic standard of Bulgarian books is to a large extent due to their work. In May each year there is a book and book-art exhibition, which has become traditional, and affords an oppor- tunity of taking an over-all view of the results obtained and successes achieved.

Again, once a year, in the autumn, Sofia holds an international book exhibition and fair; this helps to widen and deepen the ties between Bulgarian publishing-houses and those of near-by and far-off countries.

Bulgarian books are becoming increasingly well known throughout the

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world. Bulgarian publishing-houses have taken part in international book exhibitions and fairs at Moscow, Leipzig, Warsaw, Belgrade, Frankfurt- am-Main, Bologna and Cairo, and have already carried off several prizes at such events.

Progress in publishing is matched by parallel progress in the Bulgarian press. Here again, historical comparisons are relevant. In 1939 there were 513 newspapers in Bulgaria, with an annual total of 130,297,000, whereas in 1969 the number of such papers had risen to 710, with an annual total of 750,000,OOO. In 1939,393 periodicals were being published; now the number has risen to 780, with an annual total of 40,000,OOO. To these must be added the bulletins and reviews of the Committee for Arts and Culture and those of the writers’ and artists’ associations. This increase in the number of press publications and their circulation has been accompanied by a simul- taneous improvement in their quality.

Literature

Bulgarian literature, with its rich tradition extending back over a thousand years, has taken a great new leap forward, as has the whole of culture, over the last twenty-five years. It is continually being enriched with original works of value, among which we may single out Ordinary People by Georgy Karaslavov, Tobacco by Dimitri Dimov, The Iron Candlestick, The Bells of Prespa, Ilinden and I Hear Your Voices by Dimitri Talev, Ivan Kondarev by Emilian Stanev, For Life and Death by Dimitri Angelov, and so on. Bulgarian writers take great interest in the history of the people, and this has inspired works like The Time of Separation by Anton Donchev, For Liberty and The Road to Soja by Stefan Dichev and Last Day and Boyana Fair by Stoyan Zagorchinov. Biographical novels make up a large propor- tion of this historical literature.

Never before have so many works appeared dealing with the contempo- rary scene. Problems involving modern man under various aspects are treated in a multiplicity of works of all genres.

Alongside prose writers like Anghel Karalyichev, Ilya Volen, Svetoslav Minkov, Kamen Kalchev, Andrei Gulyashki and Pave1 Veyinov, talented young authors such as Nicolai Haitov, Yordan Radichkov or Diko Fuched- jiev are coming forward; the new blossoming of Bulgarian literature is also due to poets like Mladen Isaev, Nicolai Furnadjiev, Hristo Radevski, Athanasy Dalchev, Vesseline Hanchev, Pave1 Matev, Blaga Dimitrova, Boyidar Boyilov, Georgy Djagarov, Dimitri Methodiev, Stanka Pencheva, Vesseline Andreev, Orline Orlinov and a whole galaxy of young talents.

Bulgarian writers have thousands of readers and admirers abroad, as is shown by the analysis of the foreign editions of Bulgarian books. The most translated Bulgarian book remains the immortal novel of the poet Ivan Vazov, Under the Yoke. The main languages into which Bulgarian literary

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works are translated are Russian, French, English, Italian and German. Between 1944 and 1956, 658 Bulgarian works were translated, or 54 per

year, and between 1956 and 1968,1,452, or 133 per year. In 1967,147 trans- lations came out, and 40 Bulgarian literary works have been the subject of wireless and television programmes abroad.

Again, between 1944 and 1956, 112 Bulgarian authors were translated into 34 foreign languages; since then, the number of authors translated and of languages into which translations have been made has risen conside- rably. The classical author of Bulgarian literature, Ivan Vazov, has been translated into 49 languages, the poet Christo Botev into 40 languages and Nicolai Vaptsarov, who was given a posthumous award of the prize of honour by the World Peace Council, into 49 languages.

Today’s Bulgarian writers (for example, Georgy Karaslavov, Ludmil Stoyanov, Dimitri Dimov, Stoyan Ts. Daskalov, Andrei Gulyashki and Emilian Stanev) are being translated into several foreign languages. Bulga- rian literature attracts foreign readers though its-originality and artistic quality.

Theatre

Bulgarian dramatic art is continually enriching its traditions thanks to new creative effort. The Slavs of old were familiar with the dramatic spec- tacle. The literature of the tenth century shows that the ideas of theatre and artist were not unknown at the time.

Today the public is taking more and more interest in the theatre. Over the last few decades, Bulgarian dramatic works have mainly dealt with the great problems of present-day life.

Alongside traditional and modern Bulgarian works, the whole range of world theatre, classic and contemporary, is very much appreciated. Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Goldoni, Tirso de Molina, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Ostrovski, Chekhov, Gorky, Shaw and Ibsen are performed regularly on the Bulgarian stage. The Bulgarian theatre-goer also knows the plays of Bertolt Brecht, Arthur Miller, etc.

Continual progress is being made in the field of production, acting and stage design.

Bulgaria is the homeland of several great actors like Krestiu Sarafov, Ivan Dimov, Petko Atanasov, Constantin Kisimov, Mila Pavlova, Nevena Buyuklieva and Boris Mikhailov. There are also very talented artists in stage design such as Vladimir Trendafilov, Olga Kircheva, Zorka Yorda- nova, Ruya Delcheva, Stephan Getsov, Georgy Kaloyanchev, Lubomir Kabakchiev, Asen Milanov, Margarita Duparinova, Tania Mesalitinova, Apostol Karamitev and Slavka Slavova. A number of theatre personalities have been given the title of ‘People’s Artist’ or ‘Emeritus Artist’. The new generation of actors, producers and theatre theoreticians is trained in the

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Krestiu Sarafov Higher Institute of Dramatic Art, which has a theatre where students can act in front of an audience right from the beginning of their course. Every year, those who have finished their course at the insti- tute bring a breath of new life into the theatrical companies which they join.

Before the Second World War, there were in Bulgaria thirteen theatres, four of them only being subsidized by the State. At the present time, there are forty-six theatres, including the Young Theatre-Goers’ Theatre, the Satirical Theatre, etc. Some theatres, in addition to having a large audito- rium, possess small stages where shows are put on which require no very great technical equipment. The theatres in the various provinces regularly do tours round their province, so that there is almost no town or village which is not visited by a theatrical company. For example, the Burgas Municipal Puppet Theatre and the Adriana Budevska Dramatic Theatre have given 280 shows in the province of Burgas in the course of a single thca tre season.

At Sofia there is a theatre which receives companies from the theatres in the provinces: in this way, theatre-lovers have the chance to get to know the various companies’ most successful productions and appreciate the theatrical scene as a whole, while the actors have the opportunity to compare their acting techniques. Other activities which help to raise theatrical standards throughout the country include periodical festivals of children’s theatre and the traditional historical drama festival. The national festival of drama and contemporary Bulgarian theatre is a recent innova- tion. This competition takes place in two stages: regional festivals are held in a number of cities, after which a final festival is held in the capital, at which the best companies perform their productions. A jury composed of producers, drama theoreticians, writers, playwrights, literary critics, art theoreticians and stage designers awards prizes for playwriting, producing, stage design and acting (male and female roles). The four national festivals of 1952, 1959, 1964 and 1969 made an especially valuable contribution to the development of dramatic art. For the fourth National Drama and Bulgarian Theatre Festival (1969), theatres throughout the country put on 182 shows, including 143 performances of plays by Bulgarian authors, 70 of them being first performances. The theatres are subsidized by the State or the provincial People’s Councils.

Music

The history of the musical art is especially interesting in Bulgaria. In the Middle Ages Bulgaria already had a flowering musical culture. At Veliko- Turnovo a national school of liturgical chant had been set up and this had a strong influence on the music of other countries. It was there that, in the fourteenth century, the singer, composer and theoretician Ivan Kukuzel

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lived and worked. He made an important contribution to the development of religious singing in the Eastern Church.

Popular Bulgarian music is original, tuneful, and possesses a remarkable variety of rhythms, with unusual beats, e.g. 5 18, 7 IS,11 18.

The first Bulgarian composers of symphonic and lyrical music lived in the nineteenth century. In 1900, Emanuil Manolov composed the first Bulgarian opera. A little later, G. Atanasov-Maestro wrote six major operas in the space of a few years. After the Second World War, there was a great flowering of lyrical music. During this period, Bulgarian composers and librettists have composed more than fifty works which have enjoyed deser- ved success on Bulgarian and foreign stages: Ivailo by M. Goleminov, Alb&a, July Night and The Gay Blade by P. Hadjiev, Pete the Sly and the ballet Pope Joan by V. Stainov, together with The Master of Boyana by Constantin Iliev; this period has also witnessed the composition of the ballet Song of the Haiduks by A. Raichev, Legend of the Lake by Pancho Vladigerov, Orpheus and Rhodope by Tsvetan Tsvetanov and more than ten operettas.

Bulgarian composers prefer to deal with large subjects out of which they develop works of art on the grand scale. Many of their cantatas and orato- rios show their passion for revolutionary struggle and their vision of a new life: cantatas like Philip Kutev’s September the Ninth, A. Raichev’s He Dieth Not, V. Stoyanov’s Let the Day Be and Svetoslav Obretenov’s Sing, Land of my Birth and The Struggle for Peace; and oratorios like S. Obretenov’s The Woman Partisan, A. Raichev’s Friendship and L. Pip- kov’s Oratorio for our Time.

More than forty symphonies have been composed and performed during the last two decades. This intensive musical production is not unrelated to the fact that the number of musical institutions has risen considerably. We should stress, too, the impulse provided by the eight State symphony orchestras, ensembles and choirs like the Svetoslav Shretenov choir, the choral and ballet ensemble directed by People’s Artist Philip Kutev or the Pirin Ensemble and dozens of brass bands and folk groups.

There are in Bulgaria six lyric theatres with repertoires including the best classical operas. The Sofia National Opera is the country’s foremost lyric theatre. It is there that such new operas as Momchil, Pete the Sly, Ivailo and The Gay Blade were first performed.

Legend has it that the Thracian poet and musician Orpheus, who not only left men spellbound but also tamed wild animals, lived in Bulgarian territory. Perhaps for this reason, Bulgaria has become famous for the wonderful voices of its singers. Here it is suilicient to quote the names of Boris Christov, Nicolai Giaurov, Hristo Bramfarov, Mikhail Popov, Dimitri Uzunov, Katya Popova, Julya Wiener, Nicolas Nicolov and Nicolai Guselev.

Many Bulgarian instrumentalists have also won various international prizes, for example, Emil Kamilarov, Boyan Lechev, Luba Encheva

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Petr Christoskov, Dina Schneidermann, Milena Mollova and Stoika Mila- nova.

The most famous opera houses in the world-La Scala, the Metropo- litan Opera, the Bolshoi, Covent Garden and the Vienna State Opera, to mention but a few-often open their doors to Bulgarian lyric artists. Nicolai Giaurov, Nicolas Nicolov, Nicolai Guselev, Raina Kabaivanska and others are very much appreciated by audiences in Europe and America.

Over the last five years, the Sofia National Opera and the Ballet Ara- besque Ballet Company have given performances in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Romania, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Lebanon and Italy. Groups of Bulgarian lyrical artists have given performances twice a year in Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Bulgarian National Philhar- monic has given concerts in the U.S.S.R., France and Italy, and the Bulga- rian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra in France and Italy. The Sofia Chamber Music Orchestra and the Bulgarian Radio Chamber Music Choir have both been in France. The Svetoslav Obretenov Choir has sung in the U.S.S.R., the United Kingdom and Greece, and has made recordings in France. The Pioneers’ Symphony Orchestra has given Iconcerts in Yugo- slavia, Italy and Brazil, while the Bulgarian Radio Children’s Choir has toured Czechoslovakia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Japan. The ensemble directed by People’s Artist Philip Kutev, the choir of the Bodra Smiana Pioneers, the Varna Opera, the Ruse Philharmonic and the Dimov Quartet have all distinguished themselves abroad. Space does not allow us to list here all the foreign tours made by Bulgarian artists- singers, conductors, instrumentalists, producers-who have visited the U.S.S.R., the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, Switzerland, the Federal Republic of Germany, and so on. Artists and groups from many foreign countries have also come to Bulgaria. Bul- garia organizes and plays host to a number of important cultural events: the Varna International Ballet Competition, the Sofia International Contest for Young Opera Singers, the Varna Summer International Music Festival, the International Music Festival held in conjunction with the ‘Sunshine Coast Holiday Weeks’, the Golden Orpheus International Singing Contest and the Plovdiv International Chamber Music Festival.

There are many traditional annual festivals which testify to the inten- sity of Bulgaria’s musical life: those most worthy of mention are the Ruse Musical Days, the Lilac Music Festival at Lovech, The Black Sea Summer, the ten-yearly Symphony Festival at Stara Zagora, the Prize-Winning Musicians’ Festival, held in memory of the great opera singer Katya Popova at Pleven and the Yambol Golden Diana Festival of Chamber Music Choirs. The aim of all such cultural events is to contribute to the artistic education of the workers and to the enrichment of cultural life in

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general. It has become traditional to arrange special programmes to cele- brate the anniversaries of famous composers and musicians. The aim is to make the population more familiar with the great musical classics of the world and the works of great modern composers-Bulgarian and others. It is becoming more and more common to put on, in Sofia and other main cities, series of concerts of educational interest, and lectures on music and opera. Similar action is also being taken in the most remote regions of the country. These musical and educational events are specifically aimed at young people, helping to train their taste and familiarize them with the history of music, musical forms, the works of individual composers and the various styles used in the different musical traditions. This, particularly is the intention and spirit of the work of the Young Musicians Association, which has expanded considerably in recent years.

The very many musical events which take place throughout the land- operas, concerts and festivals-bear witness to the vigour of musical life in Bulgaria. Between 1956 and 1966, the number of concerts almost tripled, rising from 4,245 to 12,455. In 1967, professional groups gave 41,000 concerts in their own villages alone.

Traditionally, large-scale competitions and national festivals take place periodically: a festival of the State Symphony Orchestras, opera, operetta, and ballet festivals, and competitions for singers and instrumentalists. The fifth National Competition of Singers and Instrumentalists, held in 1969, was an outstanding success.

Plastic and applied arts

Bulgarian painting has an important place in the over-all culture of the people. Today’s painters, the heirs of the old masters, create works of talent in all genres-from still life and landscapes to large historical compo- sitions, from caricature to essays in graphic art, from the small ornamental panel to the large mural.

Alongside the exhibitions which are traditionally held each year, various exhibitions have recently been organized to commemorate certain important historical centenaries and events. The periodical exhibitions of painting, graphic art and caricatures also deserve mention. Finally, exhibi- tions devoted to individual artists allow the public not only to see their most recent work, but also to get some over-all idea of the progress they have made since their beginnings. The number of exhibitions and those visiting them increases yearly. In 1965, there were 174 professional painters’ exhibitions, and 207 in 1966.

In painting we should single out the names of Ilya Petrov, Stoyan Venev, Dechko Uzunov, Zlatyu Boyadjiev, Stoyan Sotirov, Alexandr Stamenov, Naiden Petkov, Nicolas Mirchev and Alexandr Poplivov; in graphic arts, Boris Anghelushev, Vesseline Staikov and Marco Behar; in

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sculpture, Ivan Funev, Marco Markov and Vasca Emanuilova. Several painters have the title of ‘People’s Painter’ or ‘Emeritus Painter’.

One encouraging sign is that, alongside the great painters, younger talents are beginning to emerge. Several artists of the younger generation, members of the numerous branches of the Bulgarian Painters’ Association, have brought themselves to the attention of those who appreciate painting.

The exhibition of applied art, held in 1968, showed the lively creativity of numerous painters.

The opening of more than thirty art galleries over the last two decades shows the increasing interest in the plastic arts. Several provincial towns possess rich galleries: Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Vidin, Sliven, Stara Zagora, etc. Some villages, like Strajitsa in the province of Turnovo, Bregovo in the province of Vidin, and Brezovo in the province of Plovdiv also have art galleries. The number of villages which have art collections is rising steadily. The exhibitions which have recently been held in the villages of Dalboki, Hrushtene and Bratia-Daskalovi (in the province of Stara Zagora) have awakened great interest among the population.

Bulgarian painters and architects are combining their efforts to embellish towns and villages. Architecture has already moret han one signal achieve- ment to its credit, and the new building programme will further alter the face of the towns. For many years, Bulgaria was spoken of as one big building-site. Residential blocks and districts, hotels and restaurants, schools and cinemas, theatres and cultural centres have sprung up all over the country. Along the Black Sea coast beautiful great new complexes have arisen, such as those of Drujba (Friendship), Zlatni Piassatsi (Golden Sands), Slanchev Brjag (Sunshine Coast) and Albena. In their research, as in their actual projects, Bulgarian architects concentrate on achieving a graceful and harmonious style, meeting the artistic requirements of society. Architecture seeks to satisfy the material and cultural needs of modern man while endeavouring to express in architectural form the ideas of modern times.

Of the great international exhibitions of recent years, it is worth sing- ling out two: Treasures of the Bulgarian Museums and 2,500 Years of Art on Bulgarian Territory; both were put on show in the U.S.S.R., Hungary, the Federal Republic of Germany and France. In Paris, the exhibition 2,500 Years of Art on Bulgarian Territory was the subject of 700 articles in the French press, and AndrE Malraux said of it: ‘The history of art must be revised, the Bulgarians have their Mona Lisa.’

Over the last few years, several Bulgarian painters have held private exhibitions abroad, or taken part in international exhibitions.

Other displays of Bulgarian art also awaken lively interest. A group of Bulgarian painters exhibited in several Oriental countries. Pictures by Bulgarian artists have figured in several international exhibitions-at Moscow, Paris, Venice, Lugano, Bmo, Cracow, Szczecin, Stuttgart, etc. Modern Bulgarian painters have taken part in the Biennial Exhibition of

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Graphic Arts in Brazil. Lastly, individual and joint exhibitions of Bulgarian works have been held in the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, Romania, Greece and Turkey.

Cinema

The Bulgarian art of the cinema is relatively young, which explains the freshness of most of its films; they are also typified by their interest in present-day life and their humanitarian spirit. Conditions are now wholly conducive to the development and prosperity of the Bulgarian cinema. Very modern equipment is available at the Sofia Film Centre, which comes under Bulgarska Kinematografia, a large undertaking equipped with studios for the production of feature films, documentaries, popular science films, animated cartoons and news-reels. Bulgarska Kinematografia is mainly concerned with film distribution. Over the last two decades, the production of feature fihns and of medium-and short-length films has considerably increased. Over 250 feature films, documentaries, popular science films and animated cartoons have been appearing each year. There is a Special Institute for Film Archives and a Film Library.

The U.S.S.R,, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece and the Syrian Arab Republic hold Bulgarian film weeks. Festivals of Bulgarian films have been held at Moscow, Paris, London, New York, Calcutta, Lausanne, Stockholm and elsewhere. A Festival of Bulgarian Films is held yearly at Varna, and film weeks are devoted to the most distinguished works from other countries-Soviet Film Week, French Film Week, Italian Film Week, Polish Film Week, Czech Film Week, British Film Week, etc.

Bulgarian feature films and documentaries are shown in seventy countries. Every year, the Bulgarian cinema takes part in some thirty international film festivals for feature films and shorts. Quite a number of films, including Young though We Were and Festival of Hope, have won international awards. At Los Alamos, the prize for the best film devoted to the struggle for peace was awarded to the film Sun and Shadow. The film The Captain obtained a Silver Gondola award and a bronze medal at the International Children’s Film Festival at Venice. The same film won three prizes in Spain. A special prize was awarded to the film Nestinari for its value from the point of view of folklore. Prizes were also won by the docu- mentaries Rila Monastery, Pirin Sings, etc. The film Vascata won the prize of the best television film at the Leipzig festival. Other television films such as Russia and the Turtle Dove, A Gramophone and Olives for My Friends and Seller of Hope also received prizes. The animated cartoons by Emeritus Painter Todor Dinov, Jealousy, The Apple, Little Margue- rite, etc., have won major international prizes. In 75 international festivals, 89 Bulgarian films have carried off 130 prizes, awarded to directors,

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cameramen and actors for their virtuosity, and also for the humanitarian ideas expressed in the film.

The development of the art of the film in Bulgaria is not unconnected with the expansion of the network of cinemas throughout the country. In 1939, there were 155 projection rooms, principally in the towns, whereas in 1968 there were already 3,044, i.e. twenty times as many. It is especially in villages that cinemas have increased in numbers. In addition there are several touring cinemas, which are used to take films into the most remote villages. Despite the rapid spread of television, the number of film-goers has not fallen. In 1968, attendances reached the figure of 114 million, as opposed to 13 million in 1938.

Radio and Television

Bulgarian radio and television play an important part in the cultural life of the country. They are developing steadily in a number of different ways, as regards expansion of programmes and improvement of both programme content and the technical quality of broadcasts. As the most modern means of spreading culture and information, they occupy an ever more important place in the daily life of the Bulgarian people, owing, on the one hand, to the rise in its material standards of living and, on the other hand, to the growth in its cultural requirements and its increasing interest in culture.

Today, Bulgarian Radio broadcasts, on eight channels throughout the country, a total of forty-six hours a day. It also sends out, in eleven languages, broadcasts intended for abroad, at a rate of twenty-three hours a day. Bulgarian Radio has twenty-three transmitters. The number of receiving sets is over 2 million, which means that one inhabitant out of four owns a radio set: and this figure, of course, does not include the tens of thousands of transistor sets. The number of television sets has now risen above 1 million, and is increasing steadily.

Radio and television programmes are so put together as not only to give news and information, but to help spread culture and art.

Libraries

The Bulgarian people’s love for knowledge is one of the motives for the expansion of library services and the building-up of collections. In addition, a series of new measures has brought about a change in the methods used in distributing literary and scientific works, and in techniques of co-ope- ration with readers.

Apart from the State libraries, the largest of which is the Cyril and Methodius National Library at Sofia, there are libraries in the reading

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centres, schools, industrial enterprises and other institutions. The collection of books at the Cyril and Methodius National Library is particularly large and interesting, comprising as it does 1 million books and periodical publi- cations, a rich collection of old Bulgarian books, historical documents from the Bulgarian National Revival and an impressive collection of maps, portraits and photographs, scores and records. The library has an excellent information service where information on all world literature is available. In addition, the library acts as a central body in relation to other Bulgarian libraries.

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has a book collection of more than 750,000 volumes and the libraries of the institutions of higher education contain more than 1.5 million books.

There are 11,109 public libraries, with collections totalling 49,443,OOO volumes, which annually issue 41,839,OOO books to 3,100,OOO readers. Nearly every village of more than 500 people has a library, accommodated in its reading centre. Readers using village libraries borrow, through the home-lending service, over 14 million books a year. There is one librarian per 3,000 citizens. Scientific libraries also have grown in number during the last few years. The book-distribution services are based on scientific methods, and the librarians are constantly on the look-out for improve- ments.

The large stocks held by certain libraries, the introduction of a new type of library service, the increase in total holdings and the home-lending service combine to make the libraries an important component of cultural activity.

Reading centres, cultural clubs and Houses of Culture

Bulgaria is the home of an educational and cultural institution of parti- cular originality: reading centres. Founded over 114 years ago on the initiative of scholarly patriots, the reading centres (alternatively called cultural centres) have long experience behind them, and are deeply rooted in everyday life. The first lay libraries were set up in these reading centres, which also saw the birth of drama groups, amateur musicians’ groups, archaeological collections, etc. At the time of the Bulgarian National Revival the reading centres were true centres of education and culture; and their importance has in no way diminished since. The names of some of the greatest sons of the people-writers, politicians and promoters of culture- are linked with the history of these reading centres.

The reading centres constitute cultural and educational organizations to which all workers, without distinction of nationality, religion or sex, have access. Every centre has independent legal status and may own real estate, library collections, museum items, etc. The centres are administered by a governing body elected at the annual general meeting; its term of

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oilice covers the time between two successive general meetings. Today, as in the past, reading centres make an important contribution to the spread of art and culture, They are subsidized by the State and the provincial authorities.

By 1939, there were 2,600 reading centres. Today there are 4,518, with 1,092,OOO members. The increase is particularly marked in villages, where there were 4,141 centres (with 700,000 members) in 1967, as against 2,334 centres in 1944.

New premises are continually being made available to the reading centres, to enable them to operate in more satisfactory circumstances. Between 1956 and 1966,60 per cent of the premises of reading centres were expanded and improved. The library holdings are continually being enriched with new books. Museum collections, picture galleries, wireless and television clubs have been set up under the auspices of these centres, and courses are held in them on amateur film-making and photography.

Among the schemes launched by the reading centres, we should men- tion the study of regional history, the investigation and recording of legends, ancient customs and folk-songs, the organization of foreign-language classes and of musical appreciation and classical dance courses for child- ren, etc. Altogether 308 music courses, 360 literacy circles and 36 painting circles are run in conjunction with village reading centres.

Bulgarian workers have at their disposal 128 Houses of Culture and more than 1,000 cultural clubs, equipped with cinema-halls, concert-halls and reading-rooms and affording scope for pursuing a variety of hobbies, such as amateur film-making, photography, etc.

Several new forms of cultural activity have recently been introduced: popular universities, popular public lectures, folk-singing competitions, etc. The Houses of Culture and cultural clubs, like the parks for rest and culture, are increasingly proving their worth as educational and cultural centres where workers can spend their leisure hours in an especially pleasant way.

The popular universities and public lectures give everyone the opportu- nity to gain knowledge in regard to the history of art, aesthetics and the human and technical sciences, study problems of culture and art and join in discussions on literary and other works.

Museums

More than a century ago, in 1856, the iirst museum collection was inaugu- rated at the reading centre of a little town on the banks of the Danube, Svishtov. After the end of the Ottoman domination, several new museums were set up, usually owing to the efforts of enlightened patriots. Alongside the State museums, museum collections were assembled in reading centres, schools and archaeological societies.

47

-- __l,__l_l__. _ ._-. ..------. -- ..--.-- ---. -

Activities of cultural institutions

The Bulgarians of today see themselves as the heirs of the cultural monuments created over the centuries by both known and anonymous masters. Everything bearing on the people’s past is precious, and great efforts are made to seek out and conserve cultural values and valuables. The museums, in this connexion, have a capital role to play. Several of them possess unique products of the national genius. Their exhibitions illustrate the heroic deeds of the sons of the Bulgarian people, and reflect its long struggle for liberty and national independence.

Whereas in 1944 there were no more than thirteen State museums plus a few score of other collections, today there are 163 State museums and art galleries, among which we may single out the national archaeological and ethnographical muscums, the Central Army Museum, the National Museum of Rila Monastery, the Shipka-Buzdludja National Museum, the historical museums set up in the chief towns of the provinces, a large number of houses designated as national monuments at Sofia and in the provinces, the specialized museums of Madan and Dimitrovgrad and the Museums of Natural History at Sofia, Plovdiv, Kotel, etc.

The State gives material and moral assistance to the museums, increasing each year the appropriations for research or restoration work, and for new building.

In recent years a large number of museums have been founded, including the National Museum of Rila Monastery, the Alexandr Nevski Museum of Sacred Art at Sofia and the museums of Turnovo, Plovdiv, Turgovishte, Panagyurishte, Tryavna and many other towns. In addition, there are more than 480 collections in reading centres, schools, industrial and other undertakings, churches and monasteries, etc. Private citizens also own collections of coins, pictures and old books. The collections are being continually enriched, thanks to the unceasing archaeological excavations and research work. Thus the museums were enriched in 1966 by 90,000 new archaeological items. Today they have altogether more than 3 million items of great historical, artistic and cultural value.

Antique remains, together with historical and architectural monu- ments, are protected by the State (decrees of the governmental authorities), and whole localities like Jeravna, Koprivshtitsa, Melnik, Bojenci, etc., are classified as historical sites; the old city of Plovdiv is similarly classified.

In 1968, museum admissions totalled 594,634. Visitors come from all strata of society and all age groups. Today the interest shown in exhibi- tions displayed in museums is a further mark of the nation’s vigorous cultural life; moreover it is developing with the aid of the cinema, radio, television, press, books and photographs.

Bulgarian museums are not isolated from everyday lift, and a large part of their funds is used for educational purposes. For example, the public is enabled to meet scholars, writers, art theoreticians and painters, and lectures are arranged on various subjects. Most museums bring out publi- cations, produce documentary films, and seek to develop new methods not

48

Activities of cultural institutions

only the better to conserve their treasures but also to bring them to the knowledge of an increasingly wide public.

Amateur activities

To understand readily the range of amateur activities of the Bulgarian people requires some knowledge of its history and of how, through all its ordeals, it has been able to preserve across the ages a vast treasury of folk-songs and dances. Hundreds of thousands are the workers, from every walk of life, who devote themselves to artistic work during their leisure hours.

Amateur activities are very varied. They bring together people of different ages, and the level of achievement reached compares favourably with that reached by professionals. These amateur activities encourage creativity, enrich the intellectual life of workers, contribute to their artistic education and enable new talents to emerge. Members of groups of amateur artists are no longer passive fans or spectators, they experience the joy of creation and the feeling of attaining in this way to a high level of culture.

More than 500,000 people, united by their interest in and their common love for art, together make up 1,500 artistic groups (choirs, ballet compa- nies, orchestras, drama and folk-singing groups, etc.).

The State encourages the development of amateur activities. In 1968, the Central House for Popular Creative Activity was reorganized as the Institute of Amateur Artistic Activities. The necessary training and briefing of the specialized staff which supervises these activities is now carried out in a more scientific fashion, special attention being paid to the social mission of those who take part.

Amateur groups take an active part in the cultural life of the country. They put on more than 70,000 shows and concerts a year, playing before about 22 million spectators. In 1967, amateur artistic groups set up in villages produced 40,000 shows, attended by 8 million spectators, that is more than nine shows per village.

Periodically, amateurs have the opportunity, at national festivals, to show their talents and compare their achievements. A jury judges the best performances in the final, and prizes are awarded.

In 1969, in what was a real folk-arts festival, the best amateur groups from each province gave, over a period of several months, a series of con- certs in the biggest halls of the capital.

Some groups of amateur artists have been invited to tour a number of European countries, and have also taken part in international folk-arts competitions. Bulgarian folk-art groups have consistently, for some years past, carried off the major prizes at the Llangollen International Competi- tion in Wales. Others have been leading prize-winners at the Middlesbrough International Competition (United Kingdom), the Dijon International

49

Activities of cultural institutions

Folk-Arts Competition (France) and the Debrecen International Compe- tition for Choral Singing (Hungary).

Local cultural festivals

An increasingly large number of towns are holding cultural festivals closely linked to their history and to the life of writers and public figures who have played an illustrious part in that history. The Ruse musical festival, the Lilac Music Festival at Lovech, the summer festivals of Varna and Burgas, the Drama Festival at Vidin, where historical plays are perform- ed against the scenic back-cloth-these are only a few of the many events which testify to the richness of cultural life, stirring up interest among the people at large and encouraging the workers to take an active part in the promotion of cultural progress. Some commemorate anniversaries, cente- naries or particular episodes in the history of the Bulgarian people. These festivals help to give the people some knowledge of their great works of art and to strengthen folk-art traditions, comprising as they do dramatic performances, concerts, art exhibitions, competitions, carnivals and all sorts of amusements.

This great variety at the same time satisfies and stimulates the cultural interests of the working masses. In matters of music or theatre, there are no longer what used to be called ‘the provinces’, because the State is constantly working to create conditions which will ensure vigorous cultural life throughout the whole country. Organizing cultural festivals is insepar- able from the development of art and amateur activities. Sometimes, in the programme of such festivals, new works of music are played for the first time, or the premihe of a dramatic work is performed.

The small town of Provadiya has recently been holding a cultural festi- val on a theme related to its history: the Festival of Ancient Ovech. The programme features studies of the district’s past, concerts, special radio and television broadcasts, etc. The festivities last two months and end with a ceremony in the old fortress, where an art gallery has been opened.

The Spring Cultural Festivals at Kustendil comprise a series of very varied cultural events. For ten days, on the town’s central square, the festival is in full swing. Amateur artists give literary and musical recitals, there is a carnival, the Sofia Philharmonic gives a concert, etc. During the 1968 Spring Cultural Festival, several exhibitions were put on, devoted to local painters, the ethnography of the region and Kustendil and the Bulgarian Press; one evening was devoted to literature and one meeting was held to allow the local inhabitants to exchange points of view with writers and artists, etc.

It is in the springtime, too, that the Yambol Golden Diana Festival of Chamber Music Choirs takes place.

Other notable local cultural festivals include the Vasil Drumev Drama

50

Activities of cultural institutions

Festival at Shumen, the Humour and Satire Festival at Gabrovo, the Laureates Festival at Pleven, the Yavorov Festival, dedicated to the poet P. K. Yavorov, at Pomorie, the Dobrudja Folk-Arts Festival at Tol- bukhin, etc. During the Dobrudja Folk-Arts Festival, more than thirty concerts are given in the towns and villages of the area. In addition to all this, there is the Sea and Man poetry contest held at Nesebiir, a town on the Black Sea coast which is famous for its remains of classical art and architecture. At Kazanluk, a month-long painting festival includes, in addition to exhibitions, lectures on painting problems, a meeting between young artists and the masters of modern Bulgarian painting and other cultural events.

The provincial authorities often organize cultural festivals in the villages during the winter months, by calling on artistic groups, theatre companies, writers, etc. The province of Blagoevgrad has recently been outstanding for the large variety of events which it has organized for the benefit of rural communities; thus the city orchestra has given 120 concerts, the Pirin Ensemble 53 concerts and the local theatre 66 performances, while individual writers have given 14 public lectures.

All these types of activity form the link between the people and art, and at the same time help to raise the citizens’ standard of artistic culture and enrich and activate their intellectual life.

51

Conclusion

Culture in the People’s Republic of Bulgaria is national in its form and socialist in its content. Creative artists are inspired by the great ideals of communism. They are at the service of the people in its ceaseless struggle for social progress, prosperity and happiness. The aim of Bulgarian arts and culture is to raise the artistic standards of the nation and to inculcate into the people at large a spirit of peace, friendship and co-operation with other peoples, and an attitude of respect for their artistic and cultural values.

One of the typical features of Bulgarian culture is that it is developing in close relation to and interaction with the culture of the peoples of the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries.

Article 46 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, which was adopted recently, states: ‘1. Scientific and cultural creativity shall be at the scrvicc of the people

and shall develop in a communist spirit. ‘2. The State shall watch with special care over the development of

science, art and culture by setting up institutions of higher education, institutes of scientific research, publishing-houses, libraries and mu- scums, and by means of the radio and television.’

The tenth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party, held at Sofia in April 1971, set many targets for the development of arts and culture. It decided, for example: (a) to work out over the next few years an over-all plan for the artistic education of the people and for the modernization and expansion of the material basis of culture; (b) to give the artists’ and writers’ associations an even larger part to play; they must intensify their work for the training of young artists and writers and for the development of their schemes and projects; (c) that the Committee for Arts and Culture will have to improve its working methods so as to become a genuine centre where general problems which arise over the whole cultural field can be discussed and solved.

52

Conclusion

At present, everything points to the fact that Bulgarian cultural devcl- opment will go forward at the same pace in years to come, keeping pace with social and economic progress. Greater democratization will be achieved, and the forms and means employed in the dissemination of culture will steadily grow in number. The five-day working week will bring about an increase in the number of theatre-goers, cinema-goers, concert audiences, library-users and groups of amateur artists. The increase in leisure time will enable workers to diversify their activities in film or camera clubs, radio circles and musical societies.

Artistic activity will continue to express the needs and trends of historic development, while giving voice to the aspirations and ideals of contemporary man.

In conclusion, if we wish to define the prospects for the development of Bulgarian culture, we can say that it will continue to accumulate riches, drawing its strength and inspiration from three inexhaustible springs: Bulgarian socialist society, with its manifold attainments and aspirations ; the thousand-year-old traditions of the Bulgarian people and, especially, those of the Bulgaria National Revival, imbued as they are with a revolu- tionary, democratic spirit; and, lastly, the onward cultural march of all mankind.

53

Appendixes

-. -. --_. I ---

I. Statistics 1

Museums: development between 1939 and 1968

1939 1952 1956 1965 1968

Museums National Houses designated as

national monuments Specialized Central

TOTAL

Items exhibited

801

-

staff Total numbers of staff Specialized staff -

1. No detailed breakdown available.

58 33 39 31

13 30 43 42 13 23 42 63

6 6 9 Y 55 92 133 145

- 2 207 615 2 463 099

873 1 073 - - 376 468

Theatres Drama Grand opera Comic ooera

Theatre: development between 1939 and 1969

1939 1948 1956 1960 1969

10 15 35 36 34 1 3 5 5 5 2 1 1 1 1

Puppet A - 2 4 4 6 TOTAL x73 5 z5 z z

Attendances (in thousands) Theatres Grand houses opera Comic houses opera Puppet theatres

TOTAL

1 192 1 351 3 546 4 765 3 620 133 346 588 626 492 196 101 292 325 228

- 53 236 295 458 1 521 1 851 4 662 6 011 4 7Y8

1. The tables which follow are taken from the Statistical Yearbook ofthe People’s Republic ofBulgaria, Sofia, 1970.

57

Appendixes

Cinrma: development between 1939 and 1968

1939 1948 1956 1965 1968

Cinemas In towns ln villages

TOTAL

Showings In towns

123 169 187 352 366 32 279 889 2 051 2678

155 448 1076 2 4*03 3044

67 863 - 173547 379 512 380070 In villages 3465 - 249860 647 994 620 581

TOTAL 71328 - 423407 - 1027 SO6 - 1000651

Attendances (in thousands) In towns 12 7l8 - 43658 83432 78 549 In villages 385 - 25 716 42930 35449 -- -

TOTAL 13103 32047 69 374 126362 113 998

Average number of attendances per inhabitant 2 4 9 15 14

Books and the press: development between 1939 and 1968

1939 1948 1956 1960 1965 1968

Books Number of titles Number of copies

printed annually (in thousands)

Per inhabitant

Periodicals Number of titles Number of copies

printed annually

p,‘;;np$;“,~:‘j’

Newspapers Number of titles Number of copies

printed annually

2169 2 322 2 900 3 369 363% 3579

6484 19 893 21141 30 244 39 282 39037 1.0 2.8 2.8 3.8 4.8 4.7

393 246 105 151 449 737

11 208 10421 9 443 20923 25 384 37179 1.8 1.5 1.2 2.7 3.7 44

513 92 80 83 590 715

130 297 34590s 498 782 602 813 602178 731 347 20.7 48.5 65.8 76.6 73.4, 87.4

Reading centres: development between 1939 and 1968

1939 1948 1956 1960 1966 1968

Reading centres In towns In villages

TOTAL

157 225 270 278 377 379 2 453 3 753 4 264 4 224 4 140 4 139 - - - - - - 2 610 3 978 4 534 4 502 4 517 4 518

Members (in thoctsands) In towns 42 100 220 255 337 370 In villages

TOTAL 118 360 574 524 658 722 - 160 460 7y4 7% 095 1 092

Libraries: development between 1952 and 1968

1952 1956 1965 1968

Libraries In towns In villages

TOTAL

Book collections (volumes in thousands) In towns In villages

TOTAL

Books 100,000 per inhabitants

- - 3 994 4 230 6 819 6 879

4 434 5 759 10 813 11109

- 23 320 27 560 12 715 14 999

8 138 14 215 36 035 42 559

11 186 18 764 43 94,5 SO 849

Groups of amateur artists: development from 1960 to 1968 ----.

Musical and song- and-dance groups

Choirs Orchestras Grand opera

companies Comic opera

companies Theatre companies Light music

groups Punnet troupes

433 31 249 2 821 1 263 4924 235 336 25401 6 070

782 13 707 3 126 965

3 359 146 61

4.5 3 024 486 221 3 456 60 822 15 499 3 925

864 13 169 5 606 17.54 149 2160 1044 202

Bail& troupes 2116 35016 6713 1 990 TOTAL 12 3m 60 16

325 20696 2 917 6026 277733 32 552 1 457 26 783 5 566

2 270 64

30 2 164 283 2 762 43 398 IO 542

675 9 685 3 893 120 1 887 1 671

1 61.5 36 452 5 565 li - 63 OS3

1 555 8 375 1 910

23

,106 2 539

1206 323

2 102 18 139

s9

Appendixes

Scl~ools, circles and clubs: development between 1961 and 1968

1961 1966 1968

Parti- Parti- Parti- Number cipnnts Number eipants Number cipants

Music schools and courses

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

Dancing schools and courses

In State uudertakings and institutions In educational institutions Iu reading ceutres

TOTAL

Circles for the plastic arts

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutious In reading centres

TOTAL

Circles for the applied arts

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

Literary circles

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

Reading circles

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

Camera clubs

In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

91 5 762 111 8 006 117 7 438 113 2 860 104 2 403 112 2 597 393 21 002 428 18 710 547 20 315 57 29 624 653 29 119 776 30 350

9 727 19 987 18 1 044 17 1 010 19 654 21 881 26 1 142 39 1 338 30 1 269 z 2 879 E 2 979 69 3 194

10 304 36 873 44 933 154 2 999 122 2 435 152 2 971

27 461 32 484 33 506 191 3 764 190 3 792 229 4 410

- 47

1 48

- 937

25 962

4 39

5 E

114 803

76 - 993

7 127 43 779

4 48 z m

14. 232 582 11 367 107 1 843 -- 70:s 13 442

47 772 682 12 621 94 1 532

H23 14 925

23 444 528 9 811

82 1 253 633 11 508

- 47 699 393 7 221

95 1 460 - - - --- 535 9 380

- 33 624 180 2 986

- 155 2 134 - - - - - -_ - 368 5 7.44

Appendixes

1961 1966 1963 -

Parti- Parti- Parti- Number cipants N”lTlbCT cipsnts Number cipanf9

Film clubs In State undertakings and institutions In educational institutions In reading centres

TOTAL

-- - 26 411 _- - 69 1 241

30 447 - -

- - -- 125 2 099

-- Radio and television: development between 1939 and 1969

1939 1948 1956 1960 1965 1969

Transmitting stations Localities having a radio

broadcasting network Number of villages covered

by network above Local transmitting

stations Holders of radio licences Radio receivers Receivers for local

broadcasts Number of radio

licences held per 1,000 inhabitants

Number of television licences held

Number of television licences held per 1,000 inhabitants

3 5 7

- 41 1 558

25 1 448

41 1 176 62677 210366 753901 62677 201866 399176

- 8 500 354725

10 30 100

7

1 905

1 794

1 347 1 430 653

868 950

561 703

182

2 573

0 23 98

14 23

2 2045 2 469

2 070 2 335

1 572 1 793 2055119 2270600 1 399 610 1 553 600

655 509 717 000

250 269

185 246 830 000

61

II. Organizational charts

Congress of Bulgarian Culture

I

Plenary meeting of the Committee for Arts and Culture

I

Exccativc I3oard of the Committee for Arts and Culture

I

Presidium of the Committee for Arts and Cnlturc

(President, Vice-Presidents and Secretary-General)

I

state enterprises

General dircetoratcs

InstiQltrs of scientific research

Structure of the Conunittcc for Arts aucl Culture

Governing Board

Director-General Centre for scientific research

Sections

I I I 1 Publications Book-production Book-distribution Economic Affairs Board Board Board Board

-_I.- Director of Director of Director of Director of Publishing Book-production Book-distribution Economic Affairs

--I----- General editing Sections Sections Sections

Structure of the State enterprise Bulgarska Kniga (Bulgarian Books)

62

Appendixes

ProvinciaI conference of those responsible for promoting

cnlturo and arts

Plenary meeting of tbc provincial Council

for Arts and Culture

I

Bllr‘%W of the provincial Council

for Arts and Culture (Chairman, Vice-Chairman

and members)

I

Esccntivc oficc Exccutiw oflice Section for Section for Section for for the promotion for cultural work book-promotion the spread of cultural of amateur artists’ among the work culinrc hy radio musam~s and activities population at monuments

large

Structure of the provincial Councils for Arts and Culture

Bulgarian Painters’ Congress

I Board of Management

I

BUEiU (President, Vice-Presidents,

Secretary, members) I

Paintiog

I

Criticism

Sections I --r[

Sculpture Graphic arts Applied arts

I I I

Postrrs and Young phinters’ Artists’ aid fund applied grnphic workshop arts

Provincial groups of painters

Structure of the Bulgarian Painters’ Association

63