BNR announces new Bulgarian Ambassadors of Culture

At a solemn ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia,
the Bulgarian National Radio announced the names of the new holders
of the title “Bulgarian Ambassador of Culture” in the
campaign of the same name, the fifth edition of which is being held
under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Iliana Iotova.

The new Bulgarian
Ambassadors of Culture, nominated by the audience of the public radio
and subsequently selected by an authoritative jury, are Eurovision
star DARA, art critic Dr. Nadezhda Dzhakova, the chief conductor of
the Bulgarian Army and head of the Representative Brass Band of the
National Guards Unit, Lt.Col. Radi Radev, sculptor Ivan Kanchev,
ballet master and choreographer Prof. Anton Andonov and the main
driver for the opening of the first lectorate in Bulgarian language
and culture at the University of Pristina – Dr. Mimoza Hasani.

They
received statuettes made by sculptor Raynis
Gelov.

“When
this initiative began in 2021, we supported the proposal of our
colleague Nina Tsaneva, because at the Bulgarian
National
Radio we believe that culture is of particular importance in shaping
our image in
the world, as
cultural diplomacy is something very special. Its results are
memorable and self-replicating. When a person reads a Bulgarian book,
they
are
interested in looking for other Bulgarian authors. When one
hears a Bulgarian song, they
starts looking for other Bulgarian performers. This expansion of the
cultural territory of Bulgaria is part of the public commitment of
the National Radio to Bulgarian culture,” Director
General of the BNR,
Milen Mitev, said during the solemn ceremony in the evening hours of June
17.

Minister
of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova pointed
out:

“Where
diplomacy opens doors, culture wins hearts. I believe that the
connections that culture builds are the ones that endure over time,
endure when there are challenges and various crises that surround us.
It is all of you who, with your talent, inspire not only us, but also
people
beyond the borders of our country and show a face of Bulgaria that is
recognizable, accepted and respected and I think that you are one of
the most important ambassadors that our country can have.”

This
year, the seven-member jury of the campaign, composed of
representatives of various institutions, unanimously decided to
present
an incentive prize, which went to Tsvetina Gramova – a musician,
teacher and cultural activist, who is one of the brightest guardians
of Bulgarian folklore and has made a particularly significant
contribution to its popularization throughout the world.

Tsvetina
Gramova is the winner of dozens of national and international awards
and distinctions. From the age of five until today, she
has never missed a festival in Koprivshtitsa and her performances
have always received
medals,
diplomas and recognitions. Her international appearances began at the
age of 15 in the Italian city of Bolzano and later with the Academic
Folk Choir at the Academy of
Music
in Plovdiv at the European Youth Choir Festival in Basel –
Switzerland.

The winner of the “Bulgarian Ambassador of Culture” award,
Dr. Nadezhda Dzhakova, is the most successful commissioner of the
Bulgarian participation at the Venice Art Biennale. The Bulgarian
presentation under her leadership two years ago was exceptional –
out of 80 participating countries, The Observer and The Guardian
placed the Bulgarian pavilion in sixth position in the Top 10 places
to visit at the Biennale. Dr. Nadezhda Dzhakova was among the few
specially invited by the Vatican to meet Pope Francis during his
visit to the largest contemporary art forum.

The
Chief Conductor of the Bulgarian Army and head of the Representative
Brass Band of the National Guards Unit, Lt.Col. Radi Radev, is one of
the most prominent and beloved conductors, a person with undisputed
authority and a significant contribution to musical culture.

The
Representative Brass Band of the National Guards Unit has participated many times in
parades of military brass bands and in
music festivals abroad. This
year the
musicians took part in the International Music Parade of Military and
Brass Bands from March 5 to 16 in Germany. The statuette “Bulgarian
Ambassador of Culture” was presented to Lt.Col. Radev by the
Deputy Minister of Defence Katerina Gramatikova-Ivanova.

The
third recipient of the “Bulgarian Ambassadors of Culture 2025”
award, Dr. Mimoza Hasani-Pllana,
is a literary critic and lecturer at the University of Pristina. She
has an important contribution to the opening of the first lectorate
in Bulgarian language and culture at the university in the capital of
Kosovo. Upon
receiving
her award from the Deputy Minister of Education and Science,
Academician Nikolay Vitanov, Dr. Mimoza Hasani-Pllana
said:

“Bulgaria
has long held an important place in my heart. This is the country
where I completed my doctoral and postdoctoral research at Sofia
University St. Kliment Ohridski – an experience that had a profound
impact on my academic development
and brought me closer to the Bulgarian language, culture and
intellectual life. My lecturer and mentor, Prof. Russana Beyleri,
also holds a special place in this journey. My connection with
Bulgaria has also deepened through my family life as the wife of a
diplomat who served as the head of the mission of the Republic of
Kosovo in Bulgaria. For this reason, I accept this award not only as
professional recognition, but also as a reflection of a sincere and
enduring relationship. Thank you for this high honour!”

The
next who
received award
in the “Bulgarian Ambassadors of Culture 2025” campaign is
sculptor Ivan Kanchev – a contemporary Bulgarian artist with an
extremely active international activity, whose work represents this
country at the most significant world events in the field of
contemporary ceramic art. He is the winner of over 50 national and
international awards and is the author of dozens of solo and
collective exhibitions in Bulgaria and abroad.

Darina
Yotova – DARA also became the holder of the title “Bulgarian
Ambassador of Culture”. In addition to her charisma, the
Eurovision winner is characterised
by positivity, creativity, hard work and high professionalism.
Through her success, she showed that Bulgaria is rich in competitive
artists and that the world stage belongs to them. DARA participated
in the award ceremony with a video message from Greece, where she is taking part in Greek music awards.

Prof.
Anton Andonov – ballet master and choreographer, deputy rector of
the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Asen
Diamandiev” in Plovdiv, also received well-deserved recognition.
For the people from the International Folklore Formation “Youth
of the Square” (Mladost
na ploshtada),
who nominated him, he is the man who managed to realize a seemingly
impossible idea – to gather 32 young Bulgarians, born and raised in
France, Germany, England, Spain and the Netherlands, in one ensemble,
and to give them the opportunity to experience the highest examples
of Bulgarian folklore art.

The
Bulgarian National Radio campaign does not end with the selection of
the six Bulgarian Ambassadors of Culture. In the next
months,
the BNR
will continue to promote their activities through its programs and
will discuss important issues of the
country’s cultural policy with them.