The distinction was handed over to her by the Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov
At the traditional official ceremony in the month of the National Revival Leaders – November, the Artistic Director of the ballet of the Sofia Opera Sara-Nora Krysteva was awarded, together with 16 eminent artists, by Minister Vezhdi Rashidov the highest and most prestigious distinction of the Ministry of Culture – the “Golden Century” award. The ceremony took place in the Mirror hall of the National Gallery – “The Castle”.
Sara-Nora Krysteva received the award just several hours after the returning of the national ballet from the triumphal tour in Spain, where in eight spectacles in front of more than 11 000 spectators she presented “Zorba the Greek” – the symbolic work after the music by Mikis Theodorakis. The renowned choreographer Lorca Massine was present at the first one of the spectacles in Bilbao. “We had an exceptional success. Many young people told us that for now on they will connect Bulgaria also with this art, and not like before – only with Hristo Stoichkov. The applauses were unusually loud, I can hardly point the encores we made”, shared Sara-Nora.
“Golden Century” is awarded to eminent personalities, who have contributed to the development of the Bulgarian culture and national identity – painters, musicians, writers, linguists, theatre artists, journalists, managers in the sphere of culture, as well as patrons.
Winners of the distinction this year are: Lyuben Zidarov (painter), Kostadinka Kalaydzhieva (director of many years of The National Library), Prof. Plamen Dzhurov (conductor), Lilia Adadjieva (theatre director), Dimitar Georgiev (patron), Stoyan Aleksiev (actor), Magardich Halvadzhian (producer), Evtim Miloshev (producer), Prof. Dimitar Ivanov (patron), Prof. Alexander Tekeliev (composer), Prof. Alexander Shurbanov (translator, poet, writer and publicist), Prof. Petko Petkov (historian, professor at the Veliko Tarnovo University “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”), Maria Deyanova (linguist), Toma Sprostranov (journalist), Ivan Simeonov (writer), Elin Rahnev (playwright, poet, journalist).
“Ministers come and go, Presidents come and go, but the symbols, the signs, the heraldry of one state, these are the “stamps” of this state. The state doesn’t go away. That is why I would like to thank you today that you are here, that you are alive and healthy. This year we are rewarding the most talented, next year – again the most talented and so on for ever and ever, because culture won’t die”, assured Minister Rashidov during the ceremony.
