The October issue of LIK, entitled “100 Years of Varna Summer on the Music Scene,” was presented at BTA’s National Press Club in Varna on Wednesday. The latest issue of the Bulgarian News Agency’s magazine for literature, art and culture focuses on the 100th anniversary of the Varna Summer International Music Festival, as well as at the 120-year history of the Varna Regional Museum of History.
The October issue was also presented at BTA’s national press clubs across Bulgaria and abroad, where various guests talked about local festivals.
The Varna event was attended by LIK Editor-in-Chief Georgi Lozanov, LIK Editor Yanitsa Hristova, the Varna Summer International Music Festival Director, Prof. Mario Hossen, Varna Regional History Museum Director Igor Lazarenko, Varna Deputy Mayor Sofia Koleva, and BTA Deputy Director General Evgenia Drumeva.
LIK Editor-in-Chief Lozanov said that Varna is a festival city, and the Varna Summer mega-festival has for long been influencing Bulgarian cultural identity on the national scale. He noted that events like the Varna Summer Festival cultivate their own audience, because classical music, in particular, is not something that is self-explanatory; it requires a certain level of education to truly appreciate it and grasp its depth. “We hope that art will reach the audience on its own, but that is not always the case – it only happens with popular culture. High art requires special education and engagement to decipher its codes. Festivals create hierarchies of values that help audiences shape their own criteria,” added Assoc. Prof. Lozanov. The Varna Summer Festival is also important because it integrates the Bulgarian cultural scene into the European one, he went on to say.
LIK Editor Hristova said that the Varna Summer Festival transforms the city into more than just a resort – it is a true sensory experience for visitors. This is evident from BTA’s news reports, featured in the issue’s thematic timeline, she said. The earliest publications date back to the 1930s. In 1937, a woman from Poland who witnessed the folk festival was quoted as saying: “This image of Varna was the least expected, but the dearest to my heart.” In the decades that followed, the festival’s programme diversified, incorporating an ever-increasing variety of events featuring not only Bulgarian performers but also artists from abroad. Gradually, as BTA’s news reports over the years have shown, during the months when the Varna Summer Festival takes place, the seaside city becomes the centre of the country’s cultural life. The magazine’s October issue also features the Regional History Museum in Varna, one of the largest cultural institutions in Bulgaria, Hristova noted.
The Festival’s artistic director, Mario Hossen, said that the Festival’s most important message is to connect young people with the classical tradition that has shaped European civilization over the past five centuries. He said the Festival has marked its centenary with landmark events unprecedented in Bulgaria’s festival history. Leading orchestras and musicians who perform in London, Vienna, Brussels, Paris and Salzburg took to the Varna stage, helping establish the city as a venue for world-class musical productions. “Music has been the Balkans’ strongest voice since the time of Orpheus,” Hossen noted, describing it as part of the region’s cultural DNA and citing the festival as proof of its enduring musical heritage.
Varna Regional Museum of History Director Lazarenko said that the Museum is well-known and has a promising future. “The Museum has evolved from a small exhibition in the attic of the Girls’ High School, where it is still housed today. Thanks to this building complex, we can showcase the rich cultural heritage we have from the Mesolithic period through the 19th century. We have vast spaces that we fill with interesting exhibits and modern multimedia,” Lazarenko noted. In his words, the Museum operates year-round, but it is mainly during the summer that tourists from every continent visit. In 1966, when the Museum celebrated its 60th anniversary, it was already well-known and popular in Asia, the United States, and Canada, he added.
Varna Deputy Mayor Koleva said that the Varna Summer International Music Festival is at the heart of the city’s cultural life. It is not only a valuable part of Varna’s heritage but also helps shape its contemporary identity; it inspires people to strive for higher ideals through outstanding performers and artistic experiences. The Festival’s century-long history reflects Varna’s strong connection to Europe and its shared human values, Koleva pointed out. Beyond its cultural significance, the Festival also brings economic benefits by extending the tourist season and attracting new visitors, the Deputy Mayor said. Koleva noted that the event also fosters intercultural and institutional partnerships. She added that Varna hosts numerous other festivals and cultural events that attract diverse audiences. The former Russian consulate building is also being transformed into a new cultural space.
BTA Deputy Director General Evgenia Drumeva said the Agency has launched a Festive Bulgaria section showcasing festivals and cultural events across the country. The new BTA feature will provide calendar-style information about festivals, events and holidays through BTA’s online reference guide. Readers will be able to plan weekend visits based on their interests and explore events by region and municipality on a map. The feature also offers English-language articles, photos and videos covering festivals held across Bulgaria.
The LIK magazine has been freely accessible since January 2024. All issues published since the magazine’s relaunch in 2022, including the October issue, are available for download from BTA’s website.
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