50 Years of UNIMA – Bulgaria (1963 – 2013)
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50 Years Of UNIMA – Bulgaria (1963 – 2013) Prof. Slavcho Malenov We publish with significant cuts the report of Prof. Slavcho Malenov, presented on the 27th of September 2013 in Stara Zagora, during the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of UNIMA - Bulgaria. Namely, the Czech immigrants estab- 1 Jindrich` ` Vesely ` What is UNIMA? (1885-1939) – a poet UNIMA - Union Internationale de lished the first brass bands in the coun- and a playwright, the la Marionnette is a non-governmental try and are the main initiators and ac- first editor-in-chief of „Loutkar“`` ` . organization under the auspices of tivists for the establishment of the cul- ture house “Slavianska beseda” (“Slavic 2 Malikova, Nina, UNESCO that gathers people from all Historie UNIMA over the world, willing to contribute to Talk”) 1929-1999 http:// the development of the art of puppetry, The first building of “Slavianska unima .idu .cz/cs/his- Beseda” (1910), on “Rakovski” Street, the torie-unima-1929-1999 with the goal to use this art in the pur- 3 Central Military Club can also be seen on Konstantin Josef suit of universal values such as peace Jirecek` ` (24 July 1854- the picture. and mutual understanding between the 1918), a Czech histo- During the 19th century national rian, politician, diplo- people regardless of their race, political, mat, and Slavist . He liberation movements against the religious or cultural differences, in ac- was the founder of German and Hungarian assimilation the Bohemian cordance with the respect of the funda- led by intellectuals, were raising forces Balkanology and the mental human rights, as defined in the Byzantine studies . Екатерина Базилевич in the Czech Republic and the present United Nations Universal Declaration Jirecek` ` was a minister Ekaterina Bazilevich territory of Slovakia . In these countries, in the government of of Human Rights, dating back to the the Principality of th essayist, publisher and puppeteer Paul puppetry began to engage leading cul- Bulgaria . 10 of December 1948 . tural figures . Prominent Czech artists of How was UNIMA established? Jeannes said in his speech, that since they 4 Ivan Mrkvicka` ` had gathered there – puppeteers from al- the time contributed to the national (Czech, also Jan “In comparison with other European revival and designed a number of small Vaclav` Mrkvicka` ` ; countries, Czechoslovakia was known most all parts of Europe, they should take Bulgarian: Иван the advantage to create something like an “family puppet theaters” . So the par- Мърквичка) (23 worldwide as “the Paradise of the Puppets” ents could present to their children April 1856 – 16 May international puppet theater community. because of its unique features – two maga- stories in their native language, as an 1938) was a Czech And probably he suggested the name painter and an active zines, companies producing puppets, spe- opposition of the officially imposed “Union Internationale des Marionnettes”, contributor to the cialty stores for puppets, in which versions German and Hungarian . The Puppet artistic life of newly pronounced as UNIMA. liberated Bulgaria of puppet plays studies and texts for ama- Theatre began to be used as an educa- The proposal was received with loud in the late 19th and teur puppeteers in schools were issued, tional and instructive art . early 20th century . courses, exhibitions, as well as, the very applauses. Then a regular meeting was The struggle against the five centu- He is regarded as one held. The participants adopted unani- of the founders of the professional puppet theater of Josef Skupa, ries Turkish assimilation and oriental- modern Bulgarian etc. mously the first major proposals, in particu- ism incitement of the Ottoman Empire fine art tradition . The puppeteers of Czech Republic and lar the statute of UNIMA. French became was essentially similar to the struggles of 5 Jaroslav Frantisek` ` ` ` ` ` Slovakia met in Prague in May 1929. the working language and Dr. Jindrich the Czech intellectuals to defend their Julius Vesin th 1, 2 (Bulgarian:` Ярослав The Congress was held from the 18 Vesely was elected as the First President national identity . In 1892, in Sofia, a Вешин, Yaroslav till the 20th of May in the lecture hall of of UNIMA small home puppet theater of the Czech Veshin) (23 May 1860 – 9 May 1915) the Central City Library. The program of What is the situation family Proshek presented their perfor- was a Czech painter the three-day meeting was supplemented by in our country? mances, which enjoyed great success . who mainly worked The development of Bulgarian in Bulgaria and who performances and tours of leading theaters, In 1893 in Sofia, the Association of the was distinguished local and foreign guests. Puppet Theatre was a part of a world- Czech Immigrants established a new as a master of genre On Monday, the 20th of May the wide revival of the genre during the puppet theater . painting . The realistic th th depiction of battle guests made a visit to a representative ama- 19 and 20 century . Without ignor- These events provoked the interest scenes from the First teur theater called “In the Kingdom of the ing countries with long traditions in of Bulgarian cultural circles . The first Balkan War (1912) are the subject of a Puppets” created by the sculptor Vojtech puppetry, for Bulgaria, the presence of manifestation of organized Bulgarian substantial part of his Sucharda. After a tour around the facilities immigrants from Russia, Poland, Puppet Theater took place in March work . on the stage and the demonstrations of Hungary, and especially from 1924 in Sofia . As a result, within the 6 Jiri Proshek (also equipment and techniques for stage light- Czechoslovakia was really important . members of “Slavianska Beseda” known as George Proshek) is a Czech ing, the participants gathered in the club The Czechs participated actively in Association was born the idea to estab- engineer and on the ground floor together with guests the cultural life in Bulgaria before and lish a professional puppet theater . Main entrepreneur who has spent the majority from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, after the Liberation of Ottoman Yoke figures in it were: Arch . Atanas Donkov, of his life in Bulgaria Yugoslavia, Germany, Poland, Austria, (1878) . It is enough to mention the the artists Alexander Bojinov and with his brother - Romania and the Soviet Union. names of Konstantin Jirechek3, Jan Elisaveta Konsulova-Vazova . Bogdan Proshek and his cousins Josef and There, in the inspiring atmosphere of (Ivan) Mrkvichka4, Yaroslav Veshin5, Elisaveta Konsoulova-Vazova is the Vaclav Proshek . Jiri the meeting, the unforgettable French poet, the Proshek’s6 family and many others . wife of Boris Vazov (the youngest Proshek was born 22 брой 7/2013 23 The Puppet Fairy Куклената фея на Екатерина Czechoslovakia, UNIMA resumed its in 1847 . In 1871 he Базилевич arrived in Bulgaria work within the Congress in Prague af- and worked on the ter World War II . construction of the In 1958 Margareta Niculescu - a railway line in Thrace . After the Liberation, young director and manager of Theater he was the architect Tsandarika, became the initiator and of the municipality of Sofia (1879-1881) organizer of the new post-war congress and worked on the in Bucharest, accompanied by a large first master plan of international festival under the auspices the city . Later, he was chief engineer of UNIMA . The next two festivals in of the department Bucharest were in 1960 and 1965 . of public buildings (1881-1885) . Together These initiatives led to an incredible with his brother , excitement in the puppet theater circles Bogdan Proshek they in Europe and in the world . People founded in 1879 the first printing house started talking about a Contemporary, in Sofia in 1884 - Modern Puppet Theatre . The Bulgarian Brewery “ Proshek”, brother of the great Bulgarian poet and Piccoli” in 1931 provoked the attention the largest in the participation was crucial to the overall city at that time , writer Ivan Vazov), who at that time of the actor Stefan Penchev to create posterior development of this art in our which later became was a chairman of “Slavianska Beseda” the first puppet theater for adults that country . The first forum in Bucharest a ceramic factory . Jiri Proshek is one and provided a strong support for the he called “The Bulgarian Teatro dei actually made the artists from Bulgaria of the founders of formation of this first Bulgarian puppet Piccoli”, which unfortunately existed see the light of new opportunities that “Slavic talk” and the troupe . only one year . Bulgarian engineering had emerged for the puppet theater . and architectural Later Boris Vazov was sent as min- In 1942 a new puppet theater was Despite the unsuccessful presentation company . ister plenipotentiary in Prague and created to the “The Teachers Fund” in of the performance “The Boy and the 7 Ekaterina Bazilevich Elisaveta Konsulova-Vazova took an Sofia . Its director was the journalist Wind” in 1958, this event highly moti- born 24 .XІ .1889 in active part in the founding Congress of Kiril Batembergski . It worked with the vated the young artists in the Central Kharkov, Russia ., dead 19 .ІІ .1940 - UNIMA in May 1929 in Prague . puppets from “Bulgarian Teatro dei Puppet Theater and two years later, dur- Sofia . A Russian In regard with this event, postcards Piccoli”, but it used the repertoire from ing the Second Festival (1960), the win- actress in Bulgaria in were issued . One of them shows Mrs . the Artistic Puppet Theatre in 1921 . ners were the Bulgarians: Liliana Husband Gregory E . Vazova with two puppets in national “Slavianska Beseda” . The Theatre of Docheva (Director of “Rabbit School”), Zipalov Bazilevich dresses . Batembergski existed as a commercial Nikolina Georgieva & Atanas Ilkov born in Russia (?), dead 1941in Sofia . The next card shows some of the company until 1952 without any subsi- (Directors of “Peter and the Wolf”) .