Bulgarian culture

The status of Koprivchitsa as an architectural and historical reserve will not be removed, Koprivshtitsa Mayor Gencho Gerdanov, according to FOCUS News Agency in relation to the decision of the Municipal Council in Koprivshtitsa to vote on the removal of the city's status.

The mayor assured that Koprivshtitsa will remain the same - authentic, modern, and clean.

In a social media post on Thursday President Rumen Radev urged all competent entities to forthwith revise or halt the decision of the municipal council in the town of Koprivshtitsa to withdraw the architectural reserve status of the town. "Any compromise in the case will be a coup against the national memory and cultural heritage of Bulgaria''.

Bulgarians are celebrating on Tuesday Baba Marta (Grandma March) holiday, which is observed each year on March 1.

On this day, people greet each other with "Happy Baba Marta" and exchange adornments called "martenitsi" (named after the month of March).

For the 21st year Sofia International Film Festival will gather in Sofia films, guests, stars, journalists and cinema fans from March 9 until March 31, 2017.Featured in Variety's Top 50 of cinema festivals, the event presents Bulgaria to the world as the host of one of the important film festivals in Europe and takes place annually in March.

The acceleration of the repairs of the sites where the meetings of Bulgaria's Presidency of the Council of the EU will be held is the main priority of the interim government, commented at a meeting on Friday Deputy PM on the preparation of the presidency Denitsa Zlateva and Regional Development Minister Spas Popnikolov.

Half of the planned BGN 35 M for repairs to the National Palace of Culture (NDK) and the preparation for Bulgaria's presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2018 have been transferred to NDK and some of the money has already been spent, announced the director of NDK.

Repairs to the building will cost BGN 35 M, while the deadline for their execution is September 2017.

Bulgaria's capital Sofia will have a living Christmas tree for the first time and will light it up on Thursday, the local administration says.

Unlike previous years, the tree is not located in front of the Sofia Municipality building, near the Sofia Court House.

Turkish dance group Fire of Anatolia is to present its new show in Sofia and Varna in October.

Troy, a performance based on Homer's epic poem Iliad that recounts a story from the Trojan War, can be enjoyed at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia on October 21.

In Varna, Troy will be shown two days later, on October 25, at the Palace of Culture and Sports.

Bulgaria is celebrating on Tuesday its Unification Day, with festive events expected throughout the country but mostly in Plovdiv, the second-biggest city.

Three Bulgarian cities, which will be European Capitals in the next three years, will have one landmark buiding each lit in the colours of the EU flag in a light and sound show marking the Day of Europe later this month.