Cultural figures are of great importance for the national identity and spirit and the state must show that it values them in times of crisis, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev said during a meeting with representatives of the independent artists in Bulgaria.

The reason for the conversation is a petition initiated by poetess Daniela Kuzmanova and musician Ventsislav Mitsov. The petition was supported by more than 2,000 Bulgarian artists. The document, which was sent to 7 state institutions, presents concrete demands aimed at helping the independent cultural sector survive after the end of the pandemic.

“A national register of the independent artists affected by the crisis must be created. According to different opinions, the number of independent artists in this country ranges from 2,000 to 80,000”, Ventsi Mitsov commented for Radio Bulgaria. The artists want to know how much of the funds allotted by the EU to Bulgaria to deal with the consequences of the pandemic will be spent on culture. The repayment of loans borrowed by independent artists should be postponed by several months, one of the demands in the petition read. 

Ventsislav Mitsov called the conversation initiated by Bulgaria’s head of state constructive, but pointed out that unlike the cabinet, the Bulgarian President does not have the opportunity to provide direct support and that his role is to offer expert solutions.

Bulgaria’s artists were among the first people affected by the introduction of the anti-epidemic measures against Covid-19. Artists on the payroll as well as representatives of the independent cultural sector were affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Compiled by: Ioan Kolev