Ministry of Culture (Bulgaria)
Government ministry of Bulgaria
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The Ministry of Culture (Bulgarian: Министерство на културата, Ministerstvo na kulturata) of the Republic of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with overseeing and stimulating the cultural work in the country and preserving its cultural heritage.[citation needed]
- Marian Bachev (2025)
| Министерство на културата Ministerstvo na kulturata | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 6 February 1954 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Bulgaria |
| Headquarters | Sofia, Bulgaria |
Minister responsible |
|
| Website | www |
History
The Ministry of Culture was established as a separate institution on 6 February 1954, previously being part of the Ministry of Enlightenment. It was then active under various names until promoted back to a ministry in 1990, but once again briefly united with the Ministry of Education and Science in 1993.[citation needed]
Ministers
The following table lists the ministers responsible for culture in Bulgaria since 1990. In 1992–1993 the culture portfolio was part of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and in 2005 it was briefly part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.[1]
| Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krastyo Goranov | 8 February 1990 | 21 September 1990 | BSP | [1] |
| Dimo Dimov | 21 September 1990 | 20 December 1990 | Independent | [1] |
| Dimo Dimov | 22 December 1990 | 8 November 1991 | Independent | [1] |
| Elka Konstantinova | 8 November 1991 | 30 December 1992 | UDF | [1] |
| Marin Todorov | 30 December 1992 | 23 June 1993 | Independent | Minister of Education, Science and Culture[1] |
| Ivaylo Znepolski | 23 June 1993 | 17 October 1994 | Independent | [1] |
| Ivaylo Znepolski | 17 October 1994 | 25 January 1995 | Independent | [1] |
| Georgi Kostov | 25 January 1995 | 10 June 1996 | BSP | [1] |
| Ivan Marazov | 10 June 1996 | 12 February 1997 | BSP | [1] |
| Emil Tabakov | 12 February 1997 | 21 May 1997 | UDF | [1] |
| Emma Moskova | 21 May 1997 | 24 July 2001 | UDF | [1] |
| Bozhidar Abrashev | 24 July 2001 | 23 February 2005 | NDSV | [1] |
| Nina Chilova | 23 February 2005 | 16 August 2005 | NDSV | Minister of Culture and Tourism[1] |
| Stefan Danailov | 16 August 2005 | 27 July 2009 | BSP | [1] |
| Vezhdi Rashidov | 27 July 2009 | 13 March 2013 | GERB | [1] |
| Vladimir Penev | 13 March 2013 | 29 May 2013 | Independent | [1] |
| Petar Stoyanovich | 29 May 2013 | 6 August 2014 | Independent | [1] |
| Martin Ivanov | 6 August 2014 | 7 November 2014 | Independent | [1] |
| Vezhdi Rashidov | 7 November 2014 | 27 January 2017 | GERB | [1] |
| Rashko Mladenov | 27 January 2017 | 4 May 2017 | Independent | [1] |
| Boil Banov | 4 May 2017 | 12 May 2021 | GERB | [1] |
| Velislav Minekov | 12 May 2021 | 16 September 2021 | Independent | [1] |
| Velislav Minekov | 16 September 2021 | 13 December 2021 | Independent | [1] |
| Atanas Atanasov | 13 December 2021 | 2 August 2022 | PP | [1] |
| Velislav Minekov | 2 August 2022 | 3 February 2023 | Independent | [1] |
| Nayden Todorov | 3 February 2023 | 6 June 2023 | Independent | [1] |
| Krastyu Krastev | 6 June 2023 | 9 April 2024 | Independent | [1] |
| Nayden Todorov | 9 April 2024 | 16 January 2025 | Independent | Appointed in the 2024 caretaker cabinets; he handed over the ministry to Marian Bachev on 16 January 2025.[1][2] |
| Marian Bachev | 16 January 2025 | 19 February 2026 | Independent | Bachev took office on 16 January 2025, succeeding Nayden Todorov.[2] |
| Nayden Todorov | 19 February 2026 | 8 May 2026 | Independent | Listed as caretaker Minister of Culture in the caretaker government from 19 February 2026.[3] |
| Evtim Miloshev | 8 May 2026 | Incumbent | Independent | Listed as Minister of Culture in the government from 8 May 2026.[4] |
Agencies
Bulgarian National Film Center
The Bulgarian National Film Center (BNFC[5] or NFC; also spelt Centre)[6][7] is an executive agency under the Minister of Culture that helps to fund filmmaking and related activities. It is supported partly by the government's budget and partly by revenues from its own activities. Its functions include the support and/or organisation of the following:[8]
- creation, distribution, and showing of Bulgarian films both nationally and internationally
- film festivals of Bulgarian and foreign films at home (such as the Sofia International Film Festival[9]) and showing of Bulgarian films abroad
- training and qualification of film industry workers
- activity of Creative Europe Media-Bulgaria
- cooperation with similar organisations in other countries and various programs of the Council of Europe (for which it is the coordinator for Bulgaria in the European Audiovisual Observatory[5]) and the European Union
- protection of copyright and related rights in the film industry
- legislation relating to the film industry
- data collection and dissemination to the public relating to the Bulgarian film industry
- production rights
Funding is provided for film projects selected on a competitive basis by an expert National Creative Committee.[6] Grants provide at least 30% and up to 80% of the film's budget.[6][5]
Since 2005, the BNFC has represented Bulgaria in the European Film Promotion organisation.[5] It also works in cooperation with public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television, the Bulgarian National Film Archive, the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers and other organisations in the field of audiovisual in the production, distribution and preservation of Bulgarian films [5]
The NFC is located at 2A Dondukov Blvd in Sofia.[8][7]
Academy Award selections
Bulgarian entries for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film have been submitted since 1970. Until 2007, they were selected by the Bulgarian National Council on Cinema, and from 2007, by the Bulgarian National Film Council.[10] The body was referred to as Bulgarian National Cinema Council in 2019, when it was presided over by producer Vladimir Andreev, and selected Ága as the Bulgarian entry.[11][12]
In 2024, the film Triumph was selected as the Bulgarian entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, by a unanimous decision of a five-member selection committee appointed by the BNFC.[13][14]
Bulgarian National Film Archive
The Bulgarian National Film Archive is another legal entity under the Ministry of Culture.[15] It was established to acquire, restore, preserve, and store film and film-related archival artefacts of Bulgarian and international culture.[16]