Rhodope Drama Theater "Nikolai Haitov"

Overview

The Rhodope Drama Theater "Nikolai Haitov" is located in the town of Smolyan. By order No. 11682 of April 5, 1951 of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture of the District People's Council in Smolyan, a semi-professional Central Rhodope Theater was formed. At the first meeting of the Art Council, held on April 13, 1951 in the National Chitalishte "Hristo Botev - 1871", the theater was called Rhodope National Theater. Its first director was Raycho Gavrilov. By order №1, the director sent Sasho Simov from Plovdiv to Smolyan to direct the first production. Order №2 is for the first appointments - 14 artists (Petar Bechev, Ivan Chichovski, Maria Chichovska, Maria Palagacheva, Maria Pencheva, Georgi Palagachev, Hristo Kolev, Lazar Lazarov, Belyo Belev, Dobrina Gavrailova, Vasil Kaimakamov, Marusya Koleva, Ivanka Marinova, Radka Atanasova), set designer (Kiril Goncharenko) and stage worker (Nikola Karakekhayov). The first working day was May 3, 1951. The first selected play in the theater's repertoire was "Wedding" by Maria Simova. The premiere performance was performed on July 14, 1951, which is the official opening of the Rhodope Theater. The first full-time professional director was Dimitar Punev, the first playwright was Mihail Velichkov, who were appointed in 1952. As part of the reform of the stage cultural institutes, the theater was closed by Decree № 152 of the Council of Ministers of July 28, 2010. On March 5, 2014, the Council of Ministers adopted a decree establishing the Rhodope Drama Theater “Nikolai Haitov. The building of the Rhodope Drama Theater was built in 1984. It is unique in scale and architecture in the country. According to the UBA ranking, it is among the 20 best buildings of the century. The project of Prof. Arch. Stefan Popov (Professor at the International Academy of Architecture) won the American Institute of Architecture Award - "Special Prize" at the Third World Biennale of Architecture in the United States, 1985.