Culture is not a luxury but part of what makes Bulgarians who they are and helps the nation through crises, President Iliana Iotova said on Tuesday. Speaking at the gala concert Symphony of Time marking the 45th anniversary of the National Palace of Culture (NDK), Iotova presented the institution with the President’s Badge of Honour.
This identity must be protected, just as Bulgaria must protect its beautiful Cyrillic letters, its language, and the beauty and grandeur of its history. That is why institutions such as the National Palace of Culture are needed, to speak not only about the past, but also about Bulgaria’s talents today, to support them, and to say that culture is not a luxury, but something that makes Bulgarians who they are, has preserved the nation and will help it through even the harshest crises, Iotova said.
Iotova awarded NDK the President’s Badge of Honour on the occasion of its 45th anniversary, its leading role as a national cultural centre of high public importance, and its contribution to building the modern image and prestige of Bulgarian culture.
NDK is an undisputed source of pride and a beloved symbol for all of Bulgaria, Iotova said. Hall 1 of the Palace of Culture is not only architecture, but spirit, a place where a person leaves the outside world behind and enters a special kind of magic, she added. NDK was conceived and built with the ambition of uniting all the arts and bringing together the biggest names on the world stage, she said. It has always been a bridge between peoples and cultures, a home to achievements shared by all humanity and to messages of peace, she added.
/RY/
