Cultural institutes in Sliven
There are three state cultural institutes in Sliven - a Dramatic Theatre, a Puppet Theatre and a National Museum of textile industry, a regional cultural institute – “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library, as well as a range of Municipal cultural institutes: Arts Gallery, The Historical Museum of Sliven, Symphony orchestra, “Sliven” Folklore songs and dance ensemble.
National Museum of textile industry
The museum is a branch of the National Polytechnic Museum – Sofia. It is the first specialized museum of industrial type in Bulgaria. It was established in 1984. A member of the European textile network, with a head-quarter located in Hanover – Germany since 1988. It has its own building on “Stoil voivoda” square - 550 sq. meters total exhibition area and three main departments: Hand-made textile manufacture; Textile crafts; Factory-machine manufacturing.
Contact: Sliven 8800
3 “Stoil voivoda” square
Phone: 044/62 40 06, 62 37 49
Directress: Toni Dimitrova
“Stefan Kirov” Dramatic Theatre
The theatre is a leading theatre institute in the region and in the country. It was established in 1918 at the “Zora” community centre. It has been located in a modern building on “Hadji Dimitar” square since 1987- 1400 sq. meters total area and two auditoriums: a big one (500 seats) and a small one (80 seats). It also works as an open stage - a producer center. The theatre is financed on the scheme of mixed financing – by the state and by the municipality. The Municipality council of Sliven finances the theatre yearly with a subsidy.
Contact: Sliven 8800
4 “Hadji Dimitar” square
Phone: 044/62 41 81; 62 30 08
Web site: theatresliven.com ; e-mail: info@theatresliven.com
Director: Nikolai Nedyalkov
State Puppet Theatre
The theatre was established as an amateur theatre in 1960. It gained the statute of a professional theatre institute in the beginning of 1971. It has been located in a modern building on “Tzar Osvoboditel” boulevard since 1989 and it has a hall with 200 seats. It shows its performances in the open air, in the kindergartens, the villages of the municipality, in the region and the whole country. It also works as an open stage - a producer theatre. The theatre is financed on the scheme of mixed financing – by the Ministry of culture and by the Sliven municipality.
Contact: Sliven 8800
24 “Tzar Osvoboditel” boulevard
Phone: 044/62 27 18; 62 51 86
Director: Efimia Pavlova
The Historical Museum of Sliven
The beginning of that museum was laid with antiquities collection of the "Zora" library and community centre in Sliven in 1913. It has become an independent institute since 1946. It possesses more than 80 000 exponents (Archeology, Pre-history, Antiquity, Middle-ages ethnography, Renaissance, Modern history). Except the exhibitions in the main building, a great interest attract the House-museum “Popular customs in Sliven in 19 century”, House-museum “Hadji Dimitar”, House-museum “Dobri Chintulov”, Archeological object “Hisarlak” - remains of an early Byzantine and medieval fortress “Tuida” near Sliven.
Contact: Sliven 8800
18 “Tzar Osvoboditel” boulevard
Phone: 044/62 24 95; 62 24 94
Е-mail:museum_sl@hit.bg
Web site: www.slmuseum.hit.bg
Director: Georgi Kjupchukov
Museum of popular customs in Sliven in 19thC and the beginning of 20thC
The house was built in 1813. It is situated in one of the oldest quarters in Sliven and it is one of the most valuable monuments of culture in Sliven of national significance. It has wooden decorations on the balconies, columns, ceilings and niches.
Contact: Sliven 8800
5 ”Simeon Tabakov” Street
Phone: 044/66 31 49
House-museum “Hadji Dimitar”
The house is a monument of culture in Sliven of national significance. It was built in the end of 18thC and the beginning of 19thC. Hadji Dimitar – the legendary voivode was born there.
Contact: Sliven 8800
2 ”Asenova” Street
Phone: 044/62 24 96
Museum exhibition ”Dobri Chintulov”
The museum is a monument of culture. Dobri Chintulov – the poet – was born there.
Contact: Sliven 8800
5 ”Mesta” Street
Phone: 044/62 51 98
“Dimitar Dobrovich” Arts Gallery
The beginning of the gallery was laid with an exhibition- donation of the "Zora" library and community centre (1905г.). It has become an independent institute since 1965. It possesses one of the richest collections in the country, numbering more 6 000 paintings and four constant exhibitions: “Old Bulgarian Art – icons and prints 17–19 century” /”Sirak Skitnik” Hall/, “Modern Bulgarian Art” /”Sirak Skitnik” Hall/, “The old Sliven” /къща ”Mirkovich” house/, „Western-European” graphic XVIII-XIXв century” /”Dimitar Dobrovich” house/.
Except its constant exhibitions, the gallery holds retrospective, collective and author’s exhibitions on 350 sq. meters area.
The gallery possesses a rich collection of painting of the best Bulgarian painters and artists, also unique collections of early Christian and Christian art, Western-European graphic, Japanese engravings etc.
Contact: Sliven 8800
13 “Tzar Osvoboditel” boulevard
Phone: 044/62 20 83; 62 53 42
e-mail:gallery_sliven@abv.bg
Director: Daniela Nencheva
Symphony orchestra
The orchestra was founded at “Zora” community center in 1933. The orchestra has been a professional one since 1969. The orchestra plays pre-classical and classical musical compositions – masterpieces of music, also in its repertoire has compositions from all epochs and styles of modern Bulgarian and foreign composers. It made successful concert tours in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Greece. The orchestra has been carrying out successfully a program of educational concerts, conformable to the music classes in school, also a program for organizing international courses for conductors and musicians since 2000.
Contact: Sliven 8800
6 ”Hadji Dimitar” boulevard
Phone: 044/66 32 28
e-mail:ddiakova@mail.bg
Directress: Daniela Diakova
Folklore songs and dance ensemble – Sliven
The ensemble was founded as an amateur dance ensemble in 1960. It has been a professional institute for research, process and dissemination of Bulgarian songs and dance folklore обработване и разпространяване на песенното и танцово фолклорно heritage in Sliven region since 1971. The ensemble has in its repertoire 30 dance shows, more than 50 songs and 20 suites for orchestra and solo playing from all folklore regions in the country. It made successful concert tours in Germany, Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Turkey etc.
Contact: Sliven 8800
19 ”Georgi Ikonomov” Street
Phone: 044/62 26 74; 62 31 27
Director: Todor Krastev