site.btaCinema Visits Down in 2019 Y/Y

May 22 (BTA) - As of December 31 2019, 160 museums registered under the Cultural Heritage Act operated in the country. Divided by thematic scope, there were 83 general museums and 77 specialized museums (including art galleries), the National Statistical Institute said on Friday.

In 2019, the National Museum Stock had 7,529,000 stock units of movable cultural values and in comparison with 2018 their number increased by 110,000 (1.5 per cent). Of these, 390,000 stock units were digitized, up by 22,000 in comparison with the previous year.

In 2019, visits to museums totalled 5,355,000, an increase by 5.3 per cent from 2018. Approximately one fifth of all visits (1,027,000) were carried out on free entry days. The number of visits of foreigners to museums decreased by 20,000 or 1.6 per cent in comparison with the previous year.

In 2019, museum personnel numbered 3,406 employees and in comparison with 2018 increased by 3.3 per cent. In 2019, 1,577 computers were used for administrative purposes, 686 computers - for database storage and 277 computers - for provision of information to visitors.

In 2019, the operating 74 theatres organized 15,955 performances, visited by 2,516,000 visitors and in comparison with 2018 the number of performances and the number of visits increased by 5.3 per cent. The average number of visitors per one performance was 158 and remained unchanged compared with 2018.

In 2019, 52 music formations operated in the country - 5 philharmonic orchestras, 25 professional ensembles for folk songs and dances and 22 orchestras. In comparison with 2018 the number of their performances increased by 7 per cent while the number of visits decreased by 10.6 per cent.

In 2019, there were 47 libraries with library collection over 200,000 units and their number remained the same compared to the previous year. The collection contained 34,555,000 library units - books, continued editions, newspapers, magazines, bulletins and others.

The registered readers (library users) were 243,000, which is 1.9 per cent more in comparison with the previous year while the visitors to libraries increased by 4.1 per cent and reached 4,751,000. The total library loan collection was 6,542,000 library units.

In 2019, a total of 104 full-length, short and medium-length films were produced, of which 51 for cinema and 41 for television. Of these, 90.4 per cent were shot digitally.There were 37 full-length films produced (22 feature films and 15 documentaries). Their number increased by 7 (23.3 per cent) in comparison to the previous year. The number of the produced short and medium-length films was 67 of which 21 feature films (including 7 series with total of 200 episodes.), 33 documentaries and educational films and 10 animations.

At the end of 2019, there were 74 cinemas with 237 screens, an increase respectively by 5 and 11 in comparison with 2018. There were 11 multiplex cinemas which accounted for 56.1 per cent of screenings and 62.3 per cent of cinema visits.

In 2019 in comparison with the previous year, screenings in cinemas decreased by 9 per cent and visits by 6.2 per cent.

In 2019, 82 registered and licensed radio operators operated in the country, which broadcasted 721,400 hours of radio broadcasts, or 0.8 per cent (5,600 hours) less in comparison with 2018. The biggest share of broadcasts was of music programmes - 54.7 per cent, followed by news (bulletins, commentaries, sporting news and forecasts) with 11.6 per cent.

In 2019, 128 registered and licensed Bulgarian TV operators operated in the country, up by 12 from the previous year. RI/PP


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