site.btaJanuary 3, 1907: National Theatre Building Unveiled

The National Theatre building was officially unveiled on January 3, 1907. This was preceded by the establishment of Bulgaria’s oldest professional theatre in 1904, when the theater company "Salza i Smyah" [Tear and Laughter] was renamed as the Bulgarian National Theatre.

Construction of the building began on June 4, 1904, on the site of the wooden theatre "Osnova" [Foundation]. Designed by Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, the Bulgarian National Theatre building was completed in late 1906 and cost 1,500,000 BGN at the time. The Art Nouveau structure became one of Sofia’s most iconic landmarks. The auditorium, seating 848, featured decorative paintings by Viennese artist Rudolf Fuchs.

The official opening of the National Theatre new building generated significant public interest. The program included "Slava na Izkustvoto" [Glory to Art], a prologue created by Ivan Vazov specifically for the occasion, and scenes from Vasil Drumev’s historical drama "Ivanko".

A competition to commemorate the occasion awarded Anton Strashimirov’s "Svekarva" [Mother-in-Law] and Petko Todorov’s "Parvite" [The First Ones], while Dobri Hristov composed "Tarzhestvena Uvertyura" [Festive Overture].

The opening of the theatre was not without controversy. During the ceremony, students from Sofia University openly booed King Ferdinand. In response, the monarch issued a Royal Decree in an attempt to shut down Sofia University.

In 1923, a fire damaged the stage, auditorium, and cloakroom, forcing the theatre company to relocate temporarily to "Svoboden Teatur" [Free Theatre] and tour the country.

The building reopened in 1929 after a reconstruction by German architect Martin Dülfer, who modernized the stage with state-of-the-art technology and expanded seating to 1,236.

During the January 10, 1944, air raid on Sofia, part of the auditorium, adjacent rooms, and the south wing were destroyed. The theatre company relocated to Pirdop and performed at the "Balkan Playhouse" until the theatre’s reconstruction in 1949.

Between 1972 and 1976, the theatre underwent a major reconstruction led by Bulgarian architect Ivan Tomov and artist Zlatka Kozhuharova. The project reinforced the structure to withstand earthquakes of up to 9.0 on the Richter scale, restored the original design by Fellner and Helmer, and added a 120-seat chamber hall and underground stage facilities.