The state policy in the sphere of artistic culture and mass media was also subjected to strict ideological criteria. The totalitarian nature of the state naturally entailed censorship and management of cultural activities through administrative methods and decrees. Bulgarian culture proved to be isolated from a number of processes and tendencies in the world cultural development. In the 1970s Bulgarian culture had started a slow process of opening to the new developments in the world. The same time many representative exhibitions such as "Thracian Treasures in the Bulgarian Lands", "Bulgarian Icons", "Thirteen-Centenary Bulgaria", "Medieval Bulgarian Art", etc. popularised Bulgaria far beyond its borders as a country of modern culture and active spiritual modern life. The Bulgarian writers, poets and literary critics had to "bind up" their artistic work with the communist ideology. Despite that, authors such as Elin Pelin, Dimitar Talev , Dimitar Dimov, Elisaveta Bagryana, Dora Gabe, Nikolai Liliev and in more recent times - Valery Petrov, Yordan Radichkov, Emiliyan Stanev, Blaga Dimitrova, Alexander Gerov, Pavel Matev, Radoy Ralin, Georgi Tsanev, Petar Dinekov, Georgi Markov etc. have created works of high artistic value.

Notwithstanding the ideological barriers and political restrictions the Bulgarian theatre could boast of indisputable achievements. These were demonstrated not only by qualitative indicators but also quantitative indicators, the number of drama theatres increased from 13 in 1944 to 41 with 19,155 seats in 1989. The stages became the ground, where talented producers and actors showed their worth in a brilliant way. Many of them developed their talents in the Bulgarian cinema as well. By the end of 1980s the country produced each year more than 500 feature, documentary, cartoon and instruction films.

Hundreds of painters, graphic artists and sculptors combined the indigenous Bulgarian elements with the modern trends in fine arts. The eminent personalities from the older generation Ilia Petrov, Vladimir Dimitrov /the Master/, Iliya Beshkov, Boris Angeloushev, Dechko Uzunov, etc. were still the masters of the day when the much younger Dimitar Kazakov, Genko Genov, Georgi Bozhilov, Georgi Chapkanov, Vezhdi Rashidov, Rumen Skorchev, Valentin Starchev etc. won international competitions and exhibited their works in famous galleries throughout the world.

The changes after 1989 have had great effect on the Bulgarian culture as well. Economic crisis in the country resulted in a shortage of funds for different cultural projects. Nowadays many cultural institutions are struggling to survive without state support while the others see the challenge to find more flexible and modern ways of management. But the main importance for Bulgarian intellectuals was the Democratic changes, the end of censorship and ideologisation. They had the full right and freedom to work independently, according to their esthetical views.

The economic stabilisation of Bulgaria started in 1997, which gave the government the chance to start solving the problems of the Bulgarian culture too.

Read more at:

Bulgarian crafts
http://www.webcrafts.bg/

Apollonia
http://apollonia.dir.bg/

Humor house
http://www.humorhouse.bg/

Euro-Bulgarian cultural centre
http://www.eubcc.bg/

Bulgarian voices
http://www.bulgarianvoices.com/

The Theatrefest Varna
http://www.theatrefest-varna.org/