On the occasion of the Third of March - Liberation Day of Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Montenegro with the kind assistance and financial support of the Municipalities of Cetinje, Bar and Podgorica organized the presentation of the ballet "The Goat's Horn" from the repertoire of the State Opera-Ruse at the Royal National Theatre of Montenegro - Zetski dom, in the old capital Cetinje and on the stage of the National Theatre in Podgorica. The guests were welcomed by Ambassador Stefan Dimitrov and the Embassy team - Mr. Vasil Durev - First Secretary, Col. Mr. Miroslav Sandrev - Military Attaché, Mr. Novitsa Jovovic - Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Montenegro, Mr. Dimitar Tuchkov, Head of STIV and Mr. Plamen Beikov, Director of the State Opera-Ruse.
The ballet performance with music by composer Krassimir Kurkciyski, which was presented on 3 March 2025 in Zetsky Dom, Cetinje, was created three years ago by prof. Petar Lukanov based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Haytov. The performance was also attended by the family of the late prof. Petar Lukanov, the creator of the play - prof. Lilyana Draguleva, wife and Maria Lukanova - daughter.
The program started with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy in Cetinje on January 1, 2025. After the performance of the anthems of the Republic of Bulgaria and Montenegro, the guests were read a special congratulatory letter from the President of Montenegro, Mr. Jakov Milatovic.
In his welcoming speech in Montenegrin, Ambassador Stefan Dimitrov thanked those present for sharing with us this holiday, which is a special occasion for pride for all Bulgarians. He informed the audience about the historical events preceding and following the Liberation of Bulgaria. He appreciated that freedom is a universal value, a right, but also an obligation, but it is not a given, it is not achieved once and for all, but requires all of us to cherish and protect it constantly. Ambassador Dimitrov noted that today we are witnessing complex times of transformations and challenges to our collective security. The war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East present European values and the European security architecture with a serious and complex challenge. In this regard, I appreciate that at such a time, the friendship between our two countries is of particular importance.
At the end of his speech, Ambassador Stefan Dimitrov shared with the guests his deep conviction that relations, especially between neighbouring countries with a common historical past and especially in the Balkans, should be built with responsibility towards the present and a look towards the future, regardless of the burden of the past. He added that the Republic of Bulgaria enjoys friendly, good-neighbourly relations with all our neighbours, covering various sectors. The relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkey are an example for the whole region in this respect. Ambassador Dimitrov pointed out that relations between the two neighbouring countries, two equal partners, are continuously deepening in various areas of cooperation: from defence, energy, border control, migration management, investment and trade, to tourism, culture and academic exchanges.
The performance on the Third of March ended with shouts of "Bravo!", and during the intermission and after the end of the performance the director of the Opera Theatre - Plamen Beykov, received numerous compliments. The dancers danced with dedication, the performances of the characters moved to tears - and all this thanks to the high professionalism of the Ballet Company of the State Opera-Ruse and the expert leadership of the daughters of Prof. Bejkov. Petr Lukanov (choreographer of the ballet "The Goat Horn") - Elitsa and Maria.
Present were the Minister of Culture Tamara Vujovic, MPs from the Assembly, General Zoran Lazarevic - Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Montenegro, Prince Nikola Petrovic Njegos, senior representatives of Montenegrin institutions, including two directors-general from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country and the Director of the Diplomatic Protocol, Ambassadors and other representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, business circles, cultural figures and Bulgarian citizens residing in Montenegro.
State Opera-Ruse will present "The Goat's Horn" also in Ruse on 11.03 in the Great Hall of the Dohodno Buda at 19:00.
Tickets at the Opera box office and HERE.
