Bulgarian saints, a premiership visit, and a Shumen actor remembered

Shumen's Dramaturgy Theatre presented a production of Brothers Grimm's 'Little Red Riding Hood' this morning at 11am in the Patilancho hall. The dramatisation, staging and set design are by Kolyo Staykov, music by The Lefties, with performances by Yoana Gencheva, Dimitriya Milusheva and Veselin Barborkov. The children's show follows the familiar tale of a brave little girl who rescues her grandmother from the wolf using courage and resourcefulness.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov was in the city on Saturday for a party training programme aimed at developing future leaders and government officials. He told reporters that political parties should restore the tradition of granting a newly formed government a 100-day grace period, a practice he said once existed for new formations entering Parliament. Borissov added that GERB had deliberately refrained from criticising the current government during its early weeks, though other parties had rushed to comment.

The training event, part of a series held around the country, aims to identify talented members for a 'shadow government' and prepare candidates for municipal roles. Borissov said the party had no age limit for participants and was focused on renewing its ranks from within. He also repeated his view that Bulgaria's natural gas agreement with Turkish company BOTAS is 'the most failed deal that has happened to Bulgaria' and has little chance of functioning successfully.

The Second Sunday after Pentecost, when the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates all saints who have lived in Bulgarian lands from the first century to the present, was marked with services across the country. Metropolitan Gavriil of Lovech said in his sermon that 'we must seek the great Bulgarians among the Bulgarian saints', adding that greatness lies in spiritual perfection rather than worldly achievement.

Services took place in cathedrals and monasteries from Shumen to Sliven to the Krepcha rock monastery near Ruse. In Smolyan, worshippers also honoured the memory of 200 Rhodope martyrs killed by Ottoman authorities in 1720 for refusing to renounce their faith. The commemorations included saints of all backgrounds, some from local tribes who inhabited Bulgarian lands before the arrival of Slavs and proto-Bulgarians, others who lived here as soldiers or prisoners but carried Christianity in their hearts.

Shumen actor Yordan Zidarov, known for his decades-long career at the city's Puppet Theatre and his stage name Mag Dzhordzoni, died on 14 June aged 78. Born in Shumen in 1948, Zidarov won a prestigious award as a young actor and was sent to study at what was then VITIZ in Sofia. He spent his creative life with the Puppet Theatre from the 1970s until 1992, earning the local nickname 'Kuklovoda' (Puppeteer). He was also a renowned illusionist and appeared in entertainment programmes with Todor Kolev, Georgi Partsalev and Emil Dimitrov. A close friendship linked him with Bulgarian cinema legend Bogomil Simeonov.

The funeral will be held at 11am on Tuesday 16 June at Shumen's Cemetery Park.