Send to KindleThousands of fans flocked to the funeral of one of the most popular and beloved Bulgarian actors Todor Kolev in Sofia Sunday.
Kolev's funeral overshadowed the protest rally against the Bulgarian power utilities, where the demonstrators paused for a minute of silence to honor the memory of the great actor.
One of the most beloved Bulgarian actors, comedians, and talk show hosts, Todor Kolev, passed away at the age of 73 on Friday.
Kolev was born on August 26, 1939, in the northeastern Bulgarian city of Shumen.
He graduated from the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts in Sofia in 1965. He has worked at the theaters in Smolyan, Shumen, Plovdiv, and two theaters in Sofia.
Kolev has roles in over 30 Bulgarian movies, some of them emblematic for Bulgarian popular culture and cinema in the communist period.
During the Communist rule, he was temporarily exiled from Sofia to Sliven for a joke he made in public that there were three Toshkos who made Bulgarians laugh ("Toshko" is the diminutive form of the name Todor in Bulgarian): the Communist leader Todor Zhivkov, the clown Toshko Kozarev and himself.
In 1992-1993, Todor Kolev served as an advisor at the Bulgarian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. In 1993-96, he was the host of one of the first evening talk shows in Bulgaria entitled "How are we going to catch up with them..." ("them" referring to the USA and the West in general).
In 2011, Kolev was awarded the Icarus Award of the Bulgarian Actors' Union for his overall contribution to Bulgarian culture.
Val Kilmer, the versatile actor known for his portrayals of iconic figures such as Batman and Jim Morrison, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 65 in Los Angeles
Bulgarian actor Dimo Alexiev was detained in Sofia for driving under the influence of alcohol
The next edition of the festival will be held on July 5 and 6, 2025
The mortal remains of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria were interred at the "Vrana" palace near Sofia, marking the final resting place for the monarch
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Council of Ministers have unveiled the schedule for the funeral proceedings of Patriarch Neophyte, who passed away on Wednesday evening
In a powerful display of solidarity and defiance, over 10,000 individuals gathered outside a church in Moscow today for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
A Bulgarian volunteer and devoted Levski FC supporter has died while fighting on the front lines in Ukraine
A somber moment for Bulgarian sport: Dimitar Penev, one of the most celebrated figures in the history of Bulgarian football, passed away this morning at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness
Brigitte Bardot, the French film star, singer and later animal rights campaigner who rose to global fame in the 1950s and became one of the defining cultural icons of her era, has died at the age of 91
Boyan Radev, Bulgaria’s first two-time Olympic wrestling champion and one of the most respected figures in Bulgarian sport and culture, has died at the age of 83
A Bulgarian national has reportedly lost his life while fighting on the front lines in Ukraine
Bulgarian journalist and cultural figure Ivan Tenev has passed away
Novinite 2025 in Review: A Year That Tested Bulgaria and the World
A Disgraceful Betrayal: Bulgaria's Shameful Entry into Trump's Board of Peace
