On the Day of the National Awakeners, the New Bulgarian University honored the director Yavor Gardev for his contribution to Bulgarian culture, theatrical art and humanitarian thinking. The ceremony took place on the eve of the birthday of the founder of the university - Prof. Bogdan Bogdanov and in the year in which NBU turns 35.
The "Prof. Bogdan Bogdanov“, “, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, was presented to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yavor Gardev by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Bulgarian University, Prof. Veselin Metodiev.
In his greeting, Prof. Metodiev recalled a characteristic feature of Bogdan Bogdanov - the free transition between different fields of knowledge.
“Bogdanov used to say about himself that he was a poacher between, above all, classical philology and other sciences that intrigued him“, shared Prof. Metodiev. He found a similarity between this approach and the creative path of the awarded director, noting that Gardev also possesses a “poacher's attitude“ - striving to cross the boundaries between different fields of knowledge and culture.
The jury's reasons were presented by its chair, Prof. Ekaterina Mihaylova. They emphasized that the award is being given to Yavor Gardev because in his work “the ideas to which Prof. Bogdanov dedicated his life live on: the power of speech, freedom of spirit and the responsibility of culture to society“.
According to the jury, with his entire work Gardev has made the Bulgarian reading of classical antiquity known on the world stage. His work combines philosophy, literature, theater and research thinking - areas that are also the basis of the intellectual heritage of Prof. Bogdan Bogdanov.
In his speech upon receiving the Award, Yavor Gardev raised the questions of freedom, knowledge and the responsibility of man to remain awake to the world around him. He examined the paradoxes of freedom through two opposing states - euphoria and depression.
„Today I have chosen to focus on several paradoxes of freedom, as well as two states that are related to it – euphoria and despondency“, shared the director.
Gardev paid special attention to the role of the university as a space for free thinking, critical knowledge and continuous rethinking of established truths.
“We teach, research, defend theses and build institutions, but we must preserve the possibility that the text, the student or the colleague can show us the insufficiency of the achieved understanding“, he emphasized.
In the context of the Day of the People's Awakeners, the director also sent a message about the meaning of awakening in the modern world:
“On the days of the People's Awakeners, it seems appropriate to me to think not so much about the intensity, but about the quality of our awakening.“
A special place in the reasons for the award is occupied by the production “Bacchankes“ by Euripides, presented in 2026 at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus. The performance is a joint production of the Athens-Epidaurus Festival, the National Theater “Ivan Vazov“ and the State Theater of Northern Greece. With it, the Bulgarian director places the classical tragedy in the contemporary conversation about power, human order and the limits of control.
In his speech, Gardev also spoke about the personal significance of this production, which brings him back to Epidaurus nearly four decades after his first visit as a student.
“Thirty-seven years after the student trip, I returned to Epidaurus with the performance “Bacchanques“. There was great inner joy in this graduation, because I viewed it as a mission that expected me to fulfill.“
He also linked this return to the legacy of Prof. Bogdan Bogdanov, who dedicated a significant part of his scientific and teaching activities to ancient culture and its place in the modern world.
Yavor Gardev is among the most significant contemporary Bulgarian theater directors. For more than three decades, he has created over 50 performances in Bulgaria and abroad, working with works by Shakespeare, Euripides, Chekhov, Heiner Müller, Hanoch Levin and other world playwrights. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including “Askeer“, “Icarus“ and “Golden Age“.
In 2008, he made his film debut with the film “Zift“, which participated in 54 international festivals and won 19 awards. His radio drama “Atoll“ received the “Grand Prix of Europe“ in Berlin in 1999.
In addition to being a director, Gardev is also a researcher and lecturer. In 2024, he defended his interdisciplinary doctoral dissertation at the New Bulgarian University, and since 2025, he has been an associate professor at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts. In 2026, his book “Power, Sovereignty and Directing“ was awarded the National Award “Hristo G. Danov“ in the category “Author in the field of humanities“.
At the end of his speech, the director expressed his gratitude to the people and institutions that contributed to his creative path.
“I accept this award with gratitude to the teachers, colleagues, actors and like-minded people, without whom my work would remain only an intention“, said Gardev and thanked the New Bulgarian University and the jury for recognizing the humanitarian meaning in his work.
With the awarding of the “Prof. Bogdan Bogdanov“Humanities Award A new Bulgarian university recognizes not only the remarkable creative achievements of Yavor Gardev, but also his contribution to understanding the relationship between art, philosophy and society.
The distinction also has a particularly symbolic meaning - the university welcomes as a laureate its graduate, whose professional and intellectual path continues the values set by its founder.