Bulgarian puppet theatre legend Slava Racheva dies

Slava Racheva, one of Bulgaria’s most renowned puppet theatre actresses and a beloved figure for generations of audiences, has died, the Sofia Puppet Theatre announced.

Born in Sofia on April 23, 1938, Racheva began her career at just 17 at the then National Puppet Theatre, now the Sofia Puppet Theatre. She later graduated in drama acting from the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film and went on to leave a lasting mark on Bulgarian puppetry, spending much of her career on the Sofia stage.

Her most memorable roles included Max in Max and Moritz, Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Rabbit in Rabbit School, The Little Prince, and other iconic characters that shaped childhoods across generations.

Racheva also worked extensively in radio and television. In 1961, she brought to life the character Pedya Chovek - Lakat Brada (Span-Tall Man with a Beard a Yard Long) in Bulgaria’s long-running children’s programme Good Night, Children, a role that remained popular for nearly 50 years. In 1984, a miniature version of the puppet even travelled into space with Bulgaria’s second cosmonaut.

She also voiced and dubbed children’s films and recorded fairy tales. Racheva received numerous national and international awards, including Bulgaria’s highest cultural honour, the “Golden Age” award, for her outstanding contribution to the country’s cultural heritage.

We at Radio Bulgaria express our sincere condolences.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova