Over 1,490 first-graders from the Ruse region will receive vouchers for a free visit to the Puppet Theater - Ruse

Thursday, 11 September 2025

On September 15, when thousands of children in the country will cross the school threshold for the first time, Ruse will set an example of how culture can be an integral part of education. The State Puppet Theater will give each first-grader in the district a voucher for a free visit to the theater.

The initiative goes beyond a symbolic gesture. At a time when our society is faced with worrying manifestations of aggression between children, alienation, lack of empathy and respect, cultural and educational institutions have a mission. The theater is a space in which a child learns to empathize, to distinguish good from evil, to express feelings, to build spiritual orientations and aesthetic taste. That is why the first school day was chosen as the beginning of this initiative – because education and culture are two sides of the same responsibility: the upbringing of future citizens.

The gesture is possible thanks to the increased subsidy that the Municipality of Ruse provides to the Puppet Theater – Ruse on the basis of the mixed financing agreement. This decision of the local government is indicative of the awareness that culture is not a periphery, but an important pillar in the development of the community and the individual personality. Investment in accessible culture is an investment in the future of the city – in the development of children who will one day be responsible and creative adults.

A significant contribution to the implementation of the initiative has been made by the Regional Department of Education – Ruse. Under the leadership of Dr. Rositsa Georgieva, the institution actively helps the vouchers reach every child. In this way, education and culture demonstrate a sustainable partnership that puts the child at the center of attention – not just as a student, but as a person in the process of being built.

“When a child enters the theater hall, they do not just watch a performance – they experience it. They learn to empathize, to laugh with others, to cry with them, to seek meaning. We believe that it is through such experiences that culture can counteract the apathy and alienation that worry us today,” states the director of the Puppet Theater – Ruse, Temenuga Haralanova.

"This initiative is further proof that when institutions work together – local government, education and culture – the result is stronger than the sum of our individual efforts. The vouchers given are not just an invitation to the theatre. They are an invitation to a better society," she added.

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