June 26, 2026
‘An Experience in Cambridge’
What can I say about Cambridge... Well, in a word - I have no words to describe the experience precisely. It is very hard to recreate the atmosphere, the architecture, the university, the students, the lecturers, the sense of awareness that you can feel even in the air.
I had many conversations with history enthusiasts, with some of the lecturers and so on... They told me that an evening open-air screening could be arranged - they had a special place near the university campus where they show films. We call it open-air cinema; they call it the Open Theatre.
And when I heard ‘an evening open-air cinema,’ I shuddered a little. It is not that I haven't held open-air screenings before, but the risk is always high. It is not as if rain has never fallen on me and forced me to stop a screening, nor that a strong wind has never picked up and threatened to topple the screen, nor that people are always used to such an event, or that visibility is always good.
I managed to suppress all my worries and that little worm in the stomach that tells you what, how, and how many times things could go wrong, and I set myself in a positive frame of mind.
In fact, it turned out gorgeous, magical, and the cinema became something enchanted. They had lit everything in purple, with dozens of projectors and lights. Well, mainly purple, but there were lights of other colours too.
Imagine a forest, trees, a park, a large cinema screen on the lawn, big chairs with comfortable backs - and all of it bathed in a colourful spectacle, with our Bulgarian film about our ancient history flowing from the screen while the sounds echoed among the trees. I had never had such an experience before - it was worth it.
The only thing we waited for was for it to grow dark enough. Fate chose for me to be in England during the three days of the year with the most light in them, and light is good - it scatters the darkness and the dark forces. Right at the summer solstice. It was meant to be!
I could describe the people who came to the screening, I could describe the interest with which they followed everything, I could describe the ovations, the thunderous applause - but I do not have enough words for it. The immense respect after the film - for the work, for everything - could be read in the eyes and in the manner of everyone present!
I can tell you that eight billion people around the world do not know about our ancient history; they do not even know that we have an ancient history, they know nothing about us - that we have a history at all, let alone the details. We live in our own inner world here in Bulgaria - a microcosm the rest of the world pays no heed to. I can say that at least I tried to awaken a measure of curiosity, so that people might begin to take an interest in our antiquity.
I want to thank all of you, Bulgarians - every single one of you who contributed something to this series, who came to the screenings, for your support, because we would never have come this far if we had not acted together as a people and as Bulgarians, united. Thank you!
