Verka Siderova, the golden voice of Bulgaria and Dobrudzha, has completed her earthly journey at the age of 99. The sad news was announced by the singer's family.
Born on April 26, 1926 in Dobrich (Northeastern Bulgaria), Verka Siderova completed primary education in Romanian (at that time the city was part of Romania), and then - the classical high school in Dobrich, where she studied Latin and ancient Greek. She also studied French and English, and she liked Italian so much that she later became a "translator" for Filip Kutev during the visits to Italy of the folklore ensemble he led. Verka herself recalls this with a smile in one of her interviews for Radio Bulgaria:
Intellect combined with natural talent - more than once journalists have highlighted these qualities of Verka Siderova, which significantly contributed to the formation of her style and repertoire.
Verka Siderova was an honorary citizen of Dobrich and a holder of the highest award in the Republic of Bulgaria - The Order of Stara Planina, 1st degree.
The singer, whose performance of "Lale li si, zyumbyul li si" remains unsurpassed to this day, was also a genuine optimist. She once told Radio Bulgaria:
"Every day something changes and you don't know where it will lead you. But I try to keep my strength of spirit and create good mood. If I feel depressed, I sing a funny song. Some say that when you get old, life gets boring, but it's not like that. Life has given me a lot and I am grateful to God and my parents for that. But it seems like there comes a time when you have to give back everything you've taken, until there's nothing left of you…"
Read also:
A tribute to her bright memory!
Compiled by: Krasimir Martinov
Photos: BNR-Albena Bezovska, personal archive
Publication in English: Alexander Markov
When we have a special occasion where we meet relatives or friends, as a sign of respect and as a memory, we usually present them with a gift, complete with a beautiful card. In the past, the card received was kept as a cherished memory and even passed..
Holy Thursday is one of the two days in the Holy Week when we dye eggs for Easter. Tradition dictates that the oldest woman in the family takes on this important task, and the first egg is always dyed red. The Red Egg – symbol of the..
Today, the Bulgarian National Radio’s foreign language service Radio Bulgaria “speaks” 11 languages. Through the years, languages have been added, others have been dropped – something that happened to the Polish-language programmes. They were aired by..
+359 2 9336 661