One of the largest operations in recent years targeting the illegal trade in cultural heritage has unfolded in Bulgaria — the country where police first uncovered artefacts that became the key to a Europe-wide and Balkan-wide investigation.

Varna hosted the long-awaited premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka – staged for the very first time on a Bulgarian stage. At the conductor’s podium stood the world-renowned maestro Pavel Baleyev, greeted by the audience with prolonged ovations.

One of the most significant events in Bulgaria’s classical music calendar — the “Musician of the Year 2024” award ceremony — has taken place, honouring the country's leading artists in the field.