Ivan Nalbantov: I'm coming back again ... to myself! It is!

On May 10 this year died one of the colossi of Bulgarian theater and cinema, as well as a master of the word, or “of words”, as he liked to put it – Ivan Nalbantov.

He left us from this world, and Nedyalko Yordanov’s play “Whatever, such!” Is included in the program of the National Theater for May. with his participation. A publishing house is preparing to present his book “Shelter for Words”. In it, a few verses sound shockingly allegorical, like a “will”:

I can’t say goodbye to everyone –
fast trains do not wait.
Panting trains whistle
on the rails on the long crucifix.

I can’t say goodbye to everyone –
in my eyes irony plays.
And he reached the end of the world alone,
I come back again … to myself. It is.

We said goodbye to the legend Ivan Nalbantov (gallery)

–

He is the winner of the Askeer Award for overall contribution to theatrical art, many national and international awards, but this is not the most important thing, but that there is no Bulgarian who has not imprinted in his memory the specific timbre of his voice and unique his incarnations on stage and on screen.

Nalbantov was a remarkable reciter – winner of national competitions for artistic speech, one of the best among the galaxy of examples of this art in our country, such as actresses Slavka Slavova, Violeta Bahchevanova, Andrey Chaprazov and many others. other actors of his generation.

With the Askeer Award, 2019

Nalbantov also stood out on stage. Among his favorite theatrical roles were Naiden in Racho Stoyanov’s Masters, Charles VII in Bernard Shaw’s St. John, and Lopakhin in Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard. He left behind over 150 roles on stage, on the small and big screen.

In his free time he wrote and was accepted by our most prominent masters of the word as one of them – he was a member of the Union of Bulgarian Writers. He taught stage speech at the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts and led an acting class at Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”. He loved his students – they, as he himself shared in a radio interview, “infected” him with youth.

Assoc. Prof. Ivan Nalbantov – lecturer

Ivan Nalbantov was born on August 5, 1940 in the village of Karavelovo. He graduated from VITIZ “Krastyo Sarafov” in the class of Prof. Dr. Krastyo Mirski. He played at the State Theater in Sliven (1965-1967), from 1967 he began working as an actor at the Bulgarian Army Theater.

He first appeared on the stage of the Military Theater as a student in 1963 and played on this stage for more than half a century.

For Nalbantov, every word, every artistically spoken word, was a responsibility – not only professional, but intimately human. He wanted people to understand what they heard, to feel it and to experience it.

The iconic actor is gone Ivan Nalbantov

–

“Even in my childhood in my village Karavelovo I knew by heart Ivan Vazov and Hristo Botev,” the actor said in an interview. tireless patriots, this profession was general, the mayor did not have such respect as teachers, from there I went to Sopot High School, then to Haskovo (I studied at the College of Mining and Mining), where I met young poets – Penyo Penev, Nikola Indjov , Ivan Nikolov …

Asen Blatechki: I am blessed with a profession in which I play as a child

–

I taught stage speech in the team of Stefan Danailov, I had amazing students. Among them are Blatechki, Bashar, Valkata Yordanov, Ivan Burnev, Nencho Ilchev, Stefania Koleva and many others … Hardworking to madness. These are children who already command the theatrical and cinematic taste. I also taught at Lyuben Groys. Now I travel to Plovdiv every week. I say to myself the same line: Why am I doing this? It’s not just because of the piece of bread, but they infect me with youth and their success forces me to live longer so that I can enjoy them! “

With the TV presenter Georgi Lyubenov / Source: Facebook page of the journalist

For Nalbantov, inviting his students to film premieres was a personal celebration. He himself left his image in dozens of Bulgarian films, including the films “Notes on the Bulgarian Uprisings”, “Requiem for a Slut”, “Glow over the Drava”, “Tatul”, “Every Kilometer”, “The Eighth”, “Tango” , “Men on a business trip” and many more. etc.

With Branimira Antonova in the film “Men on a Business Trip”

Asked, however, how he “divides” himself between cinema and theater, whether he loves the camera, the actor frankly says:

“I prefer theater, although cinema is more popular. And participating in more performances and busy more evenings is healthy. If there is fatigue, oversaturation, but it keeps you in shape. And then age can move away and it can it turned out, thank God, as with me – the years do not interfere! “

Indeed, his years did not “hinder” him – Nalbantov worked to his last breath. He left us influential “words” that penetrated deep into the heart and mind, and viewed his “work” as an emotional legacy for future generations. His favorite creature was his granddaughter Ivana.

I have described all her first touches on something, such as the water wheel – because for her the water wheel is bigger than the ship “Daring”. To step on water, not on solid ground – this is an experience that Gagarin had in And, of course, I say where I was happier in my childhood, where I went wrong, I lost my wife, she lost her grandmother, I recently looked at these notes, and it says somewhere: We must not forget that we must say good words in time, because then it’s too late … “, the actor shared in a candid interview.

Among what Ivan Nalbantov wrote are essays about actors, short stories, poems. Most of them are dedicated to the atmosphere in the theater and the theatrical people, such as “Intermission”, “Short Nights” – documentary prose with theatrical themes, “Peaks” – Memories of Bulgarian theater actors and “Theatrical Dedications” – poems. Today, the sadly penetrating emotional confessions are heard, poured into sikhs in his collection “Where I grew up”.

A country boy has reached the pinnacle of acting and has lived fully for 8 decades with dedication, in honor of the Word – the most powerful weapon! God had endowed him with a posture and a voice that made him noticeable and dignified in the images through which he embodied that word. And it could sound not only inspiring, but ruthless – in the first person! …

That is why his voice will continue to sound in the minds of everyone who has seen the actor Ivan Nalbantov on stage or on the screen at least once. He will continue to live through the word in the books he left us, which we have yet to rethink as he travels on his invisible path to … “himself” in the Otherworld!

A gift!

Amy MARIANSKA