bg Sofia

Modern Theater

- Knyaginya Maria Luiza Boulevard 26 -
The Modern Theater was the first cinema in Sofia and Bulgaria and it opened on December 4, 1908. The construction of the cinema was commissioned by the Italian entrepreneur and was designed by the Bulgarian architect . The current facade was shaped in 1913 when the theater was expanded in order to enlarge its capacity by adding two smaller halls. The cinema had 400 seats in total, 72 seats on the balcony, 10 boxes and 280 seats on the first floor, and had a screen of four by three meters.
An old postcard showing the building on the right
The first Bulgarian feature film, called "", was the first film screened at the Modern Theater in January 1915, and according to its creator , it enjoyed great success. In 1930, the first sound film was shown in the cinema. In 1947 the cinema was renamed "Tsanko Tserkovski", and in the late 1990s the name "Modern Theater" was returned.

In 1978 it was declared an architectural monument of cultural significance. In 2001 it became private property, and in 2013 it ceased its activity as a cinema. The last renovation of the building took place in 2021 and changed its color from red to beige.
The building while still in use in the 1970s
The symmetrical facade of the Art Nouveau building contains a huge central with a balcony on top of it. Above the oriel window, you can see a mushroom-shaped window, which is a common feature of the Art Nouveau architecture. The roof ends in the center into two and on top of it, you can admire a decorative vase. Above each of the windows on the third floor, you can see a with a in its midst, and the window frame itself is decorated with an motif. On top of the , you'll see a which is decorated with a and other floral ornamentation.
The building still colored in red