Навън тя беше балетна педагогиня, и ръководи най-скромното и PREPARED IMPROVISATION: BRIGITA CHOLAKOVA Prof. Margarita Pesheva "Be noble, kind, responsive, because only this sets you apart from all known earthly creatures..." Goethe Outside of the television screen, Brigita Cholakova created a sense of spiritual aristocracy, moderation and necessary distance. Outside she was a ballet teacher, and she led the most modest and improvised existence. She was down-to-earth and at the same time emotional, she had a sense for life with its flowers and scents, with its magical moments and flaws. The distance she kept with her interlocutor was somewhat natural, it was determined by the scale of her achievements, by the shine of her television image, by her great popularity. Even in personal conversation, she carried the burden of her television persona, of her media roles and her public face. During our conversations with her, three decades ago, I was amazed by her correctness, by her respect towards her interlocutor, by her ability to maintain a certain distance - not too large to seem arrogant, but not too small to reveal a crude taste. From her hairstyle to her manners - everything about her spoke of education, professionalism, style and a sense of measure. She exuded a special vitality that many girls would be envious of. For many years, Brigit Cholakova generously radiated grace and nobility on the screen, recreating in a new way the family atmosphere and motherly care, the secrets of the kitchen and design, fashion, clothing, and overall lifestyle. She truly made great efforts in building a new type of TV journalism, focused on the home, family, children, and way of life. Her concerns for orphans, single mothers, the poor and those affected by fate, brought kindness and noble values into the everyday lives of Bulgarians, adding a special emotional touch and awakening their goodness and taste for life. Her emergence as a television personality, the development of her author shows, were always a part of the cultural environment which was filled with enthusiasm, hopes, and expectations. The first decades of television in our country also created the model of quality journalism (Kevork Kevorkian and "Every Sunday", Ivan Garelov and "Panorama", Brigita Cholakova and "Television Weekly", Lyubomir Kolarov and "The World in Action", Georgi Stoychev and "Free Tribune"). This model was inevitably a part of the cultural era. Brigita's television career began in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was a time of renewal, filled with an active cultural life. Socialism is in a way intoxicated by the taste of freedom, the conflict between the ideologies is temporarily forgotten. Bulgaria is seeking a path towards Europe, showcasing the treasures of the Thracians and its icons, while our artists timidly step into the threshold of parisian galleries. In the 70s, painting is in fashion - masters like Ivan Funev and Iliya Petrov, Nikolay Shmigela and Iliya Beshkov , Alexander Zhendov and Nikola Mirchev hold their anniversary exhibitions. In 1972, the "treasure chest" of Bulgarian culture includes 34 drama, 13 puppet theaters, and one circus. In the serious music, composers like Parashkev Khadzhiev and Marin Goleminov, Lyubomir Pipkov and Pancho Vladigerov gain recognition. In 1969, Vladigerov is awarded the prestigious Herder Prize in Vienna for his overall creative work. In the world of entertainment, the time has come for the hit songs of Boris Karadimchev and Yosif Tsankov, Toncho Rusev and Angel Zaberski. The cinema is highly respected - there are 3000 movie theaters in the country and Bulgarian film legacy goes through "Deviation" and "The White Room", "Knight without Armor" and "The Goat's Horn". During the golden decade of Bulgarian cinema between 1970-1980, the visual facade of culture is enriched with "The Barrier" by Pavel Vezhinov, "Village Zone" and "The Peasant and the Bicycle" by Georgi Mishev. Yordan Radichkov feeds readers with "Explosive Primer" and "All and None", while Bogomil Rainov astonishes his fans with his incredible productivity - "A Middle-aged Novice", "Requiem for a Scoundrel" and "There is Nothing Better Than Bad Weather". Blaga Dimitrova in "Deviation" turns her gaze towards the depths of the human soul, while Stefan Dichev's "The Road to Sofia" brings back memories of the past to the reader. The times are truly filled with political hopes and spiritual turmoil. In this cultural and creative atmosphere, Brigitte begins her television career. My conversations with her rewind the tape several decades back - to the glorious television past, where her primary life and creative roles are lined up. Television is not her first, but it remains one of the last and most beloved of them. Her career begins in the 70s - the "golden age" of socialism, when people live modestly, have correct ideas and homemade pickles, panel buildings are popping up like mushrooms, and the government relentlessly flatters the cultural elite. Bulgarian television is celebrating its first decade and is experiencing a unique rise. Sports journalist Ivan Slavkov is its boss, he is the son-in-law of Todor Zhivkov - a circumstance that gives him unlimited privileges and a kind of impunity. His marriage to Lyudmila Zhivkova, the daughter of the First, is the much-needed professional pass for the imposition of some bold creative ideas for its time on television. It serves as its kind of "creative laboratory", mainly intended for strong individuals. The national television quickly fills up with young and modern-thinking journalists, who have European knowledge and a lot of creative drive. They are the ones who, through the small screen, shape the taste of Bulgarians for politics, art and way of life. Beyond politics and ideology, the television explores the enticing territory of the family with its moral imperative, of fashion and the personal world of the individual, of cultural standards in their microcosm. It is precisely Brigitte Cholakova who turns this territory into a vast media universe, subduing it to the desires and needs of the audience, to their comfort and coziness. Brigitte becomes the first lady of Bulgarian TV journalism, who still remains unmatched in screen presence and impact. She managed to cross Bulgaria far and wide, to capture the pain and hope of the ordinary person. In her biography there is something of the life fate of Jack London - she graduated with distinction in German Philology, but education did not open doors for a glamorous career. Along her way there were some family "misfortunes" - a "German" mother and a father with a "past". The unfavorable life circumstances initially sent her to the Central Railway Station, where for three years she worked in the "Information" office, and in the meantime she translated to maintain her cultural form. Brigita never regretted this "grey period" in her life until the very end, because thanks to it, she managed to thoroughly study the country's railway network, knows all the connections, which later proved to be extremely useful in the shoots for the show "TV Sunday" in Bulgaria. Her second professional path is in the film industry - the young and ambitious Brigita becomes a make-up artist and prepares the make-up for three historical film productions: "Royal Grace", "Paisiy" and "Kaloyan". "Even in the middle of the first production, I became a perfect make-up artist. In "Paisiy", they even entrusted me to create an image - with mustache and beard, which is a very difficult job, especially for close-ups. Apparently, I am driven by the ambition to do well in everything I undertake," she shares. The profession of a makeup artist helps her learn how to "make up" unfavorable circumstances in her favor. After working in the film industry, her creative destiny takes another turn as she starts working in the circus and later in cabarets. "I worked in Bulgarian, German and Italian circuses and I have no regrets. In the circus, I got used to interacting with the live audience – there is no stage, the audience surrounds you from all sides, you have to be aware of your surroundings. The circus taught me thousands of things, showed me the importance of honesty and human relationships, and most importantly how to behave in television. I do not regret changing so many professions in the beginning – each one gave me something valuable and necessary." For Brigitte, the difficult life experiences were the best school for her future television career. The television path to the audience's trust is created with the help of intellectual strength and life experience. And in 1968, when Leda Mileva invited her to host the "Golden Orpheus", Brigitte already possessed them. Her television career began with "Orpheus". PROFESSION "CONFERENCE" She has been practicing this profession in the circus for a long time and it becomes her first real breakthrough in the new screen reality. Suddenly, she faces the television machine, which offers her the privileges of fame, but jealously guards its secrets. Brigitte understands that being a conference host on television is much more difficult because she is deprived of direct contact with the audience, and emotions and professional efforts can sink into the camera lens, which is her mediator. She quickly adapts to the new environment and truly achieves great success. "Brigita is a brilliant conference, as no TV could create after her," says Alexandrina Isaylova, who held the reporter's microphone at "Television Weekly" until the very end. Brigita hosts many TV shows and concerts, has regular tours in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and even believes that her success there is more brilliant, being noticed faster and receiving higher ratings. In her first years she receives invitations from German and Austrian television to stay and work there. She doesn't decide mostly because of her love for Bulgaria and its people and in the end she doesn't regret her choice. In 1972, Becomes Leading the "TV Objective" "The Objective" is quite a different show, and the role of TV host is new for Brigita. That's why she decides to first thoroughly familiarize herself with television. "For about three years, I have studied in great detail everything related to television technology, film and video editing principles, PTS and reporting techniques, cameras and the television control room. I wanted to become a solo person who can do everything on their own. To know how each role is performed. I do not hide it - I love to perfect things." "And you can't be perfect when you don't master the profession of each member of your team." "Legends speak of her competence." "She could operate the director's console or start the camera, there were no secrets in the television profession for her," says Sanya Isaylova. "Obektiv" remains her first show, which she particularly loves. It starts as a 20-minute review of the program and ends as a 90-minute cultural magazine. The first magazine that Bulgarian Television offers to viewers. The beginning was not easy for her: "During the first editions of" Obektiv "I felt like hanging over a professional abyss. I had to rely only on myself - in terms of themes, vision, style and taste. Today, I continue to believe that as a group, we journalists grew up professionally "in the dark", discovering many things on our own in the television industry. Without knowing the European television well, its popular shows and stars. It was "Obektivat" that made Brigita a true media star. Critics capture her great advantages, related to the charm of her on-screen image, but ignore something that is particularly important in the development of early television in our country - "Obektivat" sets the beginning of personalized TV journalism in our country. As its leading host, Brigita is not only a mediator, she has her own clear journalistic position - especially in its late format of a TV shop. Television in its first decades is an environment for strong, not weak personalities, for strong, not weak authorial presence. Early television is truly a talent laboratory, it is somewhat naive and immature, and everyone was supposed to know and understand everything, technical mistakes were inevitably part of its daily life. But it is precisely this young and underdeveloped television that is light years away from the mass consumption that the media develops and nurtures in the following decades. Initially, Bulgarian television is filled with many live shows, which have technical and other imperfections, but at the same time - very few TV charades. One of the major obstacles for the possible simplification of the viewer in its first decades is precisely the development of author journalism. Brigita is actually one of the first on this media ground. For her, the rule of the right person in the right place at the right time is completely valid. Her meeting with television is truly monumental. In those years, she corresponded to the scale of her knowledge and public experience, and her strong creative individuality brought the necessary authorial approach, on which personified TV journalism will be based decades later. In its first decades, television also borrowed from the established media practices in cinema and radio - the media testimonies (live television); its conceptual strength and role in editing (primarily in news); the role of on-screen personalities (film stars, TV presenters, TV hosts) in promoting values and behavioral models. In this sense, during those years, the authorial journalism was very necessary for the development of television. It was the necessary condition that a TV star should possess. It is precisely through authorial journalism that a TV star gains their media publicity.   And Brigita is exactly that. She is the first Bulgarian TV journalist who quickly overcomes the easy success of the screen glamour, which (back then and now) creates many media imitations. Later, the television screen is filled with fake TV personalities who become an integral part of its staged scenery. These fleeting screen creatures have nothing in common with the public figures and quality journalism that Bulgarian television created in its beginnings. In the following decades, they increasingly turn to the mass taste of the viewer, which the television desperately wants to win over for itself. In early television, its hosts - stars, are not possible or conceivable without their major journalistic victories. Then it is impossible to become a TV star if you do not have a strong creative presence, if you do not create authorial journalism, which is usually achieved with blood, sweat and tears. In order to establish and stay on the small screen, you had to possess the necessary professional qualities, the required character, and maturity of your personality, as well as the important "presence effect" for television.   Brigita has abundantly all of these qualities. Her education is respected not only for its time, but legends are told about her strong (often unbearable) character. Her determination and exceptional professional training for many years are an example for all others. Brigita is the first (a little earlier than Kevorkian) to set the bar very high for television journalism - regardless of the fact that there is only one television, and in fact, she is without competition. “ Her biggest competition is mostly with herself - with her vision of how real TV journalism can be done, how the presenter's screen image (brand) should be created - from hair / makeup / clothing / screen behavior / phraseology to script / guests / interviews / choice of cities and interviewees / camera work.    "I have always seen the camera as a living creature that you have to please, to win over to your side. If there is no understanding, the camera can quickly become your enemy and then nothing can save you." "You will watch her, you will smile at her, but she will betray in the air eyes without a gaze, smile without address and will turn you into an annoying, uninvited guest in the homes of the viewers." Brigitta always adapts to the camera, because it is the one that creates the television image. I have been a guest on her shows a few times and I have witnessed how, with iron will, she commands the operators to film her only in medium shots, because she is approaching her 50s. And not only out of female vanity (youth is always short and exciting stop in life), but also from her professional understanding that TV image needs to be constantly controlled, so that the host looks good and attracts the viewer's gaze. In all of her shows she consistently imposes a cultured style and an intellectual measure to the issues that are being discussed. Brigita is the first TV journalist to put the topic of FAMILY in the public spotlight – with its moral and educational values, the aesthetics of living and everyday life, the culture of dressing and behavior, in general – the personal world of the individual. For years, she has visited numerous Bulgarian cities, guested hundreds of Bulgarian families and made the audience part of their joys and worries. She has always believed that it is in the family where the virtues and vices of the Bulgarian national character are molded, and television is a magnifying glass of the Bulgarian spirit, which is why she cannot remain indifferent. Through the topic of family, Brigita passionately desires to be useful not only to others, but also to herself. Her pronounced interest in this issue is peculiarly compensated by her family drama, the tragedy that has struck her personal happiness – the plane crash in which her husband, jazz musician Hristo Cholakov, perished. This turns her life around and in her lap, she doesn't cry over a child, which is probably why orphaned children are frequent guests on her show, spreading love and kindness from the screen. Style is her main keyword. Style as a journalistic position, public behavior, screen appearance and creative challenge. "Brigita Cholakova is one of those television phenomena who were born for the TV camera. But not like the faceless figures of today, behind whom lies an empty brain space. She exudes charisma and a stunning impression that is missing from Bulgarian television screens today. Terrifying in character and temperament, formidable with her curses, when faced with unprofessionalism, inhuman to the point of obscenity, yet also proud to the point of arrogance," journalist Veselina Tomova wrote with gratitude about her in her 2009 article on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of her death. In achieving this exceptional television image, Brigitte used two very important tools: script and preparation. She quickly realized that television was a dazzling stage that could easily become her guillotine. She decides that she has no right to lose her chance by relying solely on her telegenic qualities and on-screen charm. "In 'The Lens', and following it in the next broadcasts - 'You wanted to see', 'Television presents', 'Style', 'Television Weekly' and 'Modeva Television', for her the most important thing is the preliminary preparation, filming according to an iron script. It is precisely the prepared improvisation that paves the way to great professional success. The script and preparation at the time express her character, but also the limits of her own creative personality. You can not rely solely on youth and personal charm, aimlessly improvising, filling the airwaves with packaged phrases." "You have no right to make mistakes out of carelessness and ignorance of the problem you have the honor to present to the audience. "For her there was no improvisation, everything was thoroughly prepared beforehand," remembers her reporter Sanya Isaylova. "It's impossible without prior preparation. My cameraman Krum Vasilev and I used to rehearse every live broadcast with the camera, and our colleagues at the TV station were surprised by it. I have hosted dozens of shows in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary - everywhere there are rehearsals for live broadcasts. I never improvised in any interview or commentary. Everything was well prepared in advance." Тя много отдава значение на правилното произношение и подчертаване на думите в комуникацията с публиката си. Това една добра практика и нейният успех в телевизията говори сам за себе си." Another question is that I did not even look at the written text on air, but I could not afford the luxury of interviewing a famous writer without having read all of his books. "They say that even the small jokes and games that liven up the atmosphere of the live shows are scripted in Brigitte's plans. And she sits at the host's desk after carefully considering the dialogue with her guests, even the surprises and possible mistakes. The viewer, who for many years has consistently seen her as elegant and sparkling, dressed with great taste, without cumbersome details and jewelry, with an attractive appearance and excellent articulation, hardly realizes how difficult and thorny the path to this well-crafted television image is. "Brigitte regularly did articulation exercises before starting the show. She places great importance on proper pronunciation and emphasis on words in her communication with her audience. This is a good practice, and her success in television speaks for itself." She pushed the boundaries of improvisation, but if she cared about her interlocutor, she allowed them to develop their argument. Even within this limited improvisation, she added something new and fresh that he did not expect from her. On air, she imposed a great degree of control in everything," says Prof. Lyubomir Stoykov. During our conversations, Brigitte also adds that, besides articulation exercises, she regularly does 15 minutes of gymnastics before starting, in order to be able to sit active in the studio and feel good for two hours. She compares television to a sports competition, where the bolder, smarter, and ultimately – better prepared, always win. Few know that sports is her first love – she played for several years in the CSKA volleyball team, and even one year in the national team. Sport teaches her many things, strengthens her character and willpower, educates her skills to fight and overcome difficulties. One of her most valuable qualities is undoubtedly her communicativeness. Many have previously described it as a perfect mediator, who has a presence on screen, knows how to predispose people, create intimacy and comfort in the broadcast. On the small screen, she does not use pompous phraseology, does not speak in a high and pretentious language that would repel the mass audience. In the studio, she does not allow too much distance between herself and the interviewees, which often kills the atmosphere. Over the years, she constantly tries to delve into the human secret of good and evil, morality and social justice. She is the first TV presenter who has achieved success in asserting her own individuality on the small screen. She leaves enough space in the studio for the expression of her guests' individuality, for the presentation of their different viewpoints on a particular issue. In her shows, she radiates vitality and optimism, and her professional reflex protects her from personal troubles that should not be displayed on screen. Her public role has its own "TV brand", a unique style, a cultural form and a strong journalistic adaptability - towards her guests, problems and life situations. For two decades, her radiant smile has never left her face, along with the unchanged "you" through which she has many intimate television dialogues. Everything that she does in her shows goes through the filter of her unique personality. Every problem that she discusses in the studio is dominated by her personal journalistic position. As a journalist, host, and citizen of this society. Even in the last years of her life, Brigitte is terribly upset by injustices, social contrasts horrify her, the pyramid of social contradictions that filled the first years of the transition. Author's journalism is based on a strong personal presence - in order to prove yourself, you must not only have professional skills, but also a strong character. From here comes the television mythology about her AUTHORITARIAN CHARACTER. In Television, they have been saying for years that she does not tolerate different opinions and is very difficult to work with. ” Brigita used to be surrounded by rumors about her egocentricism and megalomania, which turned her into a dictator who tortured her team with her excessive demandingness. She herself admits that she doesn't like to impose foreign tastes in her shows. That's why for 15 years she worked without a director, only with a responsible operator and a producer at the control. She comes to the filming location fully prepared for the show, doing her own makeup and hair. She always knows the boundaries of good television, and therefore relies mainly on her own abilities. "I designed the sets myself for some of my shows. For example, the furnishing of 'Nedeljka' was entirely according to my project. I assembled it from three different factories. Of course, television folklore exaggerates things." For example, on television, everyone was saying that a "man" like Brigita beats members of her team... There is no such thing. It was said that Hacho Boyadzhiev and Kevorkyan also harshly punish their teams... It's not true, but how do you stop the rumors? The whole problem was that I am equally uncompromising towards myself and my team and I do not like mediocre work.“ Her reporter Sanya Isailova remembers how Brigita was greeted for her broadcasts in various Bulgarian cities. As soon as they got out of the cars at the Television station, they were greeted with brass music and pogachas. At the casino in Sunny Beach, there was a line of bellboys, waiters, organizers, each with a flower in their hand. For Brigita. Sanya's explanation for her magnetic influence: "She was a symbol of a life that was not so popular." Учах се като събеседовател да не ми бъркат в главата, да ми казват невярно нещо“, спомня си тя. "This fame lifted her to a higher level, which in those years was not possible for everyone. Few know that she always did her own makeup and hair. She had achieved perfection in her profession, which almost no one possessed. How many universities have journalism programs these days, thousands try themselves in front of the camera. And how one person did not bring with them a part of that little something that she had within herself," stated Sanya Isailova. But she does not think she knows what was going on in her soul behind the mask of the iron professional. Brigita's perfectionism causes her not to forgive mistakes, her own or others'. She is irritated by ignorance and poor preparation, and does not like people who do not have a passion for their work. "There is no one more self-critical than me. I learned as an interviewer not to let others confuse me, not to believe something untrue," she recalls. From the positions of "Wanted to see", watching earlier recordings of "Objective", I am ashamed of myself... And from the positions of "Nedeljika", everything I have done before seems like lemonade... On the fifth year of starting "Nedeljika", I realized that I had to go. I no longer had expressive means, I couldn't come up with anything new. I always admit my mistakes - I remember that in about ten shows I held the table with my hand, because I realized that I didn't have the will not to touch... In "Nedeljika" I had several shows for which, after reviewing the recordings, I picked up the phone and apologized to people in the province. Brigitte possessed a very valuable quality - she knew how to overcome any personal dislike if it was in the interest of work. For example, over the years her relationship with Kevorkian has been quite complicated, but she considered him to be the number one journalist because he has exceptional talent for television: "After him, there are a few empty spots, and then we all fall into place." There have been instances of offensive remarks exchanged between them on air, but when Kevorkian becomes the program director, Brigitte is in his office every day and they have an uninterrupted professional dialogue. Kevorkian, who is well-versed in television work, entrusts "Nedelnika" to make the "5 out of 35" jackpot. " Brigitte was extremely skeptical - she cared more about her professional appearance than her feminine one. Even with the cameraman Krum Vassilev, they had an unspoken agreement to film her through a light filter, to make her look better - recalls Professor Lyubomir Stoykov today. - Her professionalism was impeccable in terms of organization, discipline and self-restraint. Before shooting, she had a strict lifestyle regime and did not allow herself to indulge in extravagant parties if she had a difficult broadcast the next day. It is precisely her sense of self-control, excellent organization and self-criticism that prepare her for the super-reports of her live broadcasts. Brigita is the first television journalist in our country to make such a large-scale live broadcast like "TELEVISION WEEK". "The Week" is a big television store, which runs entirely "live", with several live connections from different parts of the country. That's probably why Brigita considers herself more of a reporter than a TV host. For her, live reporting is the pinnacle of development in television in general: "The host in a live broadcast is first and foremost a reporter. The reporter is not a stepping stone to the host, but an independent creative peak. You cannot be a good host if you are not a good reporter. But not every reporter can become a good host." Brigita believes that the host must also be a little bit of an artist. And she doesn't hide the fact that over the years, she has rehearsed her stage behavior, because for her, television is primarily art journalism. "The Sunday Show" brings her the biggest satisfaction, because during this time, she isn't thinking about her expressive means, but only manages the television formula of social processes. "The TV Show" was aimed at changing the mentality of Bulgarians. It is still alive in the memory of the people. With it, I traveled all over Bulgaria, no other show managed to achieve such a sincere and honest connection with people. And it was all live. No bodyguards or closed microphones. People simply came and shared their pains and concerns. ” Today, television is more than ever obligated to peek into families and see how people are coping with the crisis, how they survive. "Sunday" is truly a peak in its creative career. It brings to the small screen topics and problems that have long been "in the dark", shoved into the corner of public attention. Single mothers and orphans, relationships between fathers and children, and the elderly and abandoned people become the center of public interest, but also of social intolerance. "Sunday" pronounces a sentence on our indifference, on human laziness, with which we often overcome human suffering. As Max Frisch says in his "Diaries": "Can our compassion, our mercy - can their meaning be to cancel our sentence?..." "Help means to bring about a change in the spirit of some kind of enlightenment." Brigita truly achieved a change in the spirit and compassion of Bulgarians. She conducts raids throughout the country and often manages to solve some of the problems of small villages, because through her national platform she amplifies the public interest towards them. "These raids," says Brigita, "have given me much more than I have given on television. I got to know my country and its people." "Sunday" develops the topic of charity. The viewer is particularly attached to it because it allows them to feel useful, needed by someone. Но не си пропусках внимателно „ Неделникът“ или отворих водача на знания на моя телевизор заради чувствеността към близки проблеми. Именно съмненията ми за реалистичността на изложбите на теми с изключително социален оттенък ме убедиха, че тук ще намеря глас на честност.” It is "Nedelnikat" that created the foundations of "Motherhood", "Child and Nature" and "Civil Forum for Children's Rights". "Nedelnikat" truly becomes a show about the Bulgarian family and its problems, about the Bulgarian national character, which is formed from the cradle to the grave. It gives Brigita a significant authority, as she finds her niche in the mass consciousness, and a large part of the audience finds a beloved intermediary in the topics that interest them. Criticism competes with praise: "Abandoned little children, single mothers, helpless elderly... As if my TV with its "TV Sunday" has turned into the Mokanin from Yovkov's story. Yes, all these are facts, and they are verified... But I didn't tune in to "Nedelnikat" or open the source of knowledge on my TV because of sensitivity towards personal problems. It was my doubts about the realism of exhibitions on topics with a strong social aspect that convinced me that I will find a voice of honesty here." Brigita Cholakova embodies the vital "Kevorkyan" beginning in BT, which means a resilient and sustainable person, a revolutionary and a conformist at the same time, capable of always starting over", writes Zhania Dragostinova.   The charity of "Nedelnika" pushes Brigita towards her next initiative - the "SOS Kinderdorf" villages. They are created in Bulgaria with her exceptional support and mediation. She goes to Germany and Austria and through the media popularizes these villages in our country. She even writes a special book, explaining their high humanitarian purpose - raising foreign children, creating an atmosphere very close to the family. Brigita gives numerous interviews on this topic, and writes special articles. Brigita feels like a public figure until the very end. People stop her on the street, remembering her broadcasts and herself. During her active television career, every break she took had societal significance as it was connected with solving a local or regional problem. She remembers how she managed to secure a one-bedroom apartment for a mother with three children who were living in a van. But this societal significance comes at a high price - television has deeply embedded itself into her personal life, dominating above all else. Every great TV journalist in their professional journey inevitably encounters MANY COMPROMISES which are part of their professional growth. Второ, защото не ми пукаше за себе си.“ Brigita knows how to give up life's pleasures if it's necessary for work: "The television profession literally destroys personal life. For 20 years, in the name and for the sake of television, I neglected everything around me. Today, my life would be more enjoyable if I weren't alone... But caught up in work, I neglected to secure my personal life. After the death of my husband, I even forbade myself from falling in love... What a fool I was!" Every television peak has its bitter price, because true professional achievements often require sacrificing other areas of life. Apparently, this is how the balance in human nature is maintained. "Over the years in television, nothing has seemed particularly difficult to me. First, because I believed I would succeed. Second, because I didn't care about myself." And secondly, because I never regretted the hard work to succeed. "Brigita doesn't think she has had any major creative gaps in her craft, her professional self-esteem is at its peak. Sanya tells how during a live broadcast from the Balabanova house in Plovdiv the lights went out, but Brigita brilliantly overcame the gaffe with the words: "The power went out, but I don't look worse because of it. Others look worse because I always look good." You cannot be among the first in your profession and not have high self-esteem. She speaks bitterly about television fame and the people who have turned her into a profitable investment. She has never sought a meeting with Todor Zhivkov, even though she knows she was his favorite. "I never managed to meet him," laughs Brigitte, "I had to go to the provinces with 'Nedeljka' magazine." But this case is indicative of her constant strive to handle her own problems. In recent years, Brigitte sadly shared that TV has pushed out other arts from her life. Music helped her a lot - classical and jazz. She claimed to understand and feel it. She adored Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" conducted by Bernstein, for her it was a kind of purification from the filth of life. For years, she primarily listened to jazz, influenced by her late husband. She used to be a big fan of film and theater, but television takes away the pleasure of communing with them as it should. Modern television makes her feel uncomfortable in the theater, she constantly has a feeling of something archaic and artificial. She is not so connected to literature, but always returns to Goethe, he creates an atmosphere for reflection. As for TELEVISION IN TRANSITION, Brigita is not very impressed: "The national media had a chance to become a true social mirror, if it had not rushed to become opportunistic. And if it hadn't cut off its roots. Nowadays, many on the small screen are born of opportunism. They lack the basic professional habits. And most of all, the purpose." I often watch aimlessly shot interviews, everything is very chaotic, lacks professional flair. There is a trend towards a new television civilization, while traditions are being cut from the root. We cannot pretend to be CNN, because it's ridiculous. People immediately stop believing you." Brigita was convinced that television does not expand one's cultural horizons, she thought of it as an old love. "It is a magnifying glass that exaggerates everything. It's not the street drum that only reads the news to its fellow citizens, TV is obliged to comment and explain them. That's why it believes that great television journalism cannot exist in "spiritual emigration". "A journalist can only be good if he is "inside" the life, directly participating in its emotion and rhythm. You cannot encapsulate yourself away from people. You may deceive them for a while, but then you fall apart." He never thought of himself as a star and that's why he feels best among people who have nothing to do with television, art and culture. He claims that he has no problem entering any social environment and often mesmerizes it with the worldly wisdom of ordinary people. In them he sees the essence of Bulgaria. As a true professional, she is always ready for her next step. "I have never taken myself too seriously and I consider it my biggest life victory to have a strong character and unwavering will. They did not allow my popularity to devalue or diminish," she says. For her, a television journalist is just a "mediator between what happens in life and what is said to the viewers." The question is having the necessary antennas and sensitivity to be able to both take and give. And in this sense, television is life, with all its dirt and charm." In addition to her bright public and national commitment, a television journalist also needs professional experience, life wisdom, talent and, last but not least, artistic skills." "I believe that in this decade of ours, focused on a specific professional goal, we have been more humane and less selfish, above all exceptionally honest... There is no case where disbelief, inaction and despair have led someone on a better and happier path." For her extraordinary television career, for the challenging and happy moments on the screen, for the successes and mistakes that inevitably accompany television journalism, the best metaphor are the lines of Goethe: "Yes, we are well familiar / with the most acceptable world: / like a tavern full of scoundrels, / like a dream from childhood rooms, / like the image of a poet, / like a rare and expensive object, / like the vanity in the theater, / like banquets of the wind, / like a penny, we are familiar / with this most acceptable world!" The most acceptable world of the whimsical and colorful television reality, which sucks in the personality of the great TV journalist and leaves a lasting impact in the hearts of the viewers, to ultimately become a cultural memory. The media memory of a professionally protected, carefully crafted TV improvisation.