On January 30, 2025, one of the most beloved and respected actresses on the Bulgarian stage — Tsvetana Maneva — celebrates her 82nd birthday. But what does age mean when the spirit remains young, and charisma and talent continue to excite generations of Bulgarians?
Tsvetana Maneva is a true symbol of Bulgarian theater and cinema. Born in 1944 in Plovdiv, she graduated from the Higher Institute of Theater Arts in the class of Professor Mois Benies, where she emerged as one of the strongest dramatic actresses of her time. With her intelligence, depth and undeniable stage magnetism, she became recognizable at the beginning of her career. She inherited her acting talent from her father Georgi Manev, who played for many years on the stage of the Plovdiv Theater.
Over the years, Maneva has left her mark both on the theater stage and on the big screen. Films such as “Monday Morning“, “Hot“, “Ladies Invite“ and “Condemned Souls“ have become classics, and her performance in them has brought her not only prestigious awards, but also the love of the audience.
One of Maneva's most memorable appearances is in the television format “Undercover“, where she played the role of the mother of a mafia boss — a role that once again demonstrates her ability to give depth and nuance to each character.
Behind her back, Tsvetana Maneva has several marriages. Her first great love was the then third-year student Peter Vuchkov – the future emblematic host of the show “Minuta e mno” on BNT. Despite the strength of their love, their marriage did not last long, only two years.
In 1969, Tsvetana married for the second time, to Nikolay Penchev - a handsome young man, a lighting engineer in the theater. He later became a cameraman at the Plovdiv television center. Urban legend has it that in order to impress her, Nikolay drove his car into the fountain on the city square. The marriage of Tsvetana and Nikolay Penchev lasted nearly 4 years, during which their daughter Nadezhda was born.
After that, she met her true great love - Yavor Milushev, with whom they have been together for more than 40 years. She says that her affair with him began in 1973 from a meeting at the entrance to the VITIZ. He was still a student, she was already performing in Plovdiv. Especially for them, Lyuben Groys staged the play “Two on the Swing”. Their love inspired and captivated the audience.
Even at 81 years old, Tsvetana Maneva continues to be active and participate in projects related to theater, cinema and public life. Her presence is proof that true art knows no age limits.
Today, when we celebrate her life and career, let us remember the words of Maneva herself: “Art is a reflection of the soul — if you feed it with love and wisdom, it will live forever.“
Happy birthday to the unique Tsvetana Maneva!