Dora Popova

Dora Popova (1902-1976)

Dora Popova was born in 1902 in the village Karadar, near Lozengrad. In 1912 her family was forced to deport to Bulgaria and moved to the refugee’s district "Kodzhakafaliyska mahala" in Burgas.
From a little child Dora Popova had artistic talent. Her career as an actress began 1920 in Varna in the troupe of Stoyan Bachvarov. She performed in over 30 roles on Bulgarian stage.
In 1927 D.Popova went to Paris, where she completed a dancing arts course and became performer of oriental dancing at the famous cabaret "Folies Bergere". At that time the famous Josephine Becker shared the same stage. As a dancer she toured several European countries and with a Cuban troupe travelled in North Africa. In 1932 Dora Popova put an end to her artistic career abroad and returned to Burgas.
The money Dora Popova had collected abroad, she invested into the construction of a house and a public bath on Alexandrovska Street. For decades, the building was known as "Dorinata banya" (Dora’s bath). With imposition of the communist regime after 1944, the public bath was nationalized in 1950. The same day that her property was taken, she performed for charity in the comedy "For the love of art".
Dora Popova died in 1976.
Although forgotten by the city on which she bestowed so such through her long charity activities, Dora Popova will go down in history as the most famous Bulgarian actress in Europe during the 30’s and 40’s of the 20th century.

To learn more about the work and life of Dora Popova visit the Ethnographic Exposition of RIM Burgas (address: Burgas, ul.Slavyanska 69).