Ginka Stancheva is a Bulgarian theater and film actress. In 1955, he graduated from VITIZ in the class of Prof. Stefan Sarchadzhiev together with Tatyana Lolova, Grigor Vachkov, Hindo Kasimov, Itsko Fintsi, Dosyo Dosev, etc.
When he was in his second year, he married his colleague Peicho Peichev. He is assigned to Blagoevgrad, and after he graduates, Ginka also goes there if he wishes. In 1958, both were appointed to the Youth Theater in Sofia, to which they remained faithful until the end.
The actress participated in performances of the municipal theater "Vazrazhdane", Theater 199 and private theater "Barbukov". Stancheva starred in 19 films, the most significant of which are "Favorite 13", "Specialist in Everything" and "Night with the White Horses", as well as in the first Bulgarian series "Kalinkovi Family".
Mrs. Stancheva, hello! How are you feeling?
- A little worried about standing in a long line to get my medicine book verified - because of the BGN 2 discount. This is genocide against sick people! There were elderly people hanging in the queue, people with canes, some of them brought small children - they must be taking care of them! I don't understand if we will ever have any he alth care reform without it reflecting a shockingly unhe althy effect on all of us.
Otherwise I am in good he alth. I don't like to complain, although I have he alth problems myself. I take a pill for high blood pressure, our life is so stressful, I want to keep it under control. For some of us, these pills are very expensive, only our pensions are low, they are not enough for anything.
I go to bed very late, get up very early, I've somehow adapted to this pace and it doesn't weigh me down so far.
Have you treated yourself with herbs?
- I have friends who regularly drink various herbs, rely on herbal medicine. I respect folk medicine, but it is very slow to achieve a good effect with herbs. For treatment with them, one must be very persistent, not give up easily. However, I believe that Bulgarian herbs are healing.
Is there he althcare in Bulgaria?
- There was, years ago when there were doctors on call. I am a member of the First City Hospital, a unique he alth facility. There, before the year 89, each of us had a card with the diseases we had passed - now everything is compressed air. I have a close friend from France who had a stroke and is being treated at Tokuda. What are these fees, I don't know -
pays BGN 300 per day. Are they putting gold medicine on him?!
Okay, the insurance company will pay him everything, but what happens to the Bulgarians? Who among us has to pay such a huge sum for his treatment? I think the doctors tell themselves that if our lives are in danger, the relatives will find money. May he rest in peace, but I also remember when Andrey Batashov was in this hospital, his mother was worried that they were also asking for large sums of money…
Which doctors do you trust?
- This is a highly humane profession, doctors do not deserve to be insulted. But my friend's husband recently broke his leg and she was horrified by the carelessness and rudeness of the doctors. She went to ask for a wheelchair, they kicked her out… This is a hospital, and this is how the bad image of doctors is built. And the First City Hospital has changed - the specialists are good, but the attitude towards patients is radically different from years ago. And for the fact that young doctors are leaving our country, our he alth system and their low pay are again to blame. They fight for our lives 24/7, they shouldn't be miserable!
Have you had more serious he alth problems?
- As if with my eternal smile I drive them away from me. My friend Emilia Radeva sometimes complains to me about something, and I laugh to her horror.
When the Chernobyl plant exploded, we were in the rain at the event. Some time passed, and I went for an ultrasound examination - quite a few people suddenly fell ill with serious diseases.
I was stressed, worried when we moved from the Blagoevgrad Theater to Sofia and they gave me a small role in the Youth Theater. It was from this stress that I got inflammation of the thyroid gland, it passed, but it remained a lifelong affliction. I have to take medicine, but that's life - stress triggers many serious diseases. Neither we alth, property, nor money are values - our he alth is most valuable. We need to understand it and take care of ourselves.
What stresses you out in your everyday life?
- We live a very tense and fast-paced life, and I wish we could love and respect each other enough. There is no more humanity in Bulgaria, everyone is looking to save himself, he does not care about the other. We shun the elderly, the infirm, the fallen with annoyance. We do not reach out to lift up the fallen beside us. My heart breaks when I see how the whole of Bulgaria is covered with water. We must be compassionate to each other, help each other… Our situation is desperate, but I still want to be optimistic.
Do you manage to eat he althy?
- I definitely don't follow any diets, it's enough that
the times we live in are "diet"
Bulgarians are poor, we eat a lot of bread and poor quality products, we drink a lot of beer. I buy black bread, it doesn't get moldy on the second day. Bulgarian women are beautiful women, but with this bad food they ruined their figure. But we have little money, so we buy cheap food.
I love lean manji, sauerkraut, beans, vine leaf sarmi I can eat all day. I avoid fatty foods, sweets, I don't drink, I don't smoke - not because I'm old, but that's how I understand a he althy lifestyle.
What took the acting profession away from you?
- I miss cinema and theater a lot - I love them, they are the meaning of my life! It took away the time I could have taken care of my daughter. I would come back in the middle of the night from performances, bathe her, give her massage, gymnastics, cuddle her - then go to rehearsal. It took away some of the joy of being a real mother. My colleagues and I were talking about how airy the stage was. Many of us were often sick - colds, plexitis, seizures, etc. - so they went to the performances - sick, with pills in their pockets.
Which incident from the cinema and theater will you remember for a lifetime?
- There are many incidents, but one is exactly how I will remember it. When I was filming "Earth" in the village of Gaitanevo, my husband came to see me. One evening, it was already a big dungeon, it was raining, he set off on a motorcycle for the village. In the darkness, he encountered a donkey - and a donkey, in the mud, in the water. When I saw it, I was breathless - I was both worried and funny. Good thing the donkey hadn't broken it, there were only a few bruises despite the soft mud…
