This document discusses Bai Ganyo, a character created by Aleko Konstantinov that represents a Bulgarian rose oil trader in the late 19th century. Bai Ganyo is portrayed as cunning, trying to take advantage of others' hospitality without paying, and disliking foreign food and customs. While uneducated, he finds ways to communicate. The document also discusses adaptations of the character in theater and film, and how Bai Ganyo represents contradictions as Bulgaria transitioned from Oriental to modern democratic culture. It calls for balancing Western European and Eastern cultural values.

1. MR BALKANSKI*
BY GEORGI DANAILOV
*Mr Balkanski - a man who comes from the Balkans
We Are the Citizens of Europe with Our Similarities and Differences

2. DIFFERENT NATIONAL
CHARACTERS

3. Don Quixote of La Mancha
at Connecticut Repertory Theatre

4. Robin Hood
at the Greenwich Theatre

5. Gargantua
at the Drum, Theatre Royal, Plymouth

6. Superman
at Dallas Theatre Center

7. Bai*
Ganyo
at the Etropole Theatre
*Bai - is a Bulgarian term of intimate respect

8. WE HAVE TO LIVE OUR
WHOLE LIFE WITH THAT
FACT.
And if you have to spend your whole life with someone,
you had better find out who they are than pretend that
they do not exist.

9. “Bai Ganyo” by Aleko Konstantinov
• “Bai Ganyo” is a novel-
like series of satirical
feulletons by Aleko
Konstantinov.
• The humorous stories
were issued in 1895.

10. “Bai Ganyo” by Aleko Konstantinov
• In a funny way the book
depicts the conflict
between the old and the
new in the heart of the
fast-forming bourgeoisie,
its mentality, culture,
aspirations and still too
strong prejudices and
inhibitions.

11. “Mr Balkanski” by Georgi Danailov
• The work has
numerous film and
theater productions
including the play "Mr.
Balkanski" written by
Georgi Danailov in
1985.

12. “Mr Balkanski” by Georgi Danailov
• Georgi Danailov presents
Bai Ganyo like a dopey
and pushy, stingy and
tricky character who has
preserved, deep down in
his heart, something of
the strong patriarchal
character of the
Bulgarians.

13. The plot revolves around the journeys of the rose oil
hawker Ganyo Balkanski round European countries.
• Aleko Konstantinov and Bai Ganjo appeared as the logo of the
Internet search engine Google for Bulgaria on January 13, 2013. It
marked the writer’s 150th
birth anniversary.

14. For the prototype of the character actually served a person who
Aleko Konstantinov met during his trip to the USA, depicted in
his book "To Chicago and Back".

15. He skillfully uses the comparison with European citizens to
highlight some funny but not so nice traits of the Bulgarians at
that time.

16. The performance features the hilarious comic situations Bai
Ganyo and his company get into while travelling by train to
Vienna.

17. How the rose oil hawker visits Irechek
and then Bodkov in Prague.

18. How he met the Czech women -
Marzhenka and her mother.

19. How he starts issuing a newspaper and
makes Bodkov a Member of Parliament.

20. WE ARE THE CITIZENS OF
EUROPE WITH OUR
SIMILARITIES AND
DIFFERENCES
Sketch

22. Bai Ganyo
• Bai Ganyo is not a bad person
but he has one weakness, he
always wants to ,,use'' others
and if possible not to pay his
expenses.
• He is a rich rose oil trader but
he wants to take advantage of
the hospitality and generosity
of others at all costs and
invents all sorts of tricks in
order to do so.

23. Bai Ganyo
• He is not well-educated,
does not speak foreign
languages, but he
always finds a way to
communicate with
others, sometimes
causing great laughter.
• He likes eating and
drinking, but he does
not like foreign cuisine,
he prefers Balkan
dishes.

24. Bai Ganyo
• Bai Ganyo dislikes
"politeness" which is
false according to him.
• He is outspoken,
spontaneous, and does
not understand that in
certain situations one
must know and observe
cultural norms. That is
why his behavior seems
arrogant and rude.

25. Bai Ganyo
• To him women are of two
types - some are maids
whose butts he can pinch
and the others are
aristocrats, who he must
treat carefully.
• Unfortunately, in Europe
he can not differentiate
them because they are all
dressed well thus he falls
into many embarrassing
situations.

26. Bai Ganyo
• For him there is only one good type of music that
complements eating and drinking.

27. Rough interest, profit and practicality are his
priority.

28. Now you will see some funny situations
which Bai Ganyo gets into while he is in
Prague.

29. Now Bai Ganyo is having dinner in his
host’s house.

30. • Bai Ganyo has dressed like a European, but has accepted only the
outward appearance of the civilization. He is a representative of the
manipulators and tyrants, who are the same in all countries especially if
they gain power – political or media.

31. • Bai Ganyo embodies the contradictions and drama of the Bulgarians and
Balkan nations. From a strongly influenced by the Oriental culture of
manners, customs, and social structure they suddenly readjust to the
ideological norms of modern democracy. And this is not a mechanical, easy
process. It has its difficulties, consequences and vicissitudes!

32. Let’s find the balance!
• To seek solutions to Bulgarian problems in what Western Europe has built,
and the Europeans may find a refuge from their problems in our culture that
values intimacy, communication, and slow-moving time. If "Time is
money" for the Western culture; for the East – "Time is communication and
enjoyment."

33. Created by
Georgi Tenev and Mihail Marchev
This presentation was created for “Different Cultures on European
Stage” Project.
This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission.
This presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be
made of the information contained therein.