Biography
Stoyanka Mutafova was born on February 2, 1922, in Sofia. Her father, Constantine Mutafov, was a playwright at the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov." In 1941, she graduated from the First Sofia Girls' High School. She then completed her studies in Classical Philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and graduated from the State Theatre School in Sofia. Between 1946 and 1949, she worked at the Theater in Prague, and from 1949 to 1956, she was part of the National Theatre. Mutafova was a founding member of the State Theatre of Satire "Aleko Konstantinov," where she worked from 1956 to 1991.
Mutafova was married three times. In 1946, at age 23, she married her first husband, Czech director Robert Rosner, who was 51. After their marriage, she lived in Vienna and later moved to Prague, where she completed a second higher education at the theater department of the Prague Conservatory. Her second husband was Leonid Grubeshliev, a journalist and translator. From this marriage, she had her only daughter, Maria Grubeshlieva - Muky. Her third husband was actor Neycho Popov, whom she described as the great love of her life. They first met at the National Theatre, where she was working as an actress and he was a student at the National Academy.
Stoyanka Mutafova received numerous honors, including the Order "St. St. Cyril and Methodius," First Grade, in 1962; the honorary title "Honored Artist" in 1963; the "National Order of Labour," Gold, in 1972; the honorary title "People's Artist" in 1977; honorary citizenship of Sofia in 2000; the Order "Stara Planina" in 2002; honorary citizenship of Burgas in 2002; the Theater Award "Asker" in 2002; the "Golden Age" distinction in 2012; honorary citizenship of Sredets in 2012; the "Golden Kukerikon" Award named after Georgi Kaloyanchev in 2013; the "Golden Blend" Award by Jameson for her role as grandmother Mariyka in the series "Capital Citizen More" in 2013; the "Bulgaria You" Award in 2015; and a citation for "Contribution to Culture and the Enrichment of World Theater" in 2015.
