Plovdiv once-bright greens and blues. Torah scrolls are kept in the gilded Aron-ha-Kodesh. The Plovdiv Drama Theatre is a successor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. The Plovdiv Opera was established in 1953. Another pillar of Plovdiv's culture is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945. Soloists such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Boukov, and Mincho Minchev have worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra has toured in almost all of the European countries. The Trakiya Folklore Ensemble, founded
PFC Botev Plovdiv PFC Botev Plovdiv Professional Football Club Botev Plovdiv, commonly known as Botev Plovdiv ( ) or simply (within the city of Plovdiv itself) Botev, is the oldest continuously existing Bulgarian association football club. The club was established on 12 March 1912 by a group of students in Plovdiv. Its home ground, the Hristo Botev Stadium is located in the residential quarter of Kamenitza and is currently under reconstruction. Therefore, home matches are temporarily played at Botev 1912 Football Complex in Komatevo. The team currently competes in First League, the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. Named in honour