Slava Yanakieva

Slava Yanakieva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theater at New Bulgarian University. She earned her PhD from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with a dissertation on "Topics of the Sacred in Cinematography" and a master's from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts "Krastyo Sarafov". Her research bridges medieval performative practices, theater anthropology, and theological/philosophical analyses of cinema.

Her scholarly interests focus on two primary domains:

• Pre-modern theater, emphasizing medieval rituals and performative traditions
• The intersection of cinema with theology, philosophy, and sacred narratives

She has taught courses spanning "Medieval Theater", "Theology and Cinema", and "Cinema and Music" at multiple institutions since 2000.

Yanakieva maintains active memberships in:

• Editorial board of "Christianity and Culture" journal
• Union of Filmmakers in Bulgaria (Film Critics Guild)
• Institute for Medieval Philosophy and Culture
• Byzantine Working Group

She contributes to projects examining medieval visual culture and Christianity's relationship with totalitarian regimes.

Her publications include the monograph Christian Cinema: Topics of the Sacred in Cinematography (2020) and translations of scholarly works by Ernst Kantorowicz and Ioannis Zizioulas. She regularly participates in public discourse through BNR (Bulgarian National Radio) programs and academic seminars on film symbolism and cultural criticism.