Desi Bakardzhieva is among the most popular and beloved actresses in Bulgaria, known for her roles in theater, cinema and television. For 2 years, he has also been the face of the National information campaign "Take your feet in your hands" for the prevention of varicose veins and chronic venous disease. In the conditions of social isolation, we turned to Desi Bakardjieva online to share with us how she herself copes with the emergency situation and what are the lessons we all learn from her.
We have been in a situation of isolation for over 2 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how did you spend this time and how did you take care of your body and spirit?
My personal recipe for overcoming pandemic stress is yoga and exercise at home. In my opinion, there are many wonderful things in our lives that can make us happy and in these difficult times give us courage. Love, family and friends are among them. I hope this crisis teaches us to appreciate the valuable things in our lives in the moment, not when they are irretrievably gone. I know that this period is associated with deprivation, will, compromises and a lot of patience. The fact that I am far from meeting the public has not discouraged me. Perhaps this makes us experimenters and shows us that it is time to improvise, to learn from our mistakes, to be united, to be innovative. Regret leads to despair, despair to depression, and this is by no means stimulating, he althy or constructive. We must learn to stand up after we have fallen.
How did you cope with the long period of isolation, when most of us had no contact with friends and loved ones for a long time, when we couldn't do the activities we love?
Maybe I'm an overly patient person, but I already terribly miss the shows, the filming set, visiting exhibitions, concerts…. We live in the age of digitization and optical internet. Today, it is very easy to connect to even the most remote points of the globe, as long as there is Internet. Before the pandemic, I dreamed of having more time for my family, and now I understand how right I was to want that. I like to be with my family and close people. They give me the peace that was missing in my everyday life. There were no Saturdays and Sundays, no holidays - I was constantly working, and now I was able to recall the most beautiful memories of my childhood, to relive them. Monopoly games, hot chocolate, homemade lemonade with citrus fruits and lime. During this period, we made buns and kozunak with my daughter, painted eggs and passionately discussed interesting books. In fact, Stolen Life Season 9 filming ended with the announcement of the pandemic. All of our colleagues were faced with a great challenge, namely to film the last episodes under exceptional epidemiological measures and security conditions, with which we proved that it is possible to work in this way only with a clear awareness and responsibility towards everyone around us.
The actress took part in the Barefoot Walk in South Park, which was part of the campaign in 2019
In crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the important things you think we should focus on?
This is the time to cleanse ourselves of negative emotions and pay attention to the most important things for us, to take care of our he alth and loved ones, to be responsible.
Due to the quarantine and staying at home for a long time, most people lost their ability to go out, how did you compensate for this?
Exercises at home are of great importance, because lack of movement can lead to the most unpleasant thing for ladies - a change in body weight. A few stretching exercises such as warm-ups and squats with light weights are a good start to the day. Lack of movement causes blood to stagnate and in people with vein problems can cause complications such as thrombophlebitis or something even more serious like deep vein thrombosis. Venite.bg, together with the Bulgarian National Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Angiology, is preparing a challenge for people on how to exercise at home, which they will be able to find out about soon on the website or on the Facebook page.
Almost half of women suffer from varicose veins. Every fourth woman has complaints related to heaviness, fatigue, swelling of the legs and the appearance of varicose veins. Varicose veins are a serious problem, and many of us also experience a sense of discomfort and discomfort due to the unsightly appearance of our legs when we suffer from varicose veins. It's time to stop being ashamed and take care of your feet, because they deserve it. Walking is allowed, I recommend it, of course we have to be reasonable, responsible and keep our distance!
Most doctors advise us to eat he althy, especially when we are threatened by a coronavirus infection. But unhe althy food affects not only immunity, but also the general condition and tone of a person. What's your regimen, if you follow one, and what temptations can't you resist?
The truth is that I don't follow diets, but I definitely don't eat too much, because gaining weight has a bad effect on the veins and the he alth of the legs. It is very difficult for me, because of my current daily life, to keep a good tone, but the important thing is to eat he althy. I'm trying. I have only one rule about food, and that is not to eat dinner after 8 p.m. I don't deprive myself of sweet things either, dark chocolate contains magnesium, antioxidants, iron and is undoubtedly very useful. The products that I think are vital are eggs, milk, cheese, yellow cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables. In recent months, I avoid drinking vitamins because I get them from home-made fresh.
You have been an ambassador for the chronic venous disease prevention campaign "Take Your Legs in Your Hands" for the second year, why do you continue to support it and why is it important for us to be informed?
In this difficult period for all of us, I think one of the lessons we have learned is to be kind, empathetic and take care of our loved ones. I believe that this pandemic has taught us to be human first, to believe that good will win and that we must be responsible for our he alth. The campaign "Take your legs in your hands" aims to increase public awareness of the risks of varicose veins, the early symptoms of venous disease, the need for early diagnosis and timely treatment. I am sure that the page will have more information from specialists and I believe that we will be useful to people again.
In the series "Stolen Life" you play Dr. Laura Hinova, who is also a vascular surgeon by profession? What did you learn from your heroine about this speci alty and about the daily life of doctors in general?
Years ago I wanted to become a plastic surgeon. I have always wanted to help people, to have more beauty and good for our souls and bodies. I have learned from talking to many doctors in recent months that satisfaction comes when, after trust and hope, you see happiness and gratitude in the eyes of your patient. Then you feel victorious, and your soul celebrates - day after day, victory after victory, without noise, microphones and red carpets. The birth rate is falling, and the young, who have reached reproductive age, are leaving the country, including doctors. It is no secret that our doctors are highly valued abroad and I would say that they are at the world level. There, they achieve successful realization because they fall into an environment with predictable and guaranteed conditions for work and development. These factors, lacking in our country, are the main reason that attracts them. Good pay is an assessment analogous to the quality of the work they do. One must have dignity. I have never regretted the difficult path I chose in my life. This is shared by many doctors. It doesn't matter what your profession is, as long as you make it meaningful and put your heart into it, not settle for mediocrity. I knew that my path was connected with thousands of hardships, compromises and a lot of love for art. Professionally, I can't say I'm proud of anything in particular yet, as I still have a lot of bread to eat until I reach the required level.
Now frontline doctors are working in harsh conditions and risking their lives, if you were to play such a doctor or write such a scenario or situation in the series, what would you focus on?
I can't hide that I rely on the talent and imagination of the screenwriters. I don't interfere in their work. When you build an image and know his biography, it is very easy to create new situations in which he falls, as in the case of the coronavirus pandemic. Frontline doctors are the true heroes of our time. They are dedicated, patient, wise and at great risk to their own he alth, yet they save the lives of others. That's a theme for a movie! Their qualities are the desire to improve oneself, the belief in goodness and the power of love for people.
How do you think our lives will change after the pandemic?
For now, I dare not make predictions or imagine exactly what the world will look like. I only know that a very difficult period is ahead for Bulgaria… I am surprised that people are becoming more and more alienated. In my opinion, the post-pandemic world will be defined as the years before and after the coronavirus. For me, 2020 will be a kind of beginning of a new calendar for the human soul and psyche.
National information campaign "Take your feet in your hands"
National information campaign for the prevention of varicose veins and chronic venous disease "Take your legs in your hands" is organized for the second year by the Bulgarian National Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Angiology with the support of venite.bg.
The initiative aims to increase public awareness of the risks of varicose veins, the early symptoms of venous disease, the need for early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Last year, within the framework of the campaign, the following were organized: a press conference with the media and representatives of the Bulgarian National Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Angiology, a series of free preventive examinations for varicose veins of patients, and also a Barefoot Walk in the South Park, in which Zumba training, yogalates, stretching and consultations with specialist doctors were planned for everyone. The face of the campaign again this year is the actress Desi Bakardzhieva, well known from the series "Stolen Life" on Nova TV.
More information about the "Take your feet in your hands" campaign can be found at
