Sofia likes to guard her secrets 💎

Pictured here is a common sight on Georgi Rakovski Street for locals and tourists alike - the signage for 'Tears and Laughter' (‘Сълза и Смях’), Bulgaria’s oldest professional theater company.

The font in question is a massive Display Slab Serif from the Clarendon family, with weight added through shadows. This typeface was developed in 1961 by Stefan Kanchev (1915-2001), who was a leading figure in Bulgarian graphic design during the latter part of the 20th century.

Kanchev achieved worldwide recognition for his work, which included fonts, visual direction and hundreds of logos, many of which are still in use today. Among these are logotypes for Bulgarian National Television, the Sofia Puppet Theater and the Petrol oil company.