HOT: » What kind of news would you like to see more of? A 12-meter cross featuring a crucified Jesus Christ has been installed at a roundabout in the Bulgarian town of Elin Pelin, just before Easter. The church of "Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena" explained that this location has witnessed several accidents in the past. The cross was placed at the center of a roundabout at the entrance to the city, with the installation taking place on Holy Wednesday. The event was shared on social media by the church, along with a video showcasing the installation. The church's post highlighted the significance of placing the Crucifixion at a site with a history of traffic accidents. We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you! Today is Bright Tuesday, a day dedicated to honoring the Holy Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos Easter, regarded as the most significant Christian holiday, is celebrated annually in Bulgarian homes with great joy Holy Saturday marks the final day of Holy Week, positioned between the sadness of Christ’s entombment and the joy of His anticipated resurrection Good Friday falls on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, which in 2025 is on April 18 Holy Tuesday, the second day of Holy Week, is marked by the themes of humility and spiritual instruction Holy Week has begun, marking the final days of Jesus Christ’s earthly life before his resurrection Bulgaria is steadily establishing itself as a leading destination for digital nomads from across Europe and beyond. On April 23, the Orthodox Church marks Bright Wednesday, observed as the third day after Easter Bright Monday, which marks the second day of Easter, is the beginning of Bright Week Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase a 22 year-old son of the warehouse owner and a 60-year-old employee are believed to have been in the warehouse and remain unaccounted for he said.Residents told local media that smaller bangs continued through the night and into Friday morning was cordoned off and military helicopters scanned the scene a Reuters witness said.Military personnel with four water carriers as well as sappers and other military specialists were deployed on the site.There were two tons of TNT equivalent in one of the warehouses Bulgaria's News Agency reported.Reporting by Stoyan Nenov in Elin Pelin and Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Edward McAllister Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved The explosion took place on Thursday evening in the town of Elin Pelin near the capital sending mushroom clouds into the evening sky some flecked with the reds and whites of exploding fireworks said a 49-year-old man died of injuries sustained in the fire and his 20-year-old daughter was in critical condition in hospital a 22-year-old son of the warehouse owner and a 60-year-old employee were believed to have been in the warehouse and remained unaccounted for One person dead and another injured in Bulgarian firework factory explosion This is the dramatic moment a Bulgarian fireworks factory was engulfed in a massive fireball that forced local police to evacuate the surrounding area. Emergency services were today called to put out the explosion at the factory, near the town of Elin Pelin which sits around 15 miles east of the country's capital, at around 6:30pm local time.  Video footage captured by local media shows a massive plume of smoking rising through the air as bright lights caused by the fireworks illuminate it.  As the smoke rises, more fireworks can be seen going off closer to the ground. Local media reported that smoke poured out of the structure for more than two hours after the initial blast, which is estimated to have been equivalent to two tonnes of TNT.  Two employees, one man and one woman, were reportedly severely injured and have since been transferred to the nearby Pirogov Emergency Hospital in Sofia suffered third-degree burns.  The woman is reported to have suffered burns on 85% of her body's surface.  While local officials have declared a partial state of disaster, the country's interim prime minister Dimitar Glavchev, who reportedly visited the scene, attempted to assuage worries by claiming the situation was under control.  Emphasising the need for a wide perimeter, interior minister Dimitar Kangaldzhiev said that a logistics hub of a large food chain that was 7-800 metres (2,300-2,600ft) away from the factory caught fire following the explosion While police have evacuated Elin Pelin, and nearby Gara Elin Pelin, they were forced to remove some locals who refused to leave their homes behind. Emergency services are working with the country's military to extinguish the blaze.  At least 10 water tankers have been called in to provide enough water for firefighters, with six coming from the military.  The army has also sent in three armoured 'SandCat' jeeps, carrying Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, as well as the Director of Military Police Brigadier General Ivaylo Sotirov. The investigation into how the blaze started has begun, with acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov sending over four investigators to begin their inspection once the explosions die down and the fire is put out.  It was revealed that the site was inspected just three months ago by government officials, who found no discrepancies in its security measures.  The company told local media that they have a high level of security, as well as a robust CCTV system.  Despite this, Stoyanov indicated that investigators have assumed that 'someone ignited something, but it is not clear yet.' 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Moment Bulgarian fireworks factory explodes - forcing mass evacuationCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} Sofia District Prosecutor Nataliya Nikolova said that the prosecuting magistracy’s investigation is still looking at various versions for what caused the fire and the explosions in the fireworks depot in Elin Pelin Municipality in end-July eight inspections of the accident scene have been carried out The authorities are investigating if the fire was caused accidentally deliberately or occurred after an act of negligence adding that conclusions will be made when all the witnesses are questioned Sofia Deputy District Prosecutor Nikolay Popov said that the two people whose bodies were found in the depot died from blast injuries Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated for causing death by negligence while performing a legally regulated activity a fire in a fireworks depot near the village of Gara Elin Pelin triggered a series of explosions The accident caused the death of a total of four people Some 70 houses in the village were damaged during the explosions Elin Pelin mayor Ivaylo Simeonov told BTA.  Contacts +359 2 9262 210 By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages Warehouses of fireworks caught fire between Elin Pelin and the village of Elin Pelin Station just after 18:20 today The logistics base of the Fantastico chain The residents of the town of Elin Pelin were called for immediate evacuation through the BgAlert system a partial state of emergency has been declared in the municipality it is about a company that deals with pyrotechnic products There are six warehouses that are full of such products This was said by the Minister of the Interior where earlier today a fire broke out in warehouses for pyrotechnic products and explosions followed they were taken out of the warehouses by the firefighters We have information on two other people who may be inside communication between owners and workers is complicated a fragment fell on a warehouse of a large food chain one of the warehouses in which a fire broke out between Elin Pelin and Elin Pelin Station contained two tons of TNT equivalent the chief secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs he did not commit to the total amount of finished products of fireworks that exploded There were people on shift at that time in the warehouses there is also a security guard who is in shock I imagine they will be booming for a long time to come There were colleagues who got as close as possible to pull out the injured We have no idea what caused the fire in the fireworks warehouse Emil Yordanov from the company-owner of the warehouse "Enigma" OOD told BTA the company has no idea how many were injured said acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev who came to the scene of the fire in the fireworks warehouses between Elin Pelin and Elin Pelin Station the need for evacuation is assessed on the spot but it is better to take more measures than necessary Glavchev added that an army armored jeep is expected it is not possible to go inside to find out The toxicology clinics and emergency departments in the Medical Academy and in "Pirogov" are on standby Hot warehouses are equipped with the best high-tech equipment I hope we can establish the causes of the fire it is believed that there are fireworks substances in the warehouses said Atanas Ilkov from the DG "National Police" The Ministry of the Environment is also monitoring the situation "We immediately sent specialized cars - mobile laboratories to measure air pollution," said Reneta Koleva There is still no data on whether and how much the air is polluted in the area I advise people to first close their windows and then people with breathing problems should be taken out of the place of fumigation," Koleva added Train traffic in the Elin Pelin area has also been suspended Trains to Plovdiv run on the Sub-Balkan line The project was implemented with the financial support of the Agency for People with Disabilities Contract 6 - StN / 10/06/21 анд Contract № 2 - StN / 23.05.2023 г 3E-news.net by Dir.bg © 2025 All rights reserved This was revealed in a social media post by his father the 22-year-old's father wrote on his Facebook profile "On this day one more angel turned into a shining star in the sky Teodor Popov joined his friends Petar Shishkov and Kristina Shishkova believed to be those of the men known to have been in the warehouses at the time of the incident Teodor is confirmed to be one of those men This brought the death toll from the accident near Elin Pelin to four Earlier yesterday, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov updated the public on the explosion at the fireworks warehouse in Elin Pelin confirming three fatalities and one person missing presumed to be in the explosion's epicenter The latest victim was found near the warehouse entrance and the body's condition prevented immediate identification Witnesses included a security guard who helped rescue two individuals and a boy who escaped the fire Stoyanov criticized the boy's parents for not promptly informing authorities and evacuation of nearby residents was necessary due to potential further explosions and the investigation will scrutinize the warehouse's off-hours activities with a thorough probe by the prosecutor's office expected On Saturday it was confirmed that the young woman who was critically injured in the explosions near the Elin Pelin station on Thursday had passed away who was transported to the hospital in critical condition The hospital management has extended their condolences to her family and relatives The 49-year-old expert from the University of Mining and Geology also died from injuries sustained in the explosions We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria A massive explosion occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee port near Bandar Abbas A 12-meter cross featuring a crucified Jesus Christ has been installed at a roundabout in the Bulgarian town of Elin Peli Over 100 people were injured in a fire caused by a gas pipeline explosion on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and four others sustained injuries in an explosion at a coal mine in northern Spain on Monday An explosion took place at a munitions warehouse in the Poličské strojírny plant located in the Svitavy district of Czechia An explosion occurred near the Russian Consulate General in Marseille prompting a swift response from emergency services Israel has turned to Bulgaria for assistance in battling the rapidly advancing wildfires in areas near Jerusalem The Bulgarian mobile operator A1 has confirmed that it is experiencing technical difficulties affecting both calls and text messages across its network A series of minor earthquakes were recorded in the Nessebar area with the strongest tremor measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale A woman sustained serious injuries after being attacked with pepper spray and an electroshock device and subsequently set on fire inside a hospital in the Bulgarian town of Botevgrad A 25-year-old man is in critical condition following an accident at the amusement park in Yambol A serious traffic accident in the Bulgarian town of Harmanli has left a 13-year-old child in critical condition after he was struck by a car while riding an electric scooter The modernization of the Sofia-Plovdiv railway line has reached another crucial milestone with the stone-laying ceremony which took place on 30 October 2023 in Ihtiman focused on the railway section between Elin Pelin and Kostenets promises to enhance Bulgaria's transportation infrastructure and foster more efficient and sustainable rail travel The project is a part of the broader plan to revamp the entire Sofia-Plovdiv railway line a major artery connecting two of Bulgaria's most vital cities The event was attended by government officials marking the start of construction on the second segment of this ambitious project which will become part of the longest tunnel network on the Balkan peninsula In a bid to enhance Bulgaria's rail infrastructure and align it with European standards the ambitious modernization project of the Elin Pelin – Kostenets railway section represents a significant step toward enhancing rail connectivity and contributing to the development of the Orient/East-Mediterranean Corridor passing through Bulgaria Key aspects of this modernization effort include the installation of state-of-the-art signalling systems the construction or renovation of a total of 24 bridges and viaducts the upgrade of rail infrastructure to accommodate higher speeds and the construction of one-way (two-tube) tunnels with a total length of 15.4 kilometers and eight two-way (single-pipe) tunnels totaling 5.48 kilometers These enhancements will not only improve the reliability and frequency of train services but also pave the way for a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation reducing the carbon footprint associated with rail travel the modernization project is expected to stimulate economic growth in the regions it touches By streamlining logistics and improving connectivity between Sofia and Plovdiv it will facilitate the movement of goods and people It also underlines Bulgaria and EU’s commitment to progressive and sustainable rail infrastructure setting a solid foundation for a more interconnected and efficient future Foreign News ReporterPublished: Invalid Date THIS is the dramatic moment a fireworks factory exploded in a huge fireball sending bright sparks flying into the sky The horror explosion at the factory near the town of Elin Pelin has left workers suffering horror injuries Huge plumes of smoke can be seen pouring out from the structure which sits around 15 miles east of the country's capital Emergency services rushed to the scene to put out the fire at 6.30pm local time on Thursday Video captured by the local media showed the factory engulfed in flames and illuminated by the bursting fireworks More pyrotechnics can be spotted going off closer to the ground as the fumes rise into the sky Two employees - a man and a woman - sustained third-degree burns and were reportedly sent to the neighbouring Pirogov Emergency Hospital in Sofia. Another woman is understood to have suffered burns on 85 per cent of her body. The local authorities had enacted a partial state of disaster, urging residents to evacuate Elin Pelin and the neighbouring Gara Elin Pelin. paid a visit to the site and reassured that the situation was under control Interior Minister Dimitar Kangaldzhiev stressed the need for a wide perimeter after a logistic hub with a large food chain Emergency services were joined by the country's military to contain the blaze At least ten water tankers - six of which are from the military - have been sent in to ensure firemen had enough water Admiral Emil Eftimov have also arrived at the scene in three armoured "SandCat" jeeps Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov sent over four investigators to start their inquiry into how the fire started as soon as the explosions stopped and the fire was extinguished The site was just inspected three months prior and no disparities in the security protocols were discovered The company told the local press that they maintain a high level of security with a robust CCTV system in place the investigators suspect that "someone ignited something but it is not clear yet" Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ This photograph shows an explosion of fireworks factory depot on the outskirts of Sofia on July 25 Bulgaria: A series of blasts at six fireworks warehouses near Bulgaria's capital Sofia killed one person and severely injured another The blasts in the town of Elin Pelin just outside Sofia set off a major alert with authorities evacuating 150 people Television images showed a long series of explosions at six warehouses and clouds of smoke rising hours after the initial blast on Thursday evening Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said a 49-year-old man had died after being hospitalised with severe burns and injuries from smoke inhalation The situation with the explosions in fireworks warehouses near Elin Pelin (Western Bulgaria) is gradually returning to normal said General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection Director Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov on Saturday quoted by Interior Ministry's press centre There are currently isolated explosions preventing teams from taking action on the ground arrangements have been made and there is full preparedness to respond Representatives of the Prosecution Service and the National Investigation Service are now expected to present their requirements to the teams regarding the preservation of the scene "We have made arrangements for securing the warehouses and pouring water on them but we have to wait for the instructions of the investigators," Dzhartov said the air quality indicators in the village of Gara Elin Pelin do not exceed the regulated standards and do not threaten the life and health of humans and animals in the region said the press center of the Environment Ministry Earlier on Saturday, he updated BNT about the situation near Elin Pelin after the explosions in fireworks depots "There were more explosions during the night so we can't say that the situation is completely under control I hope that during the day these blasts will pass so that the colleagues who are carrying out the investigation can start the appropriate procedural actions," he said.  The Pirogov hospital said earlier that the 20-year-old woman who was injured in the blasts between the town of Elin Pelin and the village of Gara Elin Pelin on Thursday had died The fire situation in the country is relatively calm there is an encroachment of about 10 m on our territory we will probably use a helicopter to prevent it from spreading on Warehouses for fireworks and other pyrotechnics located between the town of Elin Pelin and the village of Gara Elin Pelin fire fighting and emergency medical teams were immediately dispatched to the scene Three warehouses for fireworks near Elin Pelin are burning, there are injured people One of the warehouses near Elin Pelin contained pyrotechnics with about 2 tonnes of TNT equivalent There is no data yet on the quantity of the finished product of fireworks themselves The alert for rumbling and a fire in a warehouse of a company producing fireworks and other pyrotechnics located between Elin Pelin and the village of Gara Elin Pelin was sent at around 6.30 pm fire fighters and ambulance teams were immediately dispatched to the scene There are no buildings near the warehouses with fireworks said the mayor of Elin Pelin Ivaylo Simeonov Residents should be calm as it is not a warehouse with ammunition A partial state of emergency has been declared in Elin Pelin and evacuation of people from the village of Gara Elin Pelin has begun The emergency teams of Sofia Municipality are on the spot near the exploded fireworks warehouses a mobile laboratory will be deployed in the area to measure the levels of harmful substances in the air A man and a woman were injured in the fire at the fireworks warehouse.“Pirogov” emergency hospital in Sofia confirmed that both were admitted to the hospital's shock room "Pirogov” hopsital and other medical facilities are on standby to receive more injured after the fireworks warehouse explosion near Elin Pelin The BG Alert early warning system sent two evacuation messages to the residents of the village of Gara Elin Pelin The message was sent by the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection Dimitar Glavchev; caretaker Minister of Interior Kalin Stoyanov and Ministry of Interior Secretary General Dimitar Kangaldzhiev arrived at the scene of the explosions caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said He added that an army armoured vehicle was expected to go inside the fire Minister Kalin Stoyanov said that two people are probably still in the burning fireworks warehouses there were people on shift in the warehouses - the two that the firefighters managed to get out and are in hospital one security guard who went into the warehouse and started getting people out but he is in shock at the moment," explained Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov Commenting on the situation earlier in the evening caretaker Minister of Interior said that the situation is difficult The explosions and fire have engulfed six warehouses full of fireworks The firefighters managed to get out two workers who had third-degree burns and have been hospitalised There is also unconfirmed information that there are two more people somewhere in the warehouses it is yet unclear if there is one or two persons inside as the communication with the owner and the people who work there is difficult and there is no information on their exact whereabouts one of the people trapped inside believed to be the son of the warehouses owner Workers familiar with the layout of the warehouses are helping the firefighters Elin Pelin residents to breathe through towels and close their windows former fire fighting service chief Nikolai Nikolov urged There were explosives in the warehouses to make the fireworks an inspection was carried out three months ago and no irregularities were found in the warehouses said the director of the General Directorate of National Police He added that he had contact with the owner who said that the warehouses had top-of-the-range equipment in terms of CCTV and fire-fighting systems which Ilkov said could help establish the causes of the fire We have no idea what caused the fire at the fireworks warehouse Emil Yordanov of the company that owns the warehouse the company has not had any incidents of this nature in the past The investigation into the explosions near Elin Pelin The National Investigation Service will take over the investigation into the blasts near Elin Pelin A team of investigators is on standby to take part in the inspections once the blasts and the fire have been stopped Interviews of witnesses and others are expected to begin this evening and all possible hypotheses about the cause of the incident will be worked on There were no disruptions in the flight schedule to and from Sofia Airport The railway line towards Sofia is closed in the area under the direction of the District Prosecutor's Office - Sofia investigators from the National Investigation Service and the District Investigation Service along with fire department teams and specialized units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs began an inspection of the warehouses near Elin Pelin These warehouses experienced uncontrollable pyrotechnic explosions and a subsequent fire on Thursday evening This brings the death toll from the accident near Elin Pelin to four The inspection of the scene is expected to continue throughout the day and the Ministry of the Interior set to provide further details later today Earlier today, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov updated the public on the explosion at the fireworks warehouse in Elin Pelin, confirming three fatalities and one person missing The blast's magnitude caused substantial destruction with thick walls and concrete slabs thrown several meters with the counter-terrorism squad securing the site using thermal panels and fire-resistant foams village /station/ Elin Pelin informs all the parishioners from the entire municipality that on September 29 5 years will be celebrated since the consecration of our beautiful church we invited His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Daniil we announce that the Holy Liturgy will begin at 8:30 a.m We have the joy and honor to welcome His Holiness in the newest church of our municipality whom God sent in these difficult times to lead the Bulgarian Church and the Bulgarian nation All are invited to receive the Patriarchal Blessing to welcome and welcome His Holiness with overflowing and grateful hearts May God protect our municipality and our homeland More news from Bulgaria The young woman who was critically injured in the explosions near the Elin Pelin station on Thursday has passed away many evacuees from Elin Pelin Station have begun returning to their homes Some residents have discovered damage caused by shock waves and shrapnel Two people who were involved in the incident A 33-year-old man from the village of Semchinovo has been taken into custody by the police for physically assaulting a 10-year-old child A transgender woman was reportedly attacked with a sword and beaten in the center of Sofia in what she claims was a homophobic assault A 34-year-old man lost his life after being stabbed during a violent altercation in the village of Kosharitsa The warehouse with high-tech products near Elin Pelin has been secured caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov told journalists in the village of Gara Elin Pelin on Sunday He said there could be no survivors of the blasts when a special ops team was dispatched to the area They came in with heavy equipment and looked for threats around the warehouse which contains high-tech goods of the highest class The unit managed to secure the warehouse itself An investigator or prosecutor is now expected on site The incident at the warehouses near Elin Pelin on Thursday evening seriously injured two people it became clear that the incident also claimed the life of Assoc lecturer at the Mining and Geological University "St He pointed out that a charred corpse had been found and would be taken away Minister Stoyanov expressed deep condolences to the relatives of the deceased which are presumed to be those of the two men who were known to have been in the warehouses when the incident occurred near Elin Pelin Inspection of the scene will continue throughout the day Stoyanov also commented on the decision taken to evacuate part of the population I found out about material damage to their houses People who know what is stored in the warehouse explained that if an explosion occurs there it will be several times more powerful than all together before we took a right and adequate decision to evacuate the people,” the Interior Minister said A fire broke out between Elin Pelin and Elin Pelin station followed by continuous fireworks and a second The municipality of Elin Pelin declared a partial state of emergency and there are possibly more injured employees has 85% burns and is in critical condition while her father is intubated and life-threatening Emergency services confirmed their transfer to "Pirogov" hospital Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov stated that there might be two more people inside including the 22-year-old son of the warehouse owner The fire caused by the explosion also affected a nearby "Fantastico" warehouse but a recent inspection found no irregularities The police chief highlighted the advanced surveillance and fire extinguishing systems in place which might aid in determining the fire's cause Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev assured that everything is under control and there is no need to panic and air pollution measurements are underway The warehouses belong to "Enigma," a company specializing in fireworks trading Four investigators are handling the investigation and measures were taken to warn the population and limit the perimeter BGAlert was activated nearly an hour after the incident posing no threat to flights from Sofia airport with preliminary data indicating two tons of TNT equivalent in one warehouse a similar explosion occurred near Chelopechene causing significant material damage but no casualties This incident marks the second major explosion near Sofia in recent history bringing back memories of the 2008 Chelopechene explosions which resulted in no found culprits after years of investigation A warehouse for fireworks burns in the area of Elin Pelin station The explosion occurred around 18:30 in front of the warehouse of “Inter Cars” They assume that it is an incident in a warehouse to dump shipments This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The chemicals and polyolefins group Borealis has closed its takeover of the recycler Integra Plastics AD in early April Borealis said that it now owned 100 per cent of the shares in the Bulgarian mechanical recycling company The purchase agreement was signed on 29 November 2023 and included the acquisition of Integra Plastics’ recycling facility with an annual capacity of more than 20,000 tonnes The recycler turns post-consumer plastic into high-quality recycled polyolefins The integration of Integra Plastics would strengthen Borealis’ portfolio of speciality and circular products Borealis’ executive vice president of polyolefins circular economy solutions and innovation & technology stressed the importance of this step to the company and its customers "This move strengthens our ability to deliver on our advanced mechanical recycling ambition and simultaneously enables our customers to meet their sustainability targets,” he remarked expressed his optimism about the companies’ future together "I am pleased to see Integra Plastics’ capacity and expertise contributing to Borealis’ goal of further advancing circularity I am confident that Borealis and Integra Plastics will face a future of growth and innovation offering a wider range of advanced mechanical recyclates to their customers Borealis announced a €4.5m investment in the cracker furnaces of its integrated petrochemical complex in Porvoo This is to enable the company to increase the share of recycled and renewable raw materials used in its ethylene and propylene production The Porvoo investment programme has already been launched and is expected to be completed in 2025 The company puts the Porvoo steam cracker's nameplate capacity at 430,000 tonnes of ethylene and 263,000 tonnes of propylene per year Three of the ten cracker furnaces in the olefins unit are to be modified to enable a total annual production of 120,000 tonnes of base chemicals based on renewable and recycled feedstocks "With a focus on reinventing essentials for sustainable living our €4.5m investment in our steam cracker in Porvoo moves us closer to a future of circular economy transformation Through strategic furnace modifications and a commitment to renewable and chemically recycled base chemicals we are poised to elevate annual production to 120 kilotons forging a path of environmental stewardship and economic resilience," commented Wolfram Krenn Borealis executive vice president operations and base chemicals Customer Service+49 7224 9397-701servicenoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.de Editorial Team+49 7224 9397-0recyclingnoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.com Get the latest news about developments and trends in the industry sent to you once a week free of charge by newsletter Sign up for our newsletter We use cookies and external services on our website others enhance your user experience or help us improve this website You can change 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You can find more information on the individual external services in our privacy policy the delightful garden of Elin Pelin is once again hosting the Festival of Independent Free Exchange of Seeds volunteers from the “Green Team of Bulgaria” are inviting all people who grow or want to grow Bulgarian fruit and vegetables in their own gardens to exchange seeds and saplings and find out more about gardening The organizers will present their ideas for establishing a network of so-called “seed keepers” who will keep seeds from all valuable fruit and vegetables in the region of Bulgaria It will be the job of these “keepers” to plant package and ultimately share all of these valuable seeds and inspire people to start to grow them themselves The idea is to bring back to life the old Bulgarian varieties using GMO-free seeds and to use them to create and maintain an independent seed bank The festival will also include a workshop for children where they will be able to plant “magic” seeds Translated from the Bulgarian and posted by Milena Daynova  Only on the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army (May 6) we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three of perhaps the most interesting machines from our outdoor exhibition Dozens of enthusiasts and nature lovers will kick off the 44th edition of the Move and Win campaign with a spring hike to Bozhur Hut The meeting point will be the Vladishki Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo The third edition of the Samardala Festival will be held on 3 May in the central square of Nova Zagora is used as a spice and is harvested at the peak of its flowering in May we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. english@bnr.bg The intriguing memories of the elderly residents of the town of Elin Pelin have become part of the book "Town of Elin Pelin – Folk Traditions" by Pavel Kanev In it he explores local folklore traditions and culture Concerned about the lost continuity between generations Pavel Kanev decided to publish his archive in a book For more than 30 years the author has been recording the memories of various generations about everyday life and customs he also published photos of typical exhibits from the museum collection in Elin Pelin The book collects valuable knowledge about history and traditions of the Shopluk region where he completed his elementary and secondary education and then continued at Sofia University "St Pavel Kanev is the curator of the Municipal Museum Collection He is a contributor to the municipal newspaper and is chairman of the local history club He is the author of a number of articles about local history Here's what he said about the recently published book: “It came out in September this year and is a continuation of ‘Elin Pelin – Past and Present’ while this year's book is in the field of material and spiritual culture The material part deals with agricultural labor A dialect dictionary and photographs are also valuable Ever since I started working at the museum collection 30 years ago I hope the book would be useful to everyone who is interested in the past and the traditions of the population in our city Many traditions are also characteristic of all ethnographic Bulgarian areas I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mayor of the town Ivaylo Simeonov and his associates for their assistance and understanding in collecting the history included in these two books young people rely mainly on foreign memory; they rely on the computer The things I present in the book are nowhere else to be found I have collected stories from people who had experienced everything I have described I hope another book about the traditions of all settlements in the municipality of Elin Pelin and ethnographic information would also be published.” the Czech artist and folklorist Ludvík Kuba travelled to Bulgaria with one goal in mind: to explore the country's rich song heritage The melodies he collected were published in a separate volume of his Slavic Song. the feasts of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are related holidays From Lazarus Saturday  (Lazarovden in Bulgaria) which is performed on the morning of Palm Sunday In April and May the visitors of the Strelcha Historical Museum will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditions connected with the Easter holiday cycle through the exhibition A Fine Easter The people living in the Shoppe region have a reputation for being fun-loving and cheerful their own culture as well as an inimitable sense of humour and a self-irony they have jealously guarded through the ages known as Shopluka or the Shoppe folklore region Here is how renowned Bulgarian writer Elin Pelin himself a Shoppe and with a town named after him describes them: “Shoppes are the most cheerful people in the world because it is in their nature – to make merry For 48 years the town of Elin Pelin has organized a one-week Shoppe Festival with each of the subsequent days having its own thematic focus connected with Shoppes and their mindset and culture One of the organizers of the festival through the years “48 years of organizing this festival has made it a Shoppe tradition a part of our cultural calendar we cannot do without This tradition has come to be a symbol of the town obligating us to safeguard and continue it The festival goes back to 1970 and the idea belongs to Blagoy Stratev and Stoyan Kirilov it is our aim to make it attractive to all people from Bulgaria and from abroad All of the festival days are packed with different events the aim being to bring each and every guest in contact with different genres in art: local songs But there are also a host of events to be enjoyed by people interested in gastronomy On Saturday we are organizing a beauty pageant of girls wearing traditional costumes who will be vying for the title of most beautiful Shoppe girl Elin Pelin is twinned with the town of Leskovac in Serbia The program features the ensembles Pirin and Trakia We are not forgetting the younger generation for them we have invited Dara and Deep Zone Project There will be local amateur folk ensembles from the community culture club in the town the Shoppe ensemble – our pride and joy - the Stefan Stefanov brass band as well as music ensembles from Sofia and Kyustendil I extend an invitation to all people interested to come and see our Shoppe festival in the town of Elin Pelin which is on until June 11.” Photos: courtesy of Elin Pelin Municipality Elin Pelin is One of the most talented and popular Bulgarian writers His works take us back to the beginning of the 20th century His realistic characters are appealing to readers and it seems the social issues he depicted in his works are valid even nowadays Recently Bulgaria marked the 135th anniversary since the birth of the poet We met with Anna Tsvetkova – librarian in the Elin Pelin community center in the native village of the writer – Bailovoр who brought us more about his life “Dimitar Ivanov Stoyanov was born in 1877 in Bailovo near Sofia The future writer grew in a family that greatly respected education As a teenager Dimitar wanted to become an artists but he was not admitted to the drawing school As a student he started writing poems and chose his pen name Elin Pelin which has a reference to a Bulgarian folk song and sounds nice It was in his native village of Bailovo where Elin Pelin wrote his first major works.” Elin Pelin spent some time teaching in his native village but decided to go to the big city He became a teacher in one of the Sofia high schools before specializing in France After his return to Bulgaria he worked in the National Library in Sofia In 1940 he became a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and a chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Writers Elin Pelin became a favorite writer to children with his book about the fantastic adventures of Yan Bibian Elin Pelin is regarded by experts as a master of the short story In his works he often depicts the clash between traditional rural values and the new city life The works of the Bulgarian writer have been translated into more than 40 languages Despite his popularity Elin Pelin never forgot his native village “It was in my native village where I learned our beautiful language and I heard Bulgarian music It was there where I began to know our hard-working people and the benevolent soul of the Bulgarian,” he once wrote “Elin Pelin based most of his characters on actual people from the village of Bailovo The writer loved to walk in the fields and forests and talk to people people used to gather in the evening to listen to Elin Pelin read his new stories in which they often found themselves.” The house of Elin Pelin in Bailovo was restored and opened for tourists in 1977 In Bailovo today tourists can find an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Elin Pelin For the 135th anniversary since the birth of the poet a festive concert was organised in Bailovo Another initiative was a literary competition in which more than 200 short stories by writes from all over Bulgaria took part Today Elin Pelin’s works remain popular and sound contemporary As the writer himself once said: “I am mostly interested in people and their fate.” English version: Alexander Markov A pianist and conductor with a world-class career Ivan Yanakov has been performing on several continents for decades He has played as a soloist with prestigious orchestras in famous halls The Night of Musicals takes place tonight at the Vasil Levski Palace of Culture and Sports in Veliko Tarnovo The first major ballet event in the festive jubilee programme celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Stara Zagora Opera is the premiere of "Parisian Nights" Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday