A fire broke out in the Svilosa chemical plant in Svishtov around 11 a.m the Interior Ministry’s Regional Directorate in Veliko Tarnovo told BTA One person suffered injuries and has been treated in hospital following an explosion in a sodium chlorate plant in Svilosa The man is an employee of the company's fire service department The man has slash wounds on his face from broken glass they are at the accident scene and continue their aid in dealing with the situation the Interior Ministry said that all employees have been evacuated There is no evidence of any air pollution hazard Firefighting teams have been dispatched until the situation is completely dealt with The Interior Ministry has no record of environmental contamination Svilosa CEO Mihail Kolchev confirmed that the fire was extinguished and an inventory damage report will be made on Tuesday An inspection of the sodium chlorate plant is underway are being cooled to prevent fire reignition Kolchev also confirmed that an employee of the company's fire service department who was involved in the extinguishing along with the firefighting teams The reason for the accident is yet unknown Svilosa cannot resume operations without its sodium chlorate plant Director of the Veliko Tarnovo Regional Environment and Water Inspectorate said that a mobile laboratory of the Executive Environment Agency will check the air quality in the area later Monday The enterprise has suspended production activities immediately after the accident to avoid leakage of harmful gases from the facilities caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said that the explosion in the Svilosa chemical plant occurred while loading and unloading sodium chlorate Contacts +359 2 9262 210 By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages It is 21 years today since the tragedy in the River Lim on the border between Serbia and Montenegro in which 12 Bulgarian children were killed a group of 34 students and 16 adults from Svishtov were returning home from a school trip to Dubrovnik the bus driver lost control as he was rounding a turn on the mountain road and the bus plunged into the river friends and relatives of the children paid tribute to the 12 children who were killed The parents of the children who lost their lives in the accident said that they had spent years fighting for a change in the legislation connected with the transportation of children at night-time They were adamant that the measures taken at the time were only temporary and that there has been no real change No politician came to the cemetery to honour the children’s memory BNR’s correspondent Zdravka Maslyankova reports the parents will travel to the place where their children died to lay flowers at the monument on the border between Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. The Bulgarian student teams that participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Sciences EOES 2025 in Zagreb have returned with. english@bnr.bg HOT: » What kind of news would you like to see more of? Today marks the 46th anniversary of the most destructive earthquake in Bulgaria 130 residents of Svishtov lost their lives They will be honored at a city-wide commemoration at noon in the Danube city in front of the memorial plaques of the "33rd Svishtov Regiment" and on "Veleshana" Square Romania was rocked by a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale with its epicenter at Mount Vrancea in the Eastern Carpathians at a depth of 94 km and the shock wave was felt in almost the entire Balkan region This is the strongest earthquake recorded in Bulgaria in the last 50 years (the previous major earthquake in Romania was on November 10 1940 - it measured 7.4 on the Richter scale and is believed to have killed around 1,000 people The quake killed 1,578 people in Romania (1,424 in Bucharest) and injured 11,321 (7,598 in Bucharest) 32 buildings of high and medium height were destroyed a total of 32,900 buildings were severely damaged About 200,000 people are directly affected by the consequences the earthquake was felt throughout the country where an eight-story building and the dormitory of the "Svilosa" chemical plant collapsed killing more than 120 people and injuring over 140 31 people were pulled out alive from under the debris Serious material damage was caused to many buildings in the city but the picture after it was apocalyptic and 46 years later the painful memories are still vivid in the minds of Svishtov residents The next major earthquake in Romania was recorded on August 30 The quake at a depth of 131 kilometers killed at least 150 people and injured over 500 a series of earthquakes were recorded again in Vrancea the two strongest of which were of magnitude 6.9 and 6.4 They took the lives of eight people in Romania (there were three more victims in the Republic of Moldova and one in Bulgaria) This is the last deadly earthquake in Romania Statistics show that in the Vrancea seismic area earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or greater occur approximately every 10 years earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 every 33 years and those with a magnitude greater than 7.5 every 80 years Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook Write to us at editors@novinite.com Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria Bulgaria commemorates one of its most significant national holidays – the Day of Saint George the Victorious and the official Day of the Bulgarian Army all retailers in Bulgaria will be required to display prices in both leva and euros Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents a major British tour operator specializing in holidays to Bulgaria has halted all its operations effective April 24 Wage growth in Bulgaria is projected at 9.3 percent for 2025 a 15.4 percent rise in the minimum wage since January The World Bank has revised down its forecast for Bulgaria’s economic growth in 2025 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 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 European wrestling champion Kamen Penev has passed away This was announced by the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation on its website Penev left us just five days before his 66th birthday The date and place of the funeral will be announced later Kamen Penev has two bronze medals from world championships in his collection He is a silver medalist from the "Friendship" tournament which replaced the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 (for the boycotting nations from the Eastern Bloc - ed.) He achieved all his great successes as a CSKA competitor and after the end of his sports career he worked as a coach He was the national coach of the junior representative team and an assistant to the men's team led by Simeon Shterev Kamen Todorov Penev was born on January 15 He completed his primary education at the "Filip Sakelarievich" elementary school in his hometown and later graduated from the "Olympic Hopes" secondary school in Chepelare During his sports and competitive activities he won all the republican championships in his category he was second among the youth at the European Championship in Finland he won third place at the World Championship in Skopje and became a deserved master of sports at the European Championship in Budapest for men in the category up to 68 kg and third place at the World Championship in Kiev For his ten years of active sports activity and for his contribution to the development of sports in Svishtov he was awarded the prize “Honorary Citizen of Svishtov“ More news from Sport 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 Por un futuro en el que los humanos vivan en armonía con la naturaleza Fotos y gráficos © WWF o utilizados con permiso. El texto está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. But he apparently liked to have a few cannonballs by his side as well (just in case) Dracula was known for using his fangs and supernatural powers to dispatch his victims archaeologists say they've uncovered a collection of centuries-old cannonballs that may have belonged to Vlad and were most likely linked to the event “We rejoice at those small cannonballs because they are from culverins," Ovcharov told Fox News "These were the earliest cannons which were for the 15th century That battle occurred as an attempt to reclaim the region from the occupying Turks. The region was occupied as far back as the Roman Empire and was abandoned after barbarian invasions The Zishtova Fortress was built much later and Vlad III made it his home—after he reclaimed it from his enemies But just because Vlad may have had cannonballs at his disposal doesn't mean that some of the battle's victims weren't impaled "[We] have a letter by Vlad Dracula to the king of Hungary in which he boasted that he had taken [the fort] after a fierce battle and that about 410 Turks were killed during the siege," Ovcharov said © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved diving into topics from local bands to weird word origins In her spare time she pushes photos of her dog Max(imus Decimus Meridias) on people constantly Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.",{"type":"6k","value":"gc"},"AR_1",{"type":"6k","value":"ge"},"This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors as well as products provided to Mental Floss for review purposes d) {\n h = h[d] = h[d] || {\n q: [],\n onReady: function(c){ h.q.push(c) },\n };\n d = o.createElement(u);\n d.async = 1;\n d.src = n;\n n = o.getElementsByTagName(u)[0];\n n.parentNode.insertBefore(d \"https://www.datadoghq-browser-agent.com/us1/v5/datadog-rum.js\" Initialize Datadog RUM and then measure TTFB/FCP\n window.DD_RUM.onReady(function() {\n // 3a Initialize RUM\n window.DD_RUM.init({\n applicationId: 'f3f16add-4ebf-4aad-9bb4-adb13da4d17e',\n clientToken: 'pub53fad8ec1eea29e2f92980d95072da2f',\n site: \"datadoghq.com\",\n service: \"voltax-sites-www.mentalfloss.com\",\n env: \"prod\",\n sessionSampleRate: 100,\n sessionReplaySampleRate: 0,\n trackUserInteractions: true,\n trackResources: true,\n trackLongTasks: true,\n defaultPrivacyLevel: \"mask-user-input\",\n });\n\n // 3b Measure TTFB & FCP once the page fully loads\n window.addEventListener('load' {\n ttfb: ttfb,\n fcp: fcp,\n });\n\n // Optional: log them to console for debugging\n console.log('[Datadog RUM] TTFB:' \nThe cannonballs themselves were shot from culverins, medieval cannons that fired missiles weighing up to 16 pounds which were relatively light compared to later models Lead archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov of the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia said that's what makes these artifacts particularly exciting “We rejoice at those small cannonballs because they are from culverins," Ovcharov told Fox News That battle occurred as an attempt to reclaim the region from the occupying Turks. The region was occupied as far back as the Roman Empire and was abandoned after barbarian invasions. The Zishtova Fortress was built much later, and Vlad III made it his home—after he reclaimed it from his enemies. But just because Vlad may have had cannonballs at his disposal doesn't mean that some of the battle's victims weren't impaled. "[We] have a letter by Vlad Dracula to the king of Hungary in which he boasted that he had taken [the fort] after a fierce battle, and that about 410 Turks were killed during the siege," Ovcharov said. "Some of them were probably impaled, in his style." Get news about your favorite shows and movies plus 3 free credits to watch locked content Check your inbox for the latest news about your favorite shows and movies Bulgarians mark the anniversary of the nation's deadliest earthquake the haunting memories of the catastrophic event that struck 47 years ago resurface serving as a somber reminder of the profound impact natural disasters can have on communities the earth trembled with unprecedented force as a powerful earthquake The epicenter was located in Vrancea County the earthquake unleashed devastation of unparalleled magnitude predominantly in the capital city of Bucharest The sheer force of the quake left 11,300 individuals injured rendering approximately 35,000 families homeless The economic fallout was equally catastrophic the city of Svishtov bore the brunt of the disaster The collapse of an eight-story residential block and the dormitory of the "Sviloza" chemical plant left a trail of destruction and despair as the merciless quake spared no mercy in its indiscriminate fury as 31 individuals were miraculously rescued from the debris during intensive search and rescue operations stands as a grim milestone in the nation's history—a day etched in collective memory as the darkest chapter in its seismic past but the resilience of the survivors and the solemn remembrance of those lost remain steadfast with 45.2% of those aged 16–74 having bought goods or services via the internet in the past year The fourth edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights in Sofia will illuminate 10,000 square meters of art across some of the city's most iconic buildings and public spaces from May 8 to May 11 The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts that May will bring temperatures ranging from 2°C to 33°C across Bulgaria a trend that has persisted for over 30 years A Romanian family paid 3,084.60 leva (1,500 euros) for medical treatment at the Burgas University Hospital following a serious road accident Traces of the Roman legionary camp Novae are scattered very close to the Danube port city of Svishtov It was founded in 45 AD by order of Emperor Claudius and like many other settlements in Bulgaria it was built on the ruins of an earlier Thracian settlement the legion stationed here protected the conquered territories in Thrace and Macedonia from the invasions of tribes coming from the East The military headquarters and the hospital of the camp were situated behind the fortress walls Archaeologists have also found the remains of residential buildings the ancient city changed its appearance as new buildings In the 5th-6th century Novae was the town where the seat of a bishop was situated only the remains of fortifications and buildings show its former glory tourists can get a better idea of what the camp and the buildings around it looked like through a special computer reconstruction Every year Novae and the nearby city of Svishtov host the traditional Ancient Heritage Festival Thousands of guests come to the area to attend the spectacular reenactments of battles and see the rich cultural program offered by the municipality You will learn more interesting details about the Roman town from the article “The antique town of Novae near Svishtov – a gate to the past” from the collection of Radio Bulgaria the entire Christian world celebrates the Bright Resurrection of Christ this is the most radiant and joyful day - the Feast of Feasts - which proclaims the victory of life over death With a scent of spring and anticipation of the great Resurrection of Christ Palm Sunday is among the most beloved holidays in Bulgaria people fill the churches and share their joy through prayer at the festive. The day of Saint Theodore known in Bulgarian as Todorovden is a significant Bulgarian holiday which is celebrated on the Saturday after Cheesefare Sunday - this year its date is March 8 Todorovden combines pagan beliefs and Orthodox canon. The water crisis in Bulgaria has led to an indefinite state of emergency being declared in several villages due to severe shortages the villages of Dimcha and Lesicheri in Pavlikon are under emergency measures as the situation worsens The lack of water is impacting dozens of settlements in Veliko Tarnovo and Gabrovo The village of Malka Arda in the Smolyan region has been under a water regime for two months but the cause of the shortage remains undetermined Contributing factors include the dry summer some municipalities are seeking funding through state and European programs though securing approval is challenging due to the small population sizes of the affected settlements residents from four villages in Svishtov region held protests over the water shortage Similar protests are anticipated in the Rhodopes where several settlements are also facing water restrictions the weather will be mostly sunny—around and after midday cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds will develop Bulgaria and Greece have signed a draft Joint Declaration regarding the use of the Arda River waters over the next five years following a decision by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers The weather across Bulgaria on May 1 will begin with sunshine in the morning followed by an increase in cloud cover during the afternoon The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria has repealed legislative changes made two years ago that permitted the installation of photovoltaic (solar) systems on arable agricultural land Bulgaria will experience mostly sunny weather accompanied by a light to moderate east-northeast wind Tourists may get back into a past époque in the suburbs of the Danube town of Svishtov famous for its beautiful architecture The lands around this contemporary harbor were inhabited as early as the dawn of mankind around 45 AD a Roman legionnaire camp was settled on the remains of an ancient Thracian village War veterans lived there with their families Roman baths and even an early Christian temple attracts thousands of tourists nowadays the town of Novae served as one of the main centers of early Christianity in the 4 – 5 c At that time the town was the capital of Theoderic (later dubbed The Great) king of the Germanic Ostrogoths and a patricius of the Eastern Roman Empire and the first masses in Gothic language were served there by archbishop Ulfilas himself The ancient town has been recently restored under the “Novae – the Heart of the Legion” project with funding under the Regional Development OP gives us more details on the unique archaeological site in an interview for Radio Bulgaria: “It is situated in that part of the antique town where the archaeological work is now over Actually those were the headquarters of Legio I Italica The archbishop complex could be found next to it It is presumed to be the first font where the Gothic tribes from the area were baptized we can say that this baptistery is the first to push Christianity towards Europe… What we do in Novae is not simply restoration and conservation The idea is that tourists could be able to watch not only remains and artifacts but also re-enactment of real events that took place here Each spring Novae turns into an arena of gladiator fights legionnaire marches battles with barbarians and other interesting historical recreations It all happens within the framework of the now very popular festival of antique heritage named “Eagle on the Danube” Groups from across Bulgaria come to participate “Local amateur groups have the ambition to provide that kind of animation to guests visiting the spot “That is why we cooperate with different tour operators Foreign guests come each year during the festival Some of these people come for the outdoor opera show exclusively which takes place on the second festive day and is always somehow related to Antiquity.” Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh and Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) have officially signed the agreement for Bulgaria to host the 9th Global Conference on Wine Tourism,. The Mini Bulgaria Park is an unusual place for a tourist tour spiritual culture and natural landmarks of Bulgaria meet Gorna Oryahovitsa often remains undeservedly hidden from the eyes of tourists even though it is only about 10 km away from Bulgaria's old capital which lies at the foot of the Balkans on the banks of the. Bulgaria is marking somberly Thursday the 9th anniversary of the tragic death of twelve children in the Lim river in Serbia The Veliko Tarnovo metropolitan Grigoriy is serving the memorial mass for them Another one is taking place in the temple in the Danube city of Svishtov where the children were from a group of 34 students and 16 adults from Svishtov was on their way back from a field trip to Dubrovnik The bus driver lost control on the vehicle which slipped off the steep road and plunged into the Lim river Locals and an entire football team from a nearby town came to the rescue but their efforts were impeded by the overflowing river the parents established The Angels of Lim foundation The bus driver was sentenced to 7 years behind bars resulted in at least nine deaths and over 30 injuries on April 23 Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has confirmed his intention to attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 The European Union has warned Serbia that President Aleksandar Vucic’s possible attendance at Russia’s Victory Day parade next month could jeopardize the country's EU accession process The Vienna Institute for International Economic Research has indicated that Serbia is likely to experience a slowdown in GDP growth this year Serbia has expressed concerns over the growing military cooperation between Kosovo Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Belgrade on Saturday in what has been described as Serbia's largest protest ever Agron Nuredinaj has been part of the new municipal administration of the town of Kukës in northern Albania for several months now The municipal center is also responsible for the villages in the Gora region where a population of Bulgarian origin and with Bulgarian self-awareness has been living since ancient times 43-year-old Agron Nuredinai has the ambition to improve the lives of his fellow citizens of Gora He himself comes from one of the villages in the region - the village of Oreshkë his secondary education was in Shishtavec at the "Dimitar Tsenov" Academy of Economics in Svishtov "I have 15 years of experience in public administration I have returned from the capital Tirana to my city as a deputy mayor at the invitation of Albert Halilaj recently elected mayor of Kukës - a great person with whom we have been working for 15 years Having completed my education in Bulgaria I am honored to be able to represent the Gorani in the local government." Understanding the responsibility of his position Agron admits that it is unlikely that the new Kukës administration will be able to solve all the problems of the Bulgarians in Gora but at least he will try to minimize them there are a lot of problems and that's why I will use your media to call on the Bulgarian government to help our villages The biggest problem is the road infrastructure with the exception of the village of Shishtavec Bulgaria could also help us in the educational sphere for example - to improve the conditions in primary schools and raise the qualifications of our teachers there is already a similar initiative from the Bulgarian state and quite a few of our people are students in Bulgaria or have already graduated there like me.” Just a few months after a Radio Bulgaria team visited the town of Kukës and the Bulgarian villages in Gora the first results of the joint efforts of the Bulgarian state and the local government are already a fact With the help of the Bulgarian embassy and one of the organizations of the Bulgarians in Albania the school in the village of Cërnalevë was partially renovated Children there no longer study in cold rooms because of old broken windows and doors I have a lot of friends there and I wish them all the best from the bottom of my heart The student years spent in Svishtov - a small town that some people call 'Cambridge on the Danube' - are golden for me I am proud that I was there and studied under some from the best lecturers Bulgarians are very nice people and Bulgaria is like a second mother's home to me I also sing Bulgarian songs and play Bulgarian folk dances When we were students in Bulgaria we had a tradition of getting together after lectures - for a glass of rakia "When I introduced my Bulgarian friends to Albania they all said that Albania is a great country Albania and Bulgaria have always had stable relations - political And you should know that we love Bulgaria very much!" the Deputy Mayor of Kukës Municipality says in conclusion 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. No political party named OTOMAN has been set up in Bulgaria despite claims by its wannabe founders the notorious brothers Ali and Yuzeir Yuzeirov failed to found their new Muslim party in the northeast city of Shumen as they failed to gather 500 founding members late Saturday the brothers claimed they held another founding meeting in the Danube town of Svishtov where they allegedly attracted the necessary number of supporters Their allegations were repudiated on Sunday by the Svishtov Prosecutor Kalinka Todorova as cited by dir.bg Todorova said that the police inspection had shown that no founding meeting had taken place in Svishtov only 50 locals showed up at the event organized by the Yuzeirovi Brothers The Prosecutor also explained there was no information that the two brothers used language stirring ethnic or religious hate The Svishtov police had information saying the Yuzeirovi Brothers intended to attempt to hold a new founding meeting for their OTOMAN party Sunday afternoon but left the town after the officers warned them they had no permit for staging such an event OTOMAN is an abbreviation in Bulgarian which stands for “Union for tolerance and alternative progress.” Yet the party's name bears uncanny connotation to the Ottoman empire and Bulgaria's bitter past under Turkish dominion The founders of the new OTOMAN party claim that its main goal is to promote religious and ethnic tolerance Their similar initiatives in the summer and fall of 2009 have been slammed by many commentators as attempts to stir ethnic and religious tension and a test to the stability of Bulgarian democracy and of the Borisov government In the fall of 2009 the two brothers erected a monument of the Unknown Turkish/Muslim Soldier near Targovishte which was torn down by the authorities after court action Yuzeir Yuzeirov was refused registration of his “Muslim Democratic Union” party because it was based on religious and ethnic principles and hence unconstitutional Due to the ongoing extreme weather conditions the mayor of the Bulgarian city of Shumen has declared Thursday and Friday A 21-year-old woman from the village of Yablanovo gave birth to twins early today at the entrance of the Shumen General Hospital The district prosecutor's office in Shumen has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the murder of a young woman found with signs of violence Three individuals sustained injuries following the explosion at the pulp factory near Svishtov An explosion occurred today at a pulp (cellulose) factory near Svishtov Severe storms in Bulgaria resulted in the tragic deaths of two individuals on Saturday A 51-year-old man lost his life when a fallen wall crushed him during the storm in the village of Razvigorovo "Everyone wants positions – in regulatory bodies and ministries," he emphasized Bulgaria’s toll system now has the technical capability to track average vehicle speeds as announced by the National Toll Management following a meeting with Regional Development Minister Violeta Koritarova The income required to cover living expenses for a working individual and a three-member family with a child under 14 has remained almost unchanged compared to June according to an analysis by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CI The Council of Ministers has adopted a resolution to set the minimum wage at 1,077 leva fire alerts are received from across Bulgaria answering a question whether he would apologize to the Bulgarian people for violating the Constitution The anniversary is marked with an exhibition in Aleko Konstantinov’s place of birth – the town of Svishtov located on the right bank of Danube River. Aleko Konstantinov, nicknamed “The Lucky Man” (Shtastlivetsa), is among the most prominent and beloved Bulgarian writers and public figures He initiated the tourist movement in Bulgaria His native house is among the most impressive buildings in Svishtov Aleko Konstantinov refused to sell his house to a merchant who offered 15,000 golden levs is one of the most valuable exhibits of the Museum-House of Aleko Konstantinov Aleko’s heart is kept in a special liquid A hole is clearly visible in Aleko’s heart his heart was pierced by a rib which was broken by a bullet during his assassination The suit he was wearing on the fatal day is also among the central exhibits in the museum The new museum exhibition includes photos of Aleko Kosntantinov and his family that were never shown before photos and construction plans of the museum building from the 20th century "You must have strong faith and pray - then the saint will help you and carry your prayer to God," says Father Georgi Markov of the Church of St Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen near Sofia He adds that he has often witnessed the miracles of St. marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis. Bulgaria celebrates 149 years since the April Uprising – an event that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after almost five centuries of Ottoman rule we must not forget that every participant in the April. The Russo-Turkish War which led to the liberation of Bulgaria from five centuries of Ottoman rule was only the third war to be covered by war photographers Artist photographer Ivo Hadjimishev has dedicated decades to the search for photographs of Bulgaria's liberation in various archives “There were several photographers with the Russian army during the war" with the help of several Russian photographers had access to the imperial photo albums of Alexander II which contained more than 600 photographs and are kept in the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive With donation from a Bulgarian businessman he managed to buy the usage rights for a hundred images while he was working on the travelling exhibition "The Forgotten Photographs of the Russo-Turkish War" he found out that the director of the State Archives in Varna had received an album of war photographs by Franz Duschek – court photographer to King Carol I of Romania "The photographs from the two archives complemented each other extremely well He had almost no access to key political figures But thanks to him we have the insiders’ look on the war – the life of the soldiers was allowed where the key political photographs were taken in this war," explains Hadjimishev who was covering the war theatre on the Caucasus front but the names of the photographers who worked on the other side of the front Hadjimishev hopes that one day the missing information will come out He says that for him the most important photos of the war are the images of the common people "A colleague asked me for a photograph of the Russo-Turkish War for a book he was working on I offered him two photographs from the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive - one is of local Turkish population waiting to register because they have decided to stay in Bulgarian territory - a very important photo because it explains why we continue to live with these people in peace to this day The other picture was of people who looted property from abandoned Turkish homes the book showed the second photograph and not the first." Asked which was his favourite war photograph Hadjimishev didn't hesitate to tell us about two of them with the nearby minarets of the iconic Suleymaniye Mosque in the background The temple and the outline of the city stand out in the Thracian field like a romantic dream Hadzhimishev's other favourite photograph is of a military post in the fog of the Arabakonak Pass while the Russian army was crossing the Balkan Mountainsin winter We received from Russia a batch of low quality copies made on high-contrast photo paper from the Soviet Union this photograph was practically resurrected from this grey blurry undistinguishable shot," artist photographer Hadjimishev recalls National Liberation Day – between diamonds and ashes of history After being digitally restored many of these war photographs were then printed as etchings or recreated by artists as paintings "I say again that these images are like icons for us very precious," the photographer stresses This year's winner of the Aleko Literary Competition for a humorous short story is Serbian psychiatrist He was awarded for his feuilleton entitled "Theory of Relativity" This year's edition of the Aleko Konstantinov International Competition received 78 short stories by 42 writers from 14 countries 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" Svishtov has BGN 17 million under the Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020 managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works improvement of educational infrastructure and public infrastructure sites through which the town’s appearance will change This was announced today by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov during his visit to the town The municipality is among the beneficiaries that manage the funds of European solidarity in the quickest and most qualitative and efficient manner Nikolay Nankov opened the renovated building of the Financial Department It is part of the public investment program in the town and is realized with an investment of nearly BGN 415,000 under the project “Renovation of Public Infrastructure Sites in the Town of Svishtov” The Financial Department building in which nearly BGN 415,000 have been invested is part of the project “Renovation of Public Infrastructure Sites in the Town of Svishtov” PVC windows and aluminium doors have been supplied and installed thermal insulation of external brick walls has been placed drainage pipes and cisterns have been installed A hot water boiler and radiators have also been supplied and installed The lighting system and the fire alarm installation have been replaced A device for moving wheelchairs on stairways has also been delivered subject to intervention under the project in the total amount of BGN 2.4 million were also the administrative building of Svishtov Municipality and the building of the Culture and Municipal Radio Unit Minister Nankov also opened the Radost Park and the Vasil Levski Kindergarten newly renovated with funding under the Operational Programme the park has been divided into areas for outdoor recreation A combined playground with elastic flooring was built slide and other children's facilities have been delivered two areas for covered arbours and recreation areas have been set up garbage bins and a sundial have been delivered and installed in the round green area of ​​the park A video surveillance system and irrigation system have been built The public works in the Radost Park have been realized under the project of the municipality “Development of the Urban Environment in the Town of Svishtov” in the total amount of BGN 5 million Approximately BGN 372,000 were used for the internal repairs of the building and the roof structure in the Vasil Levski Kindergarten mosquito nets for opening windows and sun protection devices on southern windows for children's groups have been installed and an external reinforced silicate plaster has been put on the facade the outside fences and the park space have been repaired Playgrounds have been repaired and children's facilities have been delivered Flat selective solar collectors have been delivered and installed The lighting system and the fire alarm system have been replaced The Kindergarten is part of the project “Renovation of Educational Sites in Svishtov Municipality” which is in the total amount of BGN 2.4 million and includes also repair of Radost Kindergarten in the town and St Cyril and Methodius Primary School in the village of Ovcha Mogila President Smolović emphasized the closeness between the two nations that were brought together by the accident in which 12 Bulgarian schoolchildren died after which Bijelo Polje established relations and fraternization with Svishtovo paid an official visit to Bijela Polje today said that at the meeting they expressed satisfaction with the traditionally good and friendly relations between the two countries "That friendship is manifested through a partnership relationship and concrete activities in Bijelo Polje such as the procurement of medical equipment for the General Hospital and others which are financially supported by the Bulgarian Embassy," said Smolović Smolović emphasized the closeness between the two nations which was brought together by the accident in which 12 Bulgarian schoolchildren died the town where the children who died were from The interlocutors agreed that cooperation should be improved through cooperation with cities that have a similar tourist offer that are recognized as ski or speleological centers The ambassador of Bulgaria used her visit to Bijela Polje to lay wreaths at the "12 Roses" Monument which is dedicated to the schoolchildren who died in an accident 18 years ago when they were returning from an excursion Plugčieva and Smolović laid wreaths at the Memorial to the victims of the train accident in Bioč the Bridge over Dryanovska River in the town of Dryanovo Cyril and Methodius Church and the House with the Monkey in Veliko Tarnovo the Covered Bridge in Lovech over the Osam River… are only some of the wonderful architectural masterpieces left by renowned Bulgarian architect master builder and sculptor Kolyo Ficheto (1800-1881) He was a self-educated builder who did not study architecture Nikola Fichev is the founder of the Bulgarian monumental architecture His life started in the village of Marcha situated three kilometers away from the town of Dryanovo Nikola Fichev’s descendant Konstantin Fichev told Radio Bulgaria Kolyo Ficheto was taught craftsmanship by the local master builders at an early age he started to tour the whole Balkan Peninsula During his travels abroad he learned different architectural techniques and used them later in his own buildings He communicated a lot with Italian craftsmen and builders in Albania and Croatia they told him about the popular Italian bridge Ponte Vecchio in Florence Kolyo Finceto built a similar covered bridge in Lovech Nikola Fichev was extremely modest and religious person I love what world famous Austro-Hungarian explorer and traveler Felix Kanitz wrote about Kolyo Ficheto Kanitz met Nikola Fichev and later described him as a typical Balkan personality each year he donated a lot of money for various charity causes It is pointless to mention how hard-working he was because only a very industrious person can do such a huge job and complete so many large projects I am sure than he did not sleep for many nights to fulfill all his projects It is interesting to note that Kolyo Ficheto did not draw He made his projects in 3D – he made wax prototypes of his future buildings and facilities Here is what Konstantin Fichev told Radio Bulgaria bout the scale of Kolyo Fichev’s works: I think Nikola Fichev became chief architect of the Danube Vilayet (province) governed by Vali Midhat Pasha He received many large public procurement orders for a period of 7-8 years only Dozens of buildings were made in that region and I don’t believe he made all of them personally he most probably had a huge entrepreneurial workshop Kolyo Ficheto managed to win Midhat Pasha’s respect after completing successfully the biggest bridge in the Balkans- the Bridge over Yantra River near Byala Kolyo Ficheto competed with Polish Architect Lyudmil Rola to win this procurement order The Bulgarian builder offered a much lower price and a twice-shorter deadline The famous bridge was built between 1864 and 1867 Constantine and Elena Church in Veliko Tarnovo- this was the last church built be the celebrated Bulgarian master builder and architect Kolyo Ficheto It is bright and tall and differs from all other Bulgarian churches because Konstantin is a very popular name in our family The third building I would like to mention is in connection with the preservation of Bulgaria’s tangible cultural heritage Nikola Fichev was inspired by Balkapan Inn in Istanbul (then Tsarigrad) to make a similar inn in Veliko Tarnovo All Bulgarians living in Istanbul at that time used to meet in Balkapan Inn Hadji Nikoli who was a rich tradesman from Veliko Tarnovo wanted to build a similar inn in Veliko Tarnovo as well the place became popular as Hadji Nikoli’s Inn This building can serve as an example for extremely positive attitude towards valuable patterns of the older Bulgarian architecture because their owners want to use the land underneath for different purposes or because they were inherited by a lot of people who couldn’t reach agreement what to do with these buildings Hadji Nikoli’s Inn was abandoned for some time in the past The inn was built on the Samovodska Charshia (market square) in Tarnovo and is one of the most-popular tourist attractions in this Bulgarian city The inn is very beautiful and has a huge inner courtyard Those who renovated The Hadji Nikoli Inn did a great job This can be done with other Bulgarian buildings as well Today marks 165 years since the founding of the first chitalishte (community culture club) in Bulgaria The first Bulgarian chitalishte was founded on this day in 1865 in Svishtov the first public library to which 800 books in different languages were donated and the fist Bulgarian part-singing choir were set up In this first chitalishte in the country widely recognized as one of Bulgaria’s greatest satirists was born on 13 January 1863 in the Danube town of Svishtov He wrote brilliant pamphlets and short stories imbued with a rare sensitivity to emerging political corruption in the first decades after Bulgaria’s liberation from five centuries of Ottoman rule in 1878 Aleko Konstantinov conceived the emblematic character of Bai Ganyo from the cycle of stories of the same name a summary of an emerging breed of very active and unscrupulous modern Bulgarian businessmen-turned-politicians the writer used his unparalleled irony to point to some ugly aspects of modern life in Bulgaria and to the transformation of dominant social values Aleko Konstantinov was in love with Bulgarian nature and his legacy includes some literary gems describing some breathtaking local sights He was the initiator of the first climbing campaign in Bulgaria 300 enthusiasts went out to climb Cherni Vruch (2290 m) the highest peak of Mount Vitosha outside the capital Sofia In this way he laid the beginnings of organized tourism in this country For more on the life and the tragic death of Aleko Konstantinov – the Lucky Man from the Director of the Museum-House of the writer in his native Svishotv His heart is kept at the museum off the River Danube Aleko Konstantinov was born to the affluent Svishtov family of Ivanitsa Hadzhikonstantinov and Tinka Hadzhiivanova It was a family of merchants and craftsmen and his grandfather was one of the founders of the town’s community center He was lucky to receive very good schooling in Galati Upon graduation he was employed at the trade offices run by one of the richest Bulgarian merchants in Romania Aleko’s father had great financial success and in 1861 returned to Svishtov A year later he married 16-year-old Tinka Hadzhiivanova with whom he had four children Aleko being the firstborn.” For two years Aleko Konstantinov was trained in Svishtov at the school led by Revival activist Hristaki Pavlovich and was then sent to the celebrated Aprilov School in the town of Gabrovo More from Ivelina Ivanova: “Aleko returned to Svishtov where he celebrated the Liberation of Bulgaria and after that left for Russia He graduated from college in the city of Nikolaev he started work at the Sofia Regional Court in 1885 The most important one of them was the unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia previously an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire In the wake of Unification Serbia declared war on Bulgaria on pretext that the balance in the Balkans had been broken Aleko Konstantinov described his experience as a volunteer in the Serbo-Bulgarian War On 4 January 1886 he was promoted to the position of prosecutor at the Sofia Regional Court At that time his private life turned tragic he lost all his closest family members – his parents died but bestowed his house of birth in Svishtov to be used a school." To make things even worse for him Aleko Konstantinov was dismissed from the Sofia Court on grounds that he had refused to lodge a lawsuit against People’s Rights Newspaper which had condemned PM Stefan Stambolov in an editorial Aleko started a practice as a lawyer and gave some time to translation of fiction In 1890 he was appointed member of the Sofia Court of Appeal he refused to defend anybody whom he did not believe was innocent Aleko Konstantinov left for the world trade fair in Chicago On his way back he made a stopover in London Aleko Konstantinov was absolutely fascinated by the trip and it occurred to him he had to make a global tour he wrote the travel notes To Chicago and Back released in a separate volume in 1894 In it he draws up a fascinating parallel between life in the New World and in the Balkans In 1895 the first edition of his masterpiece Bai Ganyo In the character of Bai Ganyo Aleko Konstantinov satirizes the unscrupulousness spiritual poverty and hypocrisy of an emerging stratum in Bulgarian society greedy for money and power he told the story of how Bai Ganyo organized elections revealing the political habits and ways and the brutal political struggles of that time “Aleko Konstantinov was involved in political affairs In 1894 parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria He ran for an MP but failed to get elected In 1896 the Democratic Party was founded and Aleko Konstantinov was among its members with his merciless criticism of the government he got into big trouble leading literary critic Dr Krastyo Krastev decided to advance him with cash and send him to Italy together with poet Kiril Hristov The idea was to encourage Aleko Konstantinov to write another collection of travel notes because he was engaged in a lawsuit in the City of Plovdiv also member of the Democratic Party and a lawyer in Plovidv.” On his way back to Sofia Aleko Konstantinov was shot dead by mistake It seems that the bullet was meant for Mikhail Takev Aleko Konstantinov was buried on 14 May 1897 in Sofia This feature contains excerpts from Aleko Konstantinov's travelogue "To Chicago and Back" written in 1893 when the writer travelled to the New World to visit the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago.The English translation is of Robert Strum