Three Bessarabian Bulgarians from the Bolhrad region lost their lives at the front in April the Bolhrad Regional Military Administration announced on its website Monday Artsyz Municipality in Bolhrad Region said goodbye to Dmitro Arabadji who died in action and was laid to rest in his home village of Vinogradovka (formerly Burgudji) The 42-year-old's funeral was attended by local residents and members of the Artsyz Municipal Council died from wounds sustained while carrying out a combat mission in Sumy Region who served in Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service was born in the Bessarabian Bulgarian village of Novi Troyan in Horodnenska Hromada was killed on April 19 during a combat operation in Kharkiv Region Kara was of Bulgarian origin and came from Budzhak Municipality in Bolhrad Region Contacts +359 2 9262 210 By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages HOT: » What kind of news would you like to see more of? Two Bulgarians from the Bolhrad region have recently died while serving in Ukraine According to the Bolhrad Regional Military Administration passed away on September 6 in the Kharkiv region He was serving as a soldier in Ukraine's State Border Service The date for Dachev's funeral will be announced later as per the Bolhrad administration's report also died after being hospitalized with severe injuries Boev was mobilized in the Ukrainian army as a mechanic and tank operator in the 110th Operational Mechanized Brigade The Bolhrad Regional Military Administration has extended its condolences to the families of the deceased the Bessarabian Bulgarian population in Ukraine is estimated at over 129,000 in Budjak located in the Odesa Oblast in southern Ukraine with an additional 75,000 scattered throughout other parts of Southern Ukraine The total count of Bulgarians in Ukraine stands at 204,600 Bulgarians constitute a significant portion of the population where they number 45,600 out of 75,000 residents Other districts in Budjak with notable Bulgarian populations include Artsyz the city of Izmail has a Bulgarian community of 8,600 out of a total population of 85,100 Odesa has seen an influx of Bulgarians in recent years The city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky has a Bulgarian population of about 4% making them the third-largest ethnic group in the city We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria with 45.2% of those aged 16–74 having bought goods or services via the internet in the past year European countries are struggling to mobilize even 25,000 troops to Ukraine for a potential peacekeeping mission South Korea's intelligence agency has reported that approximately 600 North Korean soldiers President Donald Trump has made mixed statements regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions in the ongoing war in Ukraine The European Union is considering the possibility of separating Ukraine and Moldova in their EU accession processes due to Hungary's opposition to Ukraine's membership talks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a short-term "ceasefire" from 8 to 10 May The European Commission has strongly condemned the circumstances surrounding the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a so-called "humanitarian" truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II 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 named after Bulgarian freedom fighter Georgi Rakovski and Development UA charity foundation signed a memorandum for cooperation aimed at supporting charitable activities and improving the socio-economic situation of vulnerable social groups The event took place in the framework of an official visit of representatives of the diplomatic missions of Norway and Bulgaria to Ukraine on the occasion of the donation of a mobile football field for the educational center The main areas of cooperation include the provision of charitable assistance to the socially disadvantaged The parties committed to support programmes that contribute to social rehabilitation of citizens the improvement of access to cultural values and the development of the national-cultural environment Bolhrad is considered the unofficial capital of the Bessarabian Bulgarians and the cultural centre of Bulgarian communities in Bessarabia The parliament of Bulgaria has adopted a declaration criticizing Ukraine’s policy toward the Bulgarian minority in Odesa province (see EDM This move might seem to indicate that Bulgaria is about to emulate Hungary or Romania in its own way (Hungary more persistently and harshly) has in recent years criticized Ukraine’s policies toward the Hungarian and Romanian minorities Those complaints developed in response to Ukraine’s reforms in the education system and the local administration system where Soviet-legacy models are finally being replaced with European ones those complaints come—if not in intention then in effect—as addenda to Russia’s own propaganda alleging discriminatory treatment of Ukraine’s “Russian-speaking population.” The addenda from Budapest Nor are they coordinated with Moscow or instigated by it (suspicions to this effect remain largely unsubstantiated) unfounded reproofs to Ukraine over ethnic minority issues in its borderlands are disconcerting when they arise from Central and Eastern European countries of the Euro-Atlantic community with vital stakes of their own in Ukraine’s stability and cohesion The Bulgarian National Assembly’s (parliament) May 20 declaration “On Ukraine’s administrative-territorial reform and the protection of the Bulgarian community’s rights and integrity” expresses “categorical disagreement with the planned administrative changes” affecting the Bulgarian minority in the Odesa province’s Bolhrad district The parliament “obligates Bulgaria’s government to take all possible actions” for preserving the Bolhrad district’s existing administrative boundaries The parliament “insists that this is a priority issue” and calls on the government “urgently to arrange a Bulgarian-Ukrainian inter-governmental meeting” on this matter the Bulgarian parliament references the inter-ministerial protocols (see below) on support for Bulgarian-language schools in Ukraine (Parliament.bg Two members of parliament from the nationalist-conservative United Patriots one from the right-wing populist Volya party and one from the center-right governing party Citizens for Bulgaria’s European Development (GERB) initiated this declaration and 102 not voting in the 240-seat chamber (Parliament.bg The declaration responds to Ukraine’s administrative-territorial reform in this part of the Odesa region along the same lines as in all Ukraine centrally-supervised districts (“raions”) are to be replaced throughout the country by smaller self-governing communities (“hromadas”) in the framework of Ukraine’s administrative decentralization is to go into effect ahead of the local elections scheduled to be held country-wide in October The Bulgarian parliament’s May 20 declaration departs from the non-polemical cooperative tenor that had characterized the Bulgarian-Ukrainian inter-governmental dialogue on the Ukrainian school reform’s impact on Bulgarian minority schools in Ukraine The declaration is a far cry from the friendly spirit of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s discussions with Ukraine’s then-president Petro Poroshenko in 2018 including the Bulgarian settlement area in the Odesa province Borissov brought up the school issue in the wider context of bilateral cooperation projects and of both countries’ relations with the European Union (BTA Differences over the minority schools issue have been resolved after that by means of cooperation protocols between the two countries’ education ministries for the school years 2020–2024 (Ukrinform Borissov has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Bulgaria (Novinite Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis never visited neighboring Ukraine and he canceled a visit by then-president Poroshenko to Romania as a protest against Ukraine’s school reform affecting Romanian schools in the Chernovtsy province the deputy to the Ukrainian parliament from the single-mandate electoral district centered on Bolhrad and Tarutino (see above) is plausibly believed to have helped inspire the Bulgarian parliament’s declaration he is interested in preserving the boundaries not only of the raions but also of his electoral district Kisse moved in 2015 to co-chair one of that party’s offshoots based on an informal deal with the Poroshenko administration Kisse joined the Za Maibutne (For the Future) parliamentary group which is close to Ihor Kolomoysky—a move by which Kisse drew close to President Zelenskyy’s camp conservative representative of the old nomenklatura interested in retaining his position as key power broker in the Bulgarian community as well as between it and the central authorities February 2024 marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine And though media attention has shifted largely to the Middle East in recent months with a colossal impact on the country and its inhabitants Amid these geopolitical challenges, Ukrainian winemakers – internationally led by Svitlana Tsybak, CEO of Beykush Winery – are showing resilience and innovation despite the area planted to vineyards falling from 41,800ha in 2022 to 36,600ha today (source: OIV; Wines of Ukraine) The country’s leading producers remain undeterred and even in the throes of war have been travelling abroad to show their wines to an international audience – one that is overwhelmingly keen to show its support and at the same time to discover a new and intriguing wine region a group of 11 producers came together to present the first UK trade tasting of Ukrainian wines held at private members’ club 67 Pall Mall in London where about 60 wines of varying styles were shown we mean new to the wine lover – not in terms of the nation’s heritage Ukraine’s winemaking roots go all the way back to the 4th century BC and beyond it was in the 11th century that wine cultivation kicked off in the northern regions around Kyiv and Chernihiv Fast-forward to the 18th and 19th centuries and wine production soared under the control of Austria-Hungary The modernisation of techniques and the introduction of new grape varieties marked this era especially of Sovetskoye Shampanskoye (Soviet Sparkling Wine) The 1985-1988 anti-alcohol campaign instigated by then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev led to the destruction of a significant number of vineyards reaching a deeper understanding of how best to adapt vine-growing to the terroir and climate Some wineries are experimenting with varieties such as Albariño As winemaking expands to northern and central-western regions frost- or fungus-resistant varieties such as Johanniter while notable examples of local varieties also gaining traction are… • Citron Magarach A white grape variety from Yalta’s Magarach research institute producing wines with a light straw to amber colour Its frost resistance makes it popular in northern Ukraine • Sukholymanske White Created in the second half of the 20th century this white grape variety yields wines with a light golden colour and a harmonious taste with notes of melon and white plum accompanied by a pleasant sourness in the aftertaste • Telti-Kuruk An indigenous white grape exclusive to Ukraine mineral wines with floral and fruity notes of white acacia and quince It has similarities to the Hungarian variety Juhfark (‘sheep’s tail’) and it is said Telti-Kuruk was planted back in the 16th century • Odesa Black (Alibernet) This is a challenging but rewarding red grape first created in 1948 a crossing between Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon intense red wines with mint and blackberry aromas and velvety jam notes Mykolaiv and Kherson – has 2,500 years of winemaking history With a blend of continental and maritime climates this area produces robust reds and traditional sparkling wines Key varieties include whites Sukholymanske and Telti-Kuruk and a range of international grapes applied to diverse varieties including Citron Magarach The region’s expansive steppes endure humid winters and hot with soils including the renowned Ukrainian black fertile chernozem soils and mineral-rich loamy grounds bordering Hungary and Slovakia to the west The Carpathian mountains create a unique microclimate for vine cultivation Chersegi (Cserszegi Fűszeres in Hungary) and red Blaufränkisch (also known by synonyms including Blauer Limberger Lemberger or Modra Frankinja) all thriving The region previously attracted tourists from around the world the smallest wine region with less than 5,000ha of vineyards With its shores washed by the Sea of Azov (above the Black Sea) this area enjoys a temperate continental climate with saline and humus-rich chernozem soils it was also the location of the Zaporozhian Sich stronghold the principal centre of Ukrainian Cossacks with the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive maintaining its position remains one of Ukraine’s oldest winemaking regions Most of the new wineries that have sprung up in Ukraine in the last five years are located in cool-climate areas and ‘unofficial’ wine regions – (west to east) Lviv Dnipro and Kharkiv – produce high-acidity and aromatic white wines and very bright rosés Some winemakers are trying their hand at producing amber and sparkling wines even while the winemakers navigate the unprecedented challenges caused by war Wines are emerging produced by varied approaches ranging from ancient Georgian techniques such as qvevri The international exposure has become a lifeline for Ukrainian winemakers with heightened interest coming from new and returning customers The stories they have to tell resonate with resilience and hope offering a glimpse into the promising future of Ukrainian wines This family-owned winery spans 14ha and is located just 2km from the occupied area Italian and Georgian clones alongside the rare Telti-Kuruk grape From traditional- method sparkling to amphora-aged wines its experimentation captures the essence of this special terroir Established in 1998 by the Markushevskiy and Maslenkov families Bolgrad Winery embodies three generations of winemaking expertise Thanks to their proximity to the Black Sea the vineyards benefit from a microclimate that imbues the wines with salinity and freshness Bolgrad produces about 6 million bottles annually Founded in 2005 in Bessarabia (the south of the Odesa region) has a range that runs from classic aged whites to indigenous specialities such as Odesa Black and Sukholymanske white Co-owner Hryhoriy Plachkov’s military service experience is reflected in the winery’s tenacity Shabo is now operated by a Georgian winemaking family and disrupted work shifts due to air raid sirens Shabo continues to craft wines from its modern winery near the Black Sea – its cellars of almost 5,000m² are among the largest in Ukraine The team works with international varieties but also varieties originating from the wider region A family estate winery since 1998 with 500ha of vines planted situated in the historic winemaking district of Bolgrad in the Odesa region near the Black Sea and the border with Romania The sub-tropical climate is tempered by lake Yalpuh It works with a wide range of grapes including Sukholymanske and Odesa 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 Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks A new agricultural initiative is taking shape in the Bolhrad region of southern Ukraine where local farmer Yurii Siurma is preparing to develop an 8-hectare greenhouse complex dedicated to organic vegetable production Building on a successful trial on a 3-hectare plot Siurma is now expanding its efforts to a larger scale The greenhouse will produce crops such as zucchini and tomatoes — all grown without synthetic fertilizers or chemical treatments Siurma notes that this type of farming remains rare in the region where conventional produce often contains elevated nitrate levels the project is not only a commercial venture but also a way to rebuild trust in food quality and encourage more sustainable agricultural practices While the first harvest is not expected until future seasons This year's focus is on preparing the land — installing irrigation systems and laying the groundwork for future infrastructure The project is expected to create 20 to 30 permanent jobs Source: gromada.org.ua Frontpage photo: © Wjburgwal | Dreamstime FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 HortiDaily.com or the capital of the Bessarabian Bulgarians takes its name from the Bulgarian words "bol" - abundance the city will mark the 201st anniversary of its founding though not with the traditional pomp and flare on the square 24 and 25 August due to war conditions in the Odessa region director of the Regional Center for Bulgarian Culture in Bolhrad Some 15 thousand people live permanently in Bolgrad But since the beginning of the war more than 6,000 people have arrived there from Kharkiv as part of the so-called internal migration How do the Bessarabian Bulgarians live in Bolgrad today At the moment the city is away from the hostilities But a lot of people are currently unemployed because of the war people are thinking about whether children should attend school whether schools have places where children can hide in case of danger The students fresh out of high school are making plans to continue their education and many of them dream of doing so in their ancestral homeland - Bulgaria the graduates are waiting for the results of the second admissions selection There are more people willing to study in Bulgarian universities than ever before - both because of the war situation and because of the opportunities provided by the Bulgarian state "The quota for Ukraine and Moldova is 1,000 places which is much more than in previous years," says Galina Ivanova Some of the young people turn to the Bulgarian Centre for help in submitting their documents We asked its director which professions he sees this year's applicants aiming for since students are supposed to self-register on the platform But I can tell for those kids who have come to us for help sports and computer technology" - summarized Galina Ivanova Happy feast to Bolhrad and our Bulgarian compatriots there Photos: Regional Center for Bulgarian Culture in Bolhrad According to Bulgarian Orthodox tradition it is customary on major Christian feast days to make a voluntary offering known as kurban this involves the distribution of food among Christians 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 we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. english@bnr.bg Maria Bitova was born in the village of Zhovtneve, located in the Bolhrad district of Odessa region – a unique place in Ukraine, primarily populated by people of Albanian descent. In 2016, after the start of decommunization Irish photographer Bradley Stafford traveled to Karakurt in order to meet Maria and document life in this multicultural place – and now shares his experiences with Zaborona. Karakurt is an Albanian village located in Ukrainian Bessarabia an ethnically diverse region in southern Ukraine Locals here are very proud of their Albanian roots and Gagauz descent – most of whose ancestors had moved to the Greater Bessarabia region during the Russian-Turkish war at the end of the 18th century. Maria Bitova studied library science in Chisinau She’s now a village librarian and explains that this is a very meaningful role for the community Together with her colleagues and teachers from nearby schools they organize events for young students in the village in order to teach them about their history and to pass on the traditions of their families Maria is also actively learning about the history of the area and is doing all she can to document the life and stories of the village In front of the Karakurt House of Culture stands a monument to Albanian noble and military leader Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu This man is considered to be an icon of Albania which defended its land for thirty years against the encroaching Ottoman empire. A Bulgarian flag has been drawn on the walls of a house in the neighboring town of Bolhrad Bolhrad is home to many Bessarabian Bulgarians.  I walk along the streets of the village in order to gain a deeper understanding of local life here Karakurt is an oasis of calm and tranquility ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The village of Zaliznychne in Ukraine's Bolhrad Municipality marked 163 years since its establishment with a series of events the Bolhrad City Council said on its Facebook page on Monday The celebrations began on October 19 with sports competitions in volleyball and table tennis with the participation of people of all ages The anniversary was marked further with an event at the local House of Culture Attending the celebrations were the residents and guests of Zaliznychne including Bolhrad District Council head Mikhail Sadakliev and other representatives of the Municipal Council The residents and guests of the village held a minute of silence for the fallen Ukrainian soldiers They also paid respect to the three residents of Zaliznychne who died in the Russo-Ukrainian war An Alley of Honour was unveiled for them earlier in the day Dimitriev and the head of the village's council addressed those in attendance They wished peace and understanding between the local residents and presented some of them with certificates and gifts The official part was followed by a festival of Ukrainian culture organized by the Centre for Culture and Recreation with the Bolhrad City Council The Day of Zaliznychne ended with a traditional Bulgarian chain dance of local residents and guests The village of Zaliznychnewas founded in 1861 by Bulgarian settlers from the Sliven area Ukraine’s ethnic-Bulgarian minority is concentrated in the southwestern part of Ukraine’s Odesa province an area often if somewhat inaccurately referenced as “Bessarabia.” It forms a triangle between the Dnister/Nistru River adjacent to the Russian-controlled Transnistria This triangular area holds pivotal strategic significance in the region including its Bessarabian part as well as Transnistria had been a focus of discussions about “Novorossiya” in Russian nationalist circles before the Kremlin took charge of this project in 2014 at the latest The city of Odesa almost fell to Novorossiya supporters in May 2014 Moscow switched the project’s focus to Donetsk and Luhansk although (ironically) these were not considered parts of historic Novorossyia The “Bessarabian” part of the Odesa province has been described as an “ethnographic Harlequin [crazy quilt],” comprised of juxtaposed and interspersed nationalities All of them are numerical minorities; and while ethnic-Russians are one minority among the others Russian is the lingua franca de facto in this region as a legacy of Russian imperial and Soviet policies Adding to this area’s potential vulnerabilities it suffers from insufficient and decrepit rail and road connections with the rest of Ukraine 621,000 people resided in the Bessarabian part of the Odesa province as of 2001 and some smaller groups in that population does not coincide with the language breakdown in the population owing to the historic legacy of linguistic Russification of the non-Russians Fully one half of the ethnic Ukrainians and about the same proportion of ethnic Bulgarians declare Russian as their native language and/or their language of first use Russian remains the dominant language in local media and all spheres of public life (State Statistics Committee of Ukraine The Ukrainian-Moldovan border bisects southern Bessarabia and divides Ukraine’s Bulgarian community from Moldova’s Moldova has a special-status unit in the Gagauz autonomy and a potential aspirant to special status in the Bulgarian-majority Taraclia district (raion) A proposal to institute a “national-cultural special status” for Taraclia is currently pending in the Moldovan parliament submitted by two deputies from President Igor Dodon’s Socialist Party (Deschide.md Any forward movement with the currently pending parliamentary bill would serve pro-Russia circles and Moscow It would enable them to cite a Moldovan precedented in support of new calls for special status in Moldova and across the border in Ukraine’s Odesa province Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev was a guest to the Bulgarian community in the city of Bolhrad (Bolgrad) where celebrations on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the city were officially opened In his address Minister Stoev highlighted the special role played by Bolhrad in Bulgarian history and praised the spirit of the ethnic Bulgarians who have learnt to appreciate unity and the friendship with the other ethnic groups in Ukraine where he met with mayor Sergey Dimitriev and representatuves of the Bulgarian associations in Ukraine The meeting was also attended by the governor of Odessa region Sergey Grynevetsky Ukraine is home to the largest Bulgarian historical community abroad according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The center also has a Bulgarian library in it and prepares candidate students for Bulgarian universities A water blessing of the battle flags and sacred banners was held on Saint George’s Day at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Rumen Radev took part in the. The Bulgarian pilots have a long period of intensive training ahead of them who delivered Bulgaria’s first F-16 at the beginning of April and will receive the next seven aircraft The F-16 fighter aircraft has a minor technical issue that is expected to be resolved within days Bulgaria’s Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov said in an interview with public service broadcaster BNT "This is not a topic that should be discussed. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. There will be no military equipment at the festive parade on May 6— The Day of Valor and the Bulgarian Armed Forces 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. Ukrainian director Denys Tarasov's film "Diagnosis: Dissent" won the top award in the OKO GLOBAL section at the International Ukrainian-Bulgarian Ethnographic Film Festival OKO The second part of the 5th International Ethnographic Film Festival took place in Sofia from November 8 to 15 the festival has been a joint venture between Ukraine and Bulgaria with the first part held in Bolhrad from September 8 to 15 The historical drama-thriller "Diagnosis: Dissent" which focuses on Soviet punitive psychiatry received the OKO Jury Grand Prize for Best Feature Film who is sent to a so-called specialized psychiatric hospital due to his love for banned music He must choose between cooperating with the KGB and returning to his family or exposing the truth about dissidents who fell victim to punitive psychiatry The director will receive a €1000 prize Cinematographer Yevhen Kirey and production designer Ivan Tyshchenko also received an award "for visual style and creating an authentic atmosphere that immerses viewers in the era of totalitarianism enhancing the film's historical themes." The International Ethnographic Film Festival OKO focuses on ethnography Organizers describe OKO as a fusion of honoring traditions and exploring current trends in the cultures of Ukraine The idea of ​​creating a Bulgarian secondary school in Bessarabia belongs to Ukrainian scholar Yuriy Venelin who in 1832 offered that a Central School and a Bulgarian National Museum should be opened in Bolhrad His idea started to be implemented after 1858 when the Turkish sultan appointed Knyaz Nikolai Konaki-Bogoridi as governor of Moldavia Bogoridi was a Bulgarian and the grandson of the great Bulgarian enlightener Sophronius Vrachanski After a delegation from the region inhabited by many Bulgarians presented him with a petition for the opening of a school Bogoridi issued a decree for its establishment detailing the status and principles of financing and management of the Bolhrad High School "Sts Cyril and Methodius." Bulgarian revolutionary Georgi Rakovski also arrived in Moldova to ask Bogoridi to allow the opening of a Bulgarian printing house there The high school in Bolgrad became the first major Bulgarian educational and cultural institution before the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 The first curricula included classes in French Sava Raduev became the first principal of the school teaching of the disciplines was to be done in Bulgarian In 1999 the Bolgrad High School was given the name of prominent revolutionary and democrat and active figure of the Bulgarian national liberation movement The Bolhrad High School played a major role in the development of national self-awareness among the Bessarabian Bulgarians in the second half of the 19th century a whole group of Bessarabian intelligentsia dedicated their lives to rebuilding liberated Bulgaria Some of them are Academician Alexander Teodorov-Balan – the first rector of the Sofia University generals Danail Nikolaev and Georgi Todorov Alexander Malinov and many other prominent figures the high school is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Southern Ukraine history and culture of the Bulgarian people are thoroughly studied there Thanks to the revival of Bulgarian folk traditions the school is increasingly becoming a cultural and spiritual center of the Bulgarians in Bessarabia This year 60 first-graders entered the school for the first time Each classroom is well equipped and pupils are provided with various dictionaries A new office for distance learning has also been set up in the renovated high school St George is the younger twin brother of St Demetrius Ethnographers describe them as Christianised images of mythical heroes - strong "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. Ethnographers describe them as Christianised images of mythical heroes -. The organizers of the Rozhen National Folklore Fair removed from the event’s website a photo of Bessarabian Bulgarians with the Ukrainian flag "Just one photo of three groups from Bolhrad became a threat to the organizers of the event” Youth and Sports at the Bolhrad Municipal Council  "The photo stayed on the festival’s official page only for a few hours and then you removed it with love for our homeland Ukraine and our ancestral homeland Bulgaria The administrative reform in the Bolhrad region in Ukraine took place without explanatory work a member of Ukraine's Rada talking to the Bulgarian National Radio The mayor of the Bessarabian village of Babata also commented for the Bulgarian National Radio that the reform began in 2015 and so far people expressed their will to unite in separate municipalities Bulgarians in Ukraine urged their ancestral homeland – Bulgaria – to send weapons so that Ukraine which is their home can defend itself in the war waged against it by Russia The people who wrote an open letter to the Bulgarian authorities included Bulgarians from Besserabia “Let us never stop thinking and caring for our brothers – the Bulgarians in Bessarabia the anniversary of the consecration of the Bulgarian temple they erected in Bolhrad – be dedicated to them and for us let it be a grand feast of the Bulgarian spirit…” the newspaper Bulgarian Bessarabia calls for the celebration of the Day of Bessarabian Bulgarians who is a member of the Rodolyubets (patriot) association found a copy in his archives and the association has marked 29 October as the Day of Bessarabian Bulgarians ever since: the church of the Holy Transfiguration in Bolhrad was consecrated and 100 years later descendants of the Bessarabian Bulgarians and participations in the liberation and the building of the new Bulgarian state proposed as a token that the country has not forgotten its compatriots that this day be marked in Bulgaria as well,” says Rayna Mandzhukova chair of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad “But in 1939 World War 2 broke out and this day was never really asserted thanks to the Association of Bessarabian and Taurian Bulgarians Rodolyubets that it was reinstated.” I am from Divitliya,” says Anton Telpiz who now lives in Izmail He says he came for a brief visit to see his grandchildren who live in Bulgaria and he ended up going to the premiere of the book by Galin Georgiev identity of Bulgarians in Ukraine and Moldova.” “When I heard there would be a presentation of a book about Bessarabian Bulgarians “I was really pleased that the author had gathered material from and about my home village It was said here there was an idea for the team to visit Vylkove while it was visiting different Bessarabian villages next time they come to our Bessarabia to go and collect material there as well.” Four years ago Maiya Karakash came to Bulgaria to obtain Bulgarian citizenship an ethnologist who graduated from the university in Odessa and now lives here with her family and young daughter: “I am a Bessarabian Bulgarian from Hasan Batar or Vynohradne in Bolhrad region,” she says the folk dancing that have been passed down to me My work involves studying the traditions and the culture of my people Before the war we used to have a really good time – especially in Odessa where 2,500 Bulgarians would get together and have concerts that would be remembered for years afterwards.” Though the atrocities of Russia’s war against Ukraine have cast a dark shadow over any celebrations the Bessarabian Bulgarians in this country are still going to mark their special day with a big concert at the Central Military Club Moldova and Romania will also perform on an outdoor stage in front of the National Palace of Culture and members of the community will receive awards for the help they have rendered their compatriots in their suffering inflicted by the horrors of Russia’s war we are in Ukraine and we want it to be independent,” Anton Telpiz says What Bulgarians from Bessarabia want to wish their brothers is peace and health And they say their compatriots in Bulgaria should stay together and never forget they all share the same blood Ethnologist Galin Georgiev who brought Anton and Maiya together at the presentation of his book “My own incentive are the thoughts and the words they always share with us – that Bulgarians will remain Bulgarian come hell or high water the road to their ancestral homeland is open One way they can work and study in this country are the 2,000 vacancies for the study of Bulgarians from abroad under Decree No Almost 4,000 performers from all folklore regions of Bulgaria are taking part in the Rozhen 2023 fair This year the contest programme will also feature Ukrainian folklore groups from Bolhrad and from Krynychne village in Odessa region A total of 160 vocal and instrumental groups 90 dance ensembles and 20 folk ritual groups will perform on four stages as part of the contest programme The Ukrainian groups will represent the culture and recreation centre in Bolhrad and the culture house in Krynyche have already taken part in the Rozhen fair There is a compact group of Bessarabian Bulgarians living in Odessa region who have not lost their Bulgarian identity or their bond with Bulgaria they will perform emblematic Bulgarian folk songs like Izlel e Delyu haidutin and Kalino mome They will also join the big horo dance at 12 noon on each of the festival days There is another highlight in this year’s festival at Rozhen – the ceremony during which the Bulgarian national flag will be hoisted up a 111-metre high flagpole on the evening of 13 July a highly-controversial project that has divided the nation right down the middle The supporters of the idea say it is a patriotic endeavor that will lift the spirits of the nation while its opponents believe it to be an ostentatious show of pseudo-patriotism The tradition of presenting traditional Bulgarian culture 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 ЗА УВРЕДЕНО ЗРЕНИЕ ОТКРИТО УПРАВЛЕНИЕ СИГНАЛИ ПО ЗЗЛПСПОИН КОНСУЛТАТИВЕН СЪВЕТ ЗА НАЦИОНАЛНА СИГУРНОСТ ПРЕЗИДЕНТ ВИЦЕПРЕЗИДЕНТ ИНСТИТУЦИЯТА АДМИНИСТРАЦИЯ ЗА МЕДИИТЕ ИНИЦИАТИВИ СЪВЕТИ 2025 www.president.bg Администрация на Президента на Република БългарияCopyright and Legal Policy, Privacy and Security Policy, Helpful Information The culture of the Bessarabian Bulgarians is still alive where the rituals are performed in their authentic form and not in some theatrical version intended for tourists who devoted himself to collecting and researching the traditions of the Bessarabian Bulgarians "I wasn't even aware that there were any such traditions but I hadn't come across any of the old traditions We used to say that Bolhrad was the capital of the Bessarabian Bulgarians but in the city this culture - the archaic The traditions there have long disappeared no one could speak Bulgarian," Alexander Polibza told Radio Bulgaria the purpose of which is for the participants to exchange information about the traditions of Bessarabia Among the villages that have best preserved the spirit of Bulgaria "In Tvarditsa the villagers still keep their traditional costumes and don them when they go to church - for a holiday or on Sundays They have a saying that someone is 'all dressed up as for church' this applies to the generation of the 1940s and older "in modern clothes." In the village they have a Bulgarian folk choir and all the singers are dressed in authentic folk costumes The Bulgarian spirit is best preserved in this village" Christmas and New Year traditions are well preserved but among the most interesting is the rain ritual which is performed in all the villages in an almost identical manner Even older people in Bolhrad still remember it using twigs to sprinkle water in imitation of raindrops and the ladies of the house give them treats The girls then perform the ritual "German" - making a male figure out of clay which they bury in the field to bring rain this ritual is very different in the village of Kulevcha They walk two by two one after another and sing Across this bridge walks a young child who goes from the last couple to the first and back and the child walks on the hands of the girls sprinkling water on all who come out into the street and collecting the treats that people give them the old people could confuse this ritual with another ritual But they explained to me that the song the maidens sing is about butterflies." In order to preserve the memory of the past for future generations filmed short videos vividly presenting the traditions uploaded to YouTube and filmed by Alexander together with Mikhail Balzik It recreates the custom of "Butterfly" in the village of Kubei Operatives of the Podolsk and Belgorod-Dnestrovsky border detachments prevented illegal transportation of persons across the state border Freight and passenger vehicles under the control of residents of Bolhrad district of Odessa region stopped at the transit section of the Mayaki-Udobne road 6 citizens of Ukraine were found in the trailer finding them through a closed telegram channel The evaders were instructed to arrive in Odessa where they were met and hidden in the trailer of a cargo vehicle The organizer provided escort on a passenger car the final cost of the transfer abroad should have cost between 4000 and 5000 US dollars for each the operatives of the Mogilev-Podolsk border detachment exposed a man who organized a scheme of illegal transportation of persons across the state border it was revealed that a 34-year-old resident of the Mogilev-Podolsk community established a channel for illegal transportation of men of conscription age across the border Investigators found out that the man executed documents giving the right to leave Ukraine through checkpoints in violation of current legislation the attacker “provided services” for illegal border crossing and outside checkpoints who “specialized” in illegally transporting conscription-age men across the border was detained while attempting to provide an illegal monetary reward of $13,000 The detention occurred as a result of activities carried out jointly with employees of the Department of Migration Police of the GUNP in Vinnytsia region with the involvement of special officers of the KORD and under the procedural guidance of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office funds and draft records with evidence of illegal activity were seized 80 thousand people and 20 thousand vehicles crossed the western borders of Ukraine with the EU and Moldova (in the Chernivtsi region) 27 thousand of them crossed the border with Poland the rest followed to other EU countries and Moldova 33 thousand of them are citizens of Ukraine 117 trucks with humanitarian aid were issued 18 people were detained for attempting to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine all of whom tried to illegally cross the border outside the checkpoints as border guards found signs of falsification of their documents In the actions of men there are signs of offenses provided for by articles 336 and 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine We use cookies to provide you with better navigation on our website you automatically agree to the use of these technologies.