site.btaBulgarians in Odesa Pay Tribute to Revolutionary Hristo Botev

Representatives of the Bulgarian community in Odesa paid tribute to the memory of Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev (January 6, 1848 - June 1, 1876). The All-Ukrainian Centre for Bulgarian Culture in Odesa and the Bulgarian Society there organized a flower laying on the eve of the 176th anniversary of the poet's birth. The event took place in front of the bas-relief of Hristo Botev, placed on the building of the gymnasium where he studied from 1863 to 1865.

Guest of honour was the Consul General of Bulgaria in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov. "Bulgaria has centuries of history and has gone through its difficult periods. Ukraine is now going through a very difficult period of its development. I am convinced that there will come that moment when this unjust war will end and peace will come to this wonderful country," Ivanov said.

Dimitar Terzi, the director of the Bulgarian Centre, spoke about Botev's life and activities in Odesa.

Chairman of the Bulgarian Society Boris Spasov, born in the village of Zadunayevka, presented the house-museum, which is currently being prepared for opening and is owned by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education; the Hristo Botev Museum, a branch of the Odesa Literary Museum; and the Botev monument in the centre of the village.

Students from the Bulgarian Sunday School recited poems by Hristo Botev.

Botev arrived in Odesa on November 14, 1863 and attended the Second Odesa Gymnasium as a private student. He also wrote his first poem there. Botev attended the Faculty of History and Philology at Odesa University for one academic year. Towards the end of 1866 he left Odesa. He was appointed a teacher in the village of Zadunayevka, Bessarabia, where Bulgarians lived who settled there after the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829.