site.btaUPDATED Descendants of Bulgarian Immigrants Welcome Bulgarian Naval Research Ship in Commodoro, Argentina

Descendants of Bulgarians welcomed the Bulgarian naval research ship Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii in Commodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, which is home to a large community with Bulgarian roots. They have established a society that bears the same name as the ship, Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Among the welcoming party were Tsenka Genova, President of the local Bulgarian society, and Ruzhka Nikolova, President of the Argentine-Bulgarian Foundation in Buenos Aires, which also represents the Federation of Bulgarian Societies in Argentina, established in 2022.

The ship docked at 21:30 local time on February 15 on its return voyage from the Bulgarian Antarctic base on on Livingston Island. On board the ship is a group from the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic expedition headed by its leader prof. Christo Pimpirev, which also includes scientists from the expedition, researchers from the Spanish Geographical Society, Bulgarian Ambassador to Argentina Stoyan Mihailov, Bulgarian Naval University rector, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov and Bulgarian News Agency Director General Kiril Valchev, among others. 

On the morning of February 16, there will be an official welcoming ceremony with a cultural programme for the Bulgarian ship, where the city mayor, municipal council chairperson and regional governor will be among the guests. A meeting is planned on board the ship between scientists from the The National University of the Patagonia San Juan Bosco and Bulgarian Antarctic researchers. The Bulgarian scientists will also speak to the local press.

An open-house day has been announced on the ship, and local people are expected to visit.

In the evening of February 16, two exhibitions will be opened in the Cultural Centre in the city: at art exhibition titled "History of Bulgaria through the eyes of the artist" and the photo exhibition "32 pictures before the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic expedition - To Antarctica and back with love by Radka Danailova". Danailova is the wife of the commander of the RSV 421, Nikolai Danailov.

Danailova's photo exhibition was presented for the first time in the BTA National Press Club in Varna before the departure of RSV 421 on its second voyage to Antarctica in November 2023.

On February 17, a film about the descendants of the Bulgarian immigrants in Argentina, Scattered in the lower land, by Bulgarian National Television journalist Maria Cherneva will be presented at the Oil Museum in Commodoro Rivadavia.

The Bulgarian community in Argentina have seven cultural society, the oldest of which was established 70 years ago in Presidencia Roque Saens Peña, Chaco province. There are also three groups for traditional Bulgarian music and dance.

On February 18, the Bulgarian ship will sail from Commodoro Rivadavia to Mar del Plata and then stop in the Brazilian port of Rio Grande before crossing the Atlantic on its way back home in Varna, where it is expected to return in early April. 

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During the 32nd Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica, which started on November 8, 2023, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is publishing interviews with Antarctic researchers. The Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log again provides coverage of the voyage of the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii to Antarctica and back and its stay there, as it did during the 31st expedition between December 27, 2022 and May 2, 2023. Back then, only BTA had a correspondent, Daily News Editor Konstantin Karagyozov, who covered the 127-day expedition with text, video and photos during the entire voyage (including across the Atlantic in both directions) and throughout the stay in Antarctica. In June 2023, BTA published in Bulgarian and in English an issue of its LIK magazine "To Antarctica and Back under the Bulgarian Flag" dedicated to the historic expedition.

Again, all of BTA's information on the Bulgarian scientific research in Antarctica and the support provided by the Bulgarian naval research vessel, as well as on the other activities at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, will be available to all media outlets in Bulgarian and in English on BTA's website in the Bulgaria - Antarctica: BTA's Log section.

BTA has a National Press Club on board the ship and opened a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.