site.btaRole of Bulgarian Media for Enhancing Knowledge of Kin and Mother Tongue among Bulgarian Communities Abroad Dominate Second Day of 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media

The role of Bulgarian media for enhancing knowledge of kin and mother tongue among Bulgarian communities abroad dominated the second day of 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Bolhrad, Ukraine, on Thursday. The discussion was interrupted by an air raid alert for Odesa Province, and the delegates to the meeting and official guests had to go down in the bomb shelter of the Bolhrad High School of Georgi Rakovski, where the meeting was taking place.

The 19th World Meeting started in Odesa on June 19 and after moving to Bolhrad on June 20, it will go to Izmail for the last panel on June 21.

Before the start of the Thursday panel, the participants attended a prayer service for peace and prosperity of Bulgarians across the world, held in the Church of Transfiguration in Bolhrad.

In his opening remarks, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said that the press has a role to play in providing more information and support so that the Bolhrad High School can preserve the knowledge about their mother tongue and their roots.

The Principal of the Bolhrad High School G. S. Rakovski, Snezhana Skoric argued that an exchange and cooperation agreement between the Ministries of Education and Science of Ukraine and Bulgaria should be extended. She said that extending the agreement will enable a competition for delegated teachers to be launched in Bulgaria. 

During the 19th World Meeting, the Rakovski high school received a donation of historic books from the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library. The Bulgarian Consul General in Odesa, Svetoslav Ivanov, presented the donation to the school principal, Snezhana Skoric. He urged the students to read the books, to study them and explore the Bulgarian history.

The doors to the Aprilov National High School in Gabrovo (Central Bulgaria) are always open to students of the Bolhrad High School and Bulgarians around the world, said the school principal, Elvira Hristova. She said it would be great "if those children could go to Bulgaria to experience their historical homeland".

It is for a reason that the topic of kin and mother tongue is being discussed in the Bolhrad high school, said Svetla Kyosseva, editor-in-chief of the Bulgarian-Hungarian Hemus magazine for culture and social life. She said that her magazine has been published for over 30 years now and is included in the collections of the Bulgarian and Hungarian national libraries. On the pages of Hemus is the history of the Bulgasrian community in Hungary, the connections between the two countries, the place Bulgarians have in Hungary, said Kyosseva.

The role of the news media is very important for preserving the knowledge of the Bulgarian language and history, all that connects us as Bulgarians, said Yassen Darakov of BG VOICE (USA). He moderated the Thursday panel.

Dora Kostova, editor-in-chief of the Bulgarian-language newspaper Roden Kray in Ukraine, said that the topics and outlook of her newspaper is changing as history changes. She believes that the Untold Stories section was the most valuable for the newspaper readers. She also said that the editorial staff has never been under pressure, discriminated against or told what to do by the Ukrainian authorities.

Iva Doichinova, Programming Director of Focus Radio, Bulgaria, said she in "in awe" of the Bulgarian community in Ukraine for preserving their mother tongue and traditions. "I am in awe of what is happening here in Ukraine. Firstly, because this community has been nurturing its lineage and language on its own for so many decades, calling Bulgaria its ancestral homeland. Second, because Ukraine gives the opportunity to schools like G. S. Rakovski, among others, to obtain your secondary and higher education in Bulgarian."

The Director General of Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Milen Mitev told of what BNR has been doing for almost nine decades to enhance the knowledge of kin and mother tongue among the Bulgarian communities abroad. He highlighted the role of BNR's Radio Bulgaria which started broadcasting abroad in 1936 and now has a team that prepares programmes in 10 foreign languages and Bulgarian.

Vera Hristova, editor-in-chief of programmes for the Bulgarian community on the Slovak public television, said that the Bulgarian community in Slovakia is small but strong thanks to the Bulgarian school in Bratislava. She does six programmes annually on funding from a programme for minorities and these programmes tell about the activities of the Bulgarian cultural union in Slovakia and the life of Bulgarians there.

At the end of the Thursday panel, the BTA Director General was presented with the title of Honorary Student of the Rakovski High School. He received the honour from the school principle, Snezhana Skoric, for his dedication to Bessarabian Bulgarians, for popularizing the Bulgarian media culture, raising awareness of prominent Bulgarians connected with Bessarabia and elevating the image of the Rakovski high school. 

For the celebration of the Bessarabian Bulgarians on October 29, the National Press Club of BTA and the Consulate General in Odesa will organize a whole week of celebrations and other events, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev announced on Thursday. He also said that He said that lecturers from Sofia University will go to Odesa region in October to tell local youths about the opportunities for studying at Sofia University, and hopefully other Bulgarian universities will join the campaign. The programme also will include a concert in the centre of Odesa by ensembles from various settlements of the Bulgarians in Bessarabia, Ukraine, as well as singer Desi Dobreva.

BTA organizes the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Odesa, Bolhrad and Izmail (Ukraine) from June 18 until June 21, 2024 with the assistance of Aurubis Bulgaria, A1 Bulgaria, Glavbolgarstroy Holding, Euroins Insurance Group, SOF Connect - the operator of Sofia Airport, 13 Centuries Bulgaria National Endowment Fund.