site.btaFestival Dedicated to 250th Anniversary of Bulgarians' Resettlement to Ukraine Held in Vilshanka

The festival Unity of Hearts dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the resettlement of the first Bulgarians to Ukraine was held at Ukrainian-Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Vilshanka, Kirovohrad region on Wednesday. The event was organized by the Vilshanka City Hall under the guidance of Mayor Sergey Pirozhenko and the Culture Department. 

Bulgarian Society Alfatar Vice-President Tatiana Vladova told BTA that the festival has been organized for over 20 years and unites the two brotherly nations, Bulgarians and Ukrainians. Many Bulgarians from Vilshanka, Dobroye and Stancuvata took part in the festival, both as performers and guests, Vladova added.

The President of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine, Anton Kisse, was the guest of honour at the festival. In his welcoming speech, he thanked the local leadership for the support of the Bulgarian community in Vilshanka and noted the importance of this historic date. On behalf of the Association, Kisse awarded medals and diplomas to the townhalls of Vilshanka, Dobroye and Stancuvata, the Bulgarian Society Alfatar, as well as the local Bulgarian folk ensembles. 

The festival started with a national-patriotic flash mob, an exhibition of masters in applied and decorative art, works of the graduates of the local centre for children and youth creativity. The guests had the opportunity to taste traditional Bulgarian and Ukrainian cuisines, as well as to watch a concert programme including performances in Bulgarian and Ukrainian.

The oldest settlement of Bulgarians on the territory of Ukraine is within the borders of modern Kirovohrad region. The resettlement of the first Bulgarians to Ukraine, 400 families from the Bulgarian town of Alfatar, dates back to 1774. According to the last population census in Ukraine in 2001, there were 2,305 people living in Kirovohrad region. Most Bulgarians live compactly in the Vilshanka region and Golovanivsky district.