site.bta20th Anniversary Edition of UK-based Bulgarian Newspaper Presented in Sofia

The 20th anniversary edition of the UK-based Bulgarian newspaper BG BEN has been presented at an event held at the Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Sofia, organized by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad.

BG BEN’s first issue was published on March 30, 2004. The newspaper was founded by Veselin Atanasov and Boyan Georgiev, based in England, and Stefan Avgustinov, based in Bulgaria. The link between them is the Black Sea city of Varna, which is why the first issue was printed there. For a time, the issues were transported to London by bus. Published weekly, the newspaper initially resembled an A4 brochure with eight pages. Today, BG BEN has a circulation of 6,000 copies, 32 color pages, and is distributed free of charge.

The newspaper’s editors-in-chief over the years have included Boyan Georgiev, Evgeni Kaidamov, and Antonia Popova, who has held the position since 2019.

"Thank you for coming together to celebrate the wonderful anniversary of a media outlet. Bulgarian media abroad is not just a newspaper, TV show, or radio programme – it is a tool for unification. And BG BEN has fulfilled this role like no other over the past 20 years," Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Executive Director Rayna Mandzhukova said in her speech at the event.

Addressing participants via videolink, the deputy head of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in London, Zlatko Dimitrov, said that "BG BEN is not just a media outlet but a means of uniting and integrating the large Bulgarian community in the UK," which, according to the Bulgarian Embassy in London, comprises around half a million people. Dimitrov added that the newspaper has proven its professionalism and serves as an example of independent journalism.

He also described BG BEN as "a charitable organization", adding that it exists solely for the benefit of Bulgarians in the UK. "It is distributed free of charge, which is why support and understanding are needed both from our community and from institutions," Dimitrov added.

"What we are trying to do is ensure that Bulgarians in the UK remain mindful of all the cultural and national celebrations in the country. We publish special editions for all official and national holidays of Bulgaria, something we consider our mission. We strive to lend a hand to all Bulgarians in the UK who seek our support in promoting their cultural events, which are purely Bulgarian," the editor-in-chief, Antonia Popova, said.

Severino Kozhuharov, one of the owners of BG BEN, said that the newspaper also reaches children, adding that every issue is archived at the British Library in London. 

At the end of the event, he presented Mandzhukova with an honorary award for 2024 for being the "best partner and for her active contribution to the development of the BG BEN newspaper." Upon receiving the award, Raina Manjukova said that "the real heroes are the Bulgarians abroad" and "all of us here with you are in their debt."