site.btaExecutive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Director Mandzhukova: Every New Library Is a Reason to Celebrate

Every new library is a reason to celebrate, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EBAA) Rayna Mandzhukova told BTA’s Anzhela Georgieva on Tuesday.

Mandzhukova was speaking on the occasion of the opening of the new Library and Information Centre at the EBAA, scheduled for April 15, 2025, in Sofia.

“The idea to create a library at the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad dates back more than 15 years, to my first term as Chair of the then State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad [from 2009 to 2010] ,” Mandzhukova said. “We have managed to make it happen only now, and that is truly a joy. Every new library is a reason for celebration.”

Referring to the library’s collection, Mandzhukova noted that it was built over time, thanks in part to Bulgarian expatriates who donated their own books or works relevant to their communities. Many Bulgarian periodicals published abroad also contributed.

“We also had our own magazine, Ek, which was our crowning jewel for decades. It was discontinued in 2010, and that was a great injustice,” she said.

She added that the EBAA continues its own publishing activities. “We ended up with a very interesting literary and informational collection that could be useful beyond the confines of the Agency.”

The next steps, Mandzhukova said, were to catalogue and organize the entire body of materials and furnish the space that now serves as the Library and Information Centre. She added that all library materials will be accessible only on-site in the reading room.

“It is important to note that our publications are not for sale, and authors do not receive royalties. The authors retain their rights and receive part of the print run. Our published works may be scholarly or in the form of essays, travelogues, or observations, but they must be relevant to Bulgarians abroad, providing added value.”

By way of example, Mandzhukova mentioned the book Bulgarian communities in the Western Balkans. Political processes and ethnodemographic consequences (1913–2024) by Spas Tashev, which will be presented on April 23, 2025, at the Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Sofia, as well as other significant publications supported by the EBAA.