site.btaBessarabian Bulgarians Day Marked in Odesa on October 29

On the occasion of Bessarabian Bulgarians Day, October 29, the Consul General of Bulgaria in Odessa Svetoslav Ivanov organized a meeting of Bessarabian Bulgarians in Ukraine at our Consulate General in Odessa. At the event, Ivanov read out a congratulatory address from Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, which said: "Today, the ties of Bessarabian Bulgarians with their ancestral homeland are extremely active. Many of them choose to study in Bulgarian higher education institutions and seek employment in Bulgaria".

The event was attended by a Bulgarian delegation comprised of the Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency Kiril Valchev, Director of the National Library Krasimira Aleksandrova, writer Yordan Eftimov. Also present were representatives of local Bulgarian organizations and schools.

Gabriel's speech said that Bessarabian Bulgarians have a rich history and can be proud of their traditions, powerful historical figures and their strong spirit.

Gabriel also states that many Bessarabian Bulgarians choose to study in Bulgarian higher education institutions and seek employment in Bulgaria. During the last admissions campaign in 2023, out of 700 young people of Bulgarian origin, 413 were admitted to Bulgarian higher education institutions to study for a Bachelor's degree, 73 for a Master's degree, nine were PhD students, and seven were postgraduate students.

Ivanov said that of the 84 Bulgarian Sunday schools in Ukraine before the war, about 63 are currently operating. The Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science is updating this list and will have more accurate information later.

Gabriel's address reiterates that Bulgaria strongly condemns Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Bulgaria continues its support for Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection in Bulgaria, as well as political, technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Ivanov noted that according to the latest data from the State Agency for Refugees, since the beginning of the war some 160,000 Ukrainians have passed through Bulgaria, and about 78,000 are currently residing in Bulgaria.