site.btaBas-Relief of Long-Serving Bulgarian Priest Unveiled in Edirne

A memorial service was held here on Sunday for unveiling of a bas-relief of Alexander Chakarak to mark the first death anniversary of the long-serving priest in Edirne’s St. George Bulgarian church. Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova attended the ceremony. 

"The most important thing is to work together and for people to pray in whatever language they wish - those were the first words that Father Chakarak greeted me with for the first time seven years ago," Vice President Iotova said, quoted by her press secretariat. 

"Those words I will never forget. His was a life philosophy of tolerance and mutuality. I believe that when he looks down on us, he is pleased because so many people have gathered here today in his memory - representatives of all levels of the Turkish government, of Bulgarian institutions and local authorities, of the Union of Thracian Societies in Bulgaria," she said in her speech. 

"Every minute of his life was dedicated to the preservation of the Orthodox faith, the Bulgarian language, the strengthening of the Bulgarian community. Father Chakarak was one of the best ambassadors between Bulgaria and Turkiye," Iliana Iotova stressed.  

"The work of Father Chakarak's work did not go away with him, it continues today," Iotova said and assured the presidential institution of the unwavering support of his wife Maria Chuckerack, who runs the Bulgarian Sunday School "Ivan Vazov" and the National Chitalishte "Prosveta" - the only Bulgarian Chitalishte abroad. 

As interest in the Bulgarian language grows, we are working with the Ministry of Education and Science to send more teachers here, the Vice President said.

"Bulgarian speech will continue to be heard in the two Bulgarian churches in Edirne, the Bulgarian school will continue to teach both young and old the Bulgarian language. Just as Father Chakarak wanted - in the name of Bulgaria and the Orthodox faith," Iotova said, adding that a member of the clergy will be sent to serve in the Bulgarian language.

Father Chakarak was born in Edirne in 1960 to Bulgarian patriots Filip and Elena Chakarak. He was ordained a deacon on July 27, 2001 and a priest on July 29, 2001. He became a priest at the St George Church in Edirne on June 30, 2003. Father Chakarak died on March 17, 2023.

Alexander Chakarak was a member of the Supreme Committee of the Union of Thracian Societies in Bulgaria. He worked for the protection and strengthening of Bulgarian traditions and promoted good neighbourly relations between Bulgaria and Turkiye. In February 2023, President Rumen Radev conferred on Chakarak the Order of St. St. Cyril and Methodius, First Class, for his contribution to the preservation of the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage, the President's press secretariat said.