site.btaRayna Mandzhukova: Successful Expats Should Share in Life in Bulgaria

"It is important for successful Bulgarians abroad to participate in life in Bulgaria in order to show that going abroad is not a verdict, nor is it a final choice," said Rayna Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (IABCH), in a BTA interview. "This means that you can go abroad, succeed, and return; you can go, succeed, and help those who are here in some way, she added. It is also important for them because a homeland is a homeland," Mandzhukova further said.

Mandzhukova attended the Bansko Jazz Festival, where she presented plaquettes to three musicians: Vicky Almazidou, Ivaylo Kovachev, and Boris Dinev, for promoting Bulgarian culture around the world. This is a sign of recognition for these Bulgarians abroad, Mandzhukova noted.

"As the head of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, one of the goals I have set myself is to ensure that as many Bulgarians abroad as possible participate in events happening in Bulgaria—scientific symposia, summer schools for teachers, and various cultural activities," said Mandzhukova. “This is also the reason why, over the past two years, I have been establishing contacts with different structures and organizations in Bulgaria across all sectors. This has led to my meeting with Iliana Shtereva-Ivanova, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Festivals Association in Bulgaria, which is a co-organizer of the Bansko Jazz Festival.

"This Association does a lot of interesting things for both adults and children. We started working with them, and as a result of this collaboration, we made it possible for a girl of Bulgarian origin from Moldova to participate in Vicky Almazidu's master class, at our initiative and with the support and funding of the Agency," Mandzhukova noted.

"I took advantage of my time in Bansko and had a productive meeting with Mayor Stoycho Banenski, as I am trying to establish more contacts with municipalities in Bulgaria. The goal is to organize various events where we can invite children from abroad," said Mandzhukova. She added that the Festivals in Bulgaria Association also organizes a festival for school orchestras, and one of the future ideas is to have Bulgarian children from abroad participate in the next edition.

"Every interaction, especially between children—Bulgarian children from abroad meeting Bulgarian children from other countries and those here—is an investment in Bulgaria. It’s primarily for our children who come to Bulgaria and get to know it; this is a chance for them to love it," she said. According to her, this is also important for the children here, who will know that there are Bulgarians in other places as well. If this is done continuously, we will eradicate this mentality of being a small nation.