site.btaBNR Director General Mitev: Our Strongest Years Are Yet to Come

"I believe that these 90 years behind us are just the beginning and that our strongest years are yet to come,” said Bulgarian National Radio Director General Milen Mitev. He opened an exhibition, titled "90 Years BNR: The Radio of Generations of Bulgarians", featuring photographs and archive documents from the holdings of the Archives State Agency and BTA at the radio station's building in Sofia on Tuesday. The event was accompanied by a presentation of the February issue of BTA's LIK magazine, titled "BNR: 90 Years Later"

“We must embrace this optimism because, as a media organization, it is our duty to inspire the entire Bulgarian society with it. We need to show that our existence has meaning, that the values we uphold matter, and that together, we can strive for a better future for the whole society," said Mitev. 

Mitev recalled that BNR marked its 90th birthday on January 25. On that date in 1935, King Boris III issued a decree by which radio broadcasting in Bulgaria became state property.  

He recalled that many things happened during those 90 years. The institution operated in three different Bulgarias - until [the communist takeover in] 1944, between 1944 and 1990 (after the 1989 transition to democracy], and in today's Bulgaria. "Through all these years, times have changed, and so has the National Radio. What has remained unchanged, however, is that from the very beginning, it has always been filled with people who work with dedication and passion - people who prioritize their audience and strive to be as helpful as possible," Mitev said.

This exhibition presents documents which evoke surprise, pride, confusion and even anger, Mitev said, adding that the photographs include lists of people who owned radio sets and reports assessing the reliability of those people. "But even things that may stir some anger in us are important to remember because if we forget history, we are doomed to repeat it," Mitev said.

In his words, each of these documents carries a fragment of history that should not be forgotten, "to remind us of the path we have travelled and ensure we never again reach a point where such lists exist".

“The Bulgarian National Radio is not just a media outlet, it is also an institution, a cultural institute, it is a home for musicians, it is a producer, it is a place that not only tells stories about culture but also creates culture,” said Mitev.

He thanked the leadership of the State Archives Agency and BTA for the opportunity to organize the exhibition. The exhibition will be showcased in various cities in Bulgaria where BNR has regional offices. Additionally, it will be displayed in Bulgarian cultural institutes abroad, allowing Bulgarian communities overseas to reconnect with key moments from the history of the national radio and of Bulgaria.

At the end Milen Mitev thanked BTA for this declaration of love for the radio. “Even Sırak Skitnik once ordered that BTA bulletins be read over the radio, so the partnership between our institutions dates back to the very beginning of the radio, and I am very happy that it is alive today," Mitev said. 

“I would especially like to thank you for this presentation and for including the correspondents of both media from different locations not only in Bulgaria but across the world, even up to Antarctica. This shows something very important – these people, their energy, their attitude toward what they do, they are our guarantee for the future,” said Mitev.  “Today, as we look back 90 years, we realize that, above all, our future is guaranteed by the people who work at BNR and BTA. As long as these people are here, our institutions will continue to thrive far into the future” Mitev concluded.