site.btaLyuben Karavelov Commemorative Plaque Unveiled in Belgrade

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), together with the Bulgarian Embassy in Serbia unveiled Friday a commemorative plaque in honour of Bulgarian journalist, writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov in the Consular Service of the Bulgarian Embassy in Belgrade.

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said it befits the Bulgarian News Agency to initiate the placement of a commemorative plaque of Lyuben Karavelov in Belgrade. This is also duty done to Bulgarian journalism because Lyuben Karavelov is one of its most illustrious names, Valchev said at the unveiling of a plaque of the Bulgarian journalist, writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov, who lived in the Serbian capital. 

He added that BTA will reinstate its correspondent in Belgrade, the leading Bulgarian journalist Teodora Encheva, who reported from that city for Bulgaria's national news agency between 2001 and 2004.

"We have gathered here in Belgrade to honour the immortal work of one of the greatest personalities of modern Bulgaria - Lyuben Karavelov. Belgrade occupies a special place in the history of Karavelov and his struggle for the liberation of Bulgaria," Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Petko Doykov said.

Doykov noted that with the unveiling of this memorial plaque "we not only honour his name, but also mark the eternal significance of freedom".

Children are enthusiastic and eager to attend the Lyuben Karavelov Bulgarian Sunday School in Belgrade, and they stay dedicated to the school, even though it adds to their workload, First Secretary at the Bulgarian Embassy in Serbia Nedyalko Iliev, responsible for the school’s activities, said.

Iliev gave BTA Director Kiril Valchev and other guests of the plaque unveiling event a tour of the Sunday school's facilities. He mentioned that the school usually has 30 to 40 students, many of whom have historically been children of embassy staff. At present, most of the students come from families who live permanently in Belgrade.

Earlier in 2024, BTA initiated the placing of a memorial plaque of writer and journalist Aleko Konstantinov at the Faculty of Law of Odesa National University, where Konstantinov studied law between 1881 and 1885, and a plaque of poet and magazine editor Atanas Dalchev in the patio of the Bulgarian Consulate General in Thessaloniki, where Dalchev was born.

Attending the event were Bulgarian Ambassador in Belgrade Petko Doykov; Angel Angelov, Head of the Bilateral Relations General Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Momchil Raichevski, Director of the Southeast Europe Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dimitar Tsanev, Consul General of Bulgaria in Nis; Milen Mitev, Director General of the Bulgarian National Radio and Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian National Electronic Media; Gospodin Yovchev, Chief Operating Officer of bTV Media Group; Hristo Hristov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian National Darik Radio; Anton Andonov, Member of the Board of the Bulgarian National Television; Zoran Djurov, President of the Municipal Council of Tsaribrod; and representatives of the Bulgarian community in Serbia from Belgrade, Tsaribrod, Bosilegrad and Vojvodina.

Bulgarian musician Theodosii Spassov played on the kaval Hubava Si Moya Goro (You are beautiful, my forest) set to a poem by Lyuben Karavelov, and those present joined in with the lyrics.