“I Am a Bulgarian Child” - a new app directed at children living abroad

On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, a company from Targovishte launched an app as a gift for Bulgarian children living abroad. The creative team hopes to strengthen the children’s connection to their homeland and nurture their pride in being Bulgarian.

It all began when the app’s developers realised, through conversations with friends, relatives, and acquaintances, that children living abroad often don’t have access to detailed or up-to-date information about Bulgaria. They decided to provide it for them.

“Children want to know more about Bulgaria than just seeing it as a place they visit for a week or two in the summer,” says project manager Desislava Pingelova. “They are genuinely curious about our history, traditions, culture and landmarks. We’ve had many conversations with them, which is why we decided to gather all these facts about Bulgaria in one place and create an app to support their learning and foster their patriotism.”

The company chose to name the app Az Sum Bulgarche (I Am a Bulgarian Child), taking the title from Ivan Vazov’s famous poem. In one section of the app, children can explore not only the works of the patriarch of Bulgarian literature, but also those of poets Dobri Chintulov, Hristo Botev, Peyo Yavorov, Dimcho Debelyanov, and Ran Bosilek.

In addition to literature, the app includes dedicated sections on history, traditions and customs, landmarks, and interesting facts.

“We’re at an age now where we can look back and see what thrilled us, both as children and as adults,” adds Desislava Pingelova. “All the texts in the app are original. We selected the most interesting facts about our country and the most beautiful landmarks based on our own judgement. The photos were taken by the renowned photographers Pencho Chukov and Radoslav Parvanov, and we worked with them to select images that would engage and inspire users.”

'We explore ancient history, classical antiquity, Ancient Great Bulgaria, the Middle Ages, the establishment of the modern state, the Revival and Liberation periods, Bulgaria’s involvement in wars for national unification, and its contributions to world culture and history. We showcase some of the country’s most beautiful locations, including Old Plovdiv, the Etara Open-Air Museum, Cape Kaliakra and the salt pans of Lake Pomorie. We also present traditions such as Lazaruvane, Nestinarstvo and Koleduvane, as well as celebrations such as Enyovden and the Rose Festival in Kazanlak. We also showcase the beauty of Bulgarian women and traditional folk costumes. The app also includes content on science and technology.”

The creators of the I Am a Bulgarian Child app believe that understanding the past allows people to overcome a sense of indifference and feel proud of their country.

Perhaps parents, too, should take a look at what their children find in the app, in order to adopt this attitude themselves and pass it on?

‘Our original idea was to create the app for children,’ explains Desislava Pingelova. 'However, we later decided it would also be interesting for their parents and, indeed, for everyone, whether they are living abroad or at home. We would therefore be delighted to have users of all ages, as the content is designed to appeal to everyone.”

While developing the app, the company received support from students at the National Aprilov High School in Gabrovo, who recorded literary works; from the Peyo Yavorov House Museum in Chirpan; and from Ralitsa Negentsova, the niece of Ran Bosilek. The app had its first overseas premiere at the Bulgarian Sunday School Azbukarcheta in Madrid. “Some of the children we met there are exactly the ones we made this app for,” Desislava Pingelova explains. She notes that the students seemed pleased to read independently and were looking forward to showing off what they had learned on their next visit to Bulgaria.

'Most of the children take part in folk dancing and are interested in traditions and customs,” says the project manager. “Their parents celebrate Christmas and tell them about the Koledari carol singers, but they have never witnessed it or attended such events themselves, so I’m sure they will find it fascinating too. Another similar ritual is the Nestinarstvo fire-dancing – it’s important for the children to experience this, even if only through videos and pictures. When they visit Bulgaria in the summer, most children go only to the Black Sea or to see their grandparents in the countryside, and historical and cultural landmarks are often overlooked. With the app, we hope to spark their interest so that they will visit these places in person and take home beautiful memories of the country.”

The I Am a Bulgarian Child app will expand over time based on user interest and is also set to be introduced to different Bulgarian communities abroad. “We hope the paintings, photographs, and videos will inspire all Bulgarians to learn about their history and culture and take pride in living in such a beautiful country,” concludes Desislava Pingelova.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Edited and posted in English by E. Radkova