Estreya Center gives a stage to Bulgarian culture and traditions in Spain

The Spanish section of Radio Bulgaria recently welcomed two great friends of our country – Petya Evtimova and Antonio Pérez – Bulgarian and a Spaniard, who work tirelessly to present Bulgarian culture and traditions in Spain. The two are founders of the Bulgarian-Spanish Cultural Center "Estreya", through which they organize cultural events, festivals, language courses, international initiatives and twinning of cities. In addition, the center has a very important task – the establishment of an Institute for Bulgarian Language and Culture in Madrid, which will be of great national importance for Bulgaria and will have strategic value for bilateral relations with Spain.

Through its constant work and efforts, the Bulgarian-Spanish Cultural Center "Estreya" has built a wide network of support, which starts from the Bulgarian Embassy in Madrid and extends to dozens of Bulgarian associations and schools. Its work proves that the initiative is not only cultural, but also of national importance as it affirms the identity and Bulgarian presence in Spain and Europe.

In a special interview with Radio Bulgaria, Antonio Pérez spoke about the beginning of the Estreya Foundation.

"The idea emerged because we were already working on topics related to Bulgarian culture in Spain. In 2019, we came here and realized that the Cervantes Institute, the Education Department and the Embassy were working in their fields in Sofia and in some of the major cities and educational centers in Bulgaria, but at the same time, the rest of the country did not have access to their activities. Thanks to Petya, we had the opportunity to visit different places and present Spanish culture. That's how we founded the Bulgarian-Spanish Association Estreya. We worked outside the capital, as many people did not know much about Spanish culture. We presented specific traditions from Spain."

Petya and Antonio’s big goal is to establish an Institute for Bulgarian Language and Culture in Madrid. It will be built on a plot of land that is in close proximity to the Bulgarian Embassy in the Spanish capital and is owned by the Bulgarian state.

What is the institutional framework needed to make this happen? First of all, the Council of Ministers must issue a decision that legalizes the establishment of the institute. Then, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must prepare an official petition and report, which must be supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance, Petya and Antonio say. Here are more details about this aspect of work on the project:

"In Sofia, we went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we presented some documents for the establishment of the Institute for Bulgarian Language and Culture in Madrid," Petya says in an interview with the Spanish section of Radio Bulgaria. "There is a plot of land next to the Bulgarian embassy in Madrid where we can build an institute that will represent our country and promote our culture and language. This is the most important mission we are working on. We came again to Bulgaria to present this undertaking of ours to the Bulgarians. We are very pleased because more than 50 municipalities and their mayors supported us. In addition, we visited Moldova, where the Bulgarian community is very large. There I felt like I was in another Bulgaria. These people carry Bulgaria in their hearts and also supported us."

“It’s been a long time and we came to continue our mission,” Antonio says. “This plot of land is very important as it is part of Bulgaria in Madrid. The embassy already has the funding, practically everything is ready, but there are no permits. What we don’t understand is why it is taking so long. We, who organize festivals and events, suffer a lot from this. When I arrange events in Spain and reserve halls for groups from all over Bulgaria, I always see the same thing – no one knows about Bulgaria. Bulgaria, with its history and beautiful traditions, deserves to be presented to the Spanish public. The institute will facilitate the realization of events, exhibitions, film screenings, book presentations. All we need is a little help from the institutions.”

Petya and Antonio keep working. On February 26 and March 1, they participate in the "Estrellas de Iberia" (Stars from Iberia) festival, along with more than 400 guests – dancers who share their culture in Cala de Mijas, Malaga. The festival is a meeting of international cultures and dances. The event is supported by UNESCO and is open to all arts, as artists are free to show their talent and inspiration.