A lesson on Bulgaria... with the pupils of the Sts Cyril and Methodius in Athens

At a time marked by uncertainty and growing tensions in the world, Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad continue to give young Bulgarians a sense of belonging and acceptance. Wherever they live, knowing their roots and identity helps them navigate an increasingly interconnected and diverse world with confidence. For 22 years, the Sts Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian School in Athens – the oldest Bulgarian Sunday school in the Greek capital – has been living proof of that.

For 22 years, the Sts Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian School in Athens has helped generations of children growing up in Greece keep in touch with the language and traditions of their parents. During the last school year, more than 260 pupils, from preparatory classes to Year 12, attended the oldest Bulgarian Sunday school in the Greek capital.

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According to its long-time principal, Mimi Nicheva, what keeps children coming back is not just what they learn in the classroom. Equally important are the experiences they share outside it. Among the most memorable are the trips to Bulgaria without their parents – journeys that help teenagers feel part of a community and strengthen their ties both to their roots and to one another.

"This is a very important moment for us, schools abroad – for the children to visit Bulgaria without their parents," Nicheva says. "Thanks to programmes such as Bulgaria – Educational Routes, they begin to feel part of something bigger, part of a community. And this is what keeps them coming back to school, especially at that delicate age between Year 8 and Year 9."

The Athens school was among the first Bulgarian educational centres abroad to embrace the idea of state-funded educational trips. Since 2020, groups of pupils have travelled every year along a route linking Plovdiv, Sopot, Karlovo and Kalofer.

For Raya Chukanova, now in Year 11, the trips have become much more than excursions.

"It wasn't just a school trip. It was an adventure. A journey towards something that belongs to me," she says. "When we arrived in Plovdiv, I was fascinated by the Old Town. Walking along the cobbled streets and past the Revival-era houses, I felt as though I had entered another world. The Ancient Theatre is a place you cannot forget. There, among the stone seats overlooking the city, I felt part of something much bigger. I realised that culture is not just about the past – it is alive today. Those days in Bulgaria taught me to see my homeland differently – not simply as the country my parents come from, but as part of myself. Every trip gives me greater confidence in who I am and where I come from."

"What impresses the children most is the feeling that they are part of something bigger," says principal Mimi Nicheva. "Historical sites, nature and cultural landmarks leave lasting memories, but most valuable of all is the sense of belonging. Many of them tell us that, for the first time, Bulgaria felt truly close."

Vladi, also a Year 11 pupil, remembers standing in front of Vasil Levski's portrait in Karlovo and imagining what kind of person the Apostle of Freedom had been.

"And in Plovdiv, walking on the hills and looking out over the city only strengthened my belief that Bulgaria is the most beautiful country in the world," he says.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Further reading:

• A lesson on Bulgaria: self-discovery at Rodolubie school in Naples
• A lesson on Bulgaria: How homeland inspires children of "Yan Bibiyan" School
• A lesson on Bulgaria … with Sunday School "Tsar Simeon the Great" in Greece
• A Lesson on Bulgaria… with the “Azbukarcheta” Bulgarian School in Spain
• A lesson on Bulgaria: Keeping the homeland alive for children in Ukraine
• A Lesson on Bulgaria: Bulgarian children from Larnaca go to the Rhodopes and BNR
• A Lesson on Bulgaria... with the students of Hristo Botev School in Bratislava
• A Lesson on Bulgaria… with the Abagar Bulgarian school in Rome, Italy