"Az Buki Vedi" Bulgarian Reading Competition distinguishes its winners in Paris

Nicholas Hulala from the Bulgarian Secondary School "Hristo Botev" in Bratislava and Lea Todorova from the Bulgarian Sunday School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" in Paris have been crowned the new King and Queen of the Letters. They received the titles after a closely contested competition at the jubilee 10th edition of the International Bulgarian Reading Competition "Az Buki Vedi" for first and second grade students attending Bulgarian schools abroad.

This year's host was the Bulgarian Sunday School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" in Paris. The event was held with the financial support of Bulgaria's Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and with the media partnership of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Known affectionately as the "Guardians of the Letters," this year's participants represented 27 Bulgarian schools abroad from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The new King and Queen of the Letters, selected by a jury chaired by Prof. Zhivka Koleva-Zlateva, were crowned by Milena Dimitrova, Secretary to the President for Culture, Education and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad. She also presented the silver crowns to the "Lords of the Letters" - Filip Nisteya and Viktor Stoyanov.

Milena Dimitrova also read a congratulatory address from Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova, which stated:

"It is especially symbolic that this anniversary edition is being hosted by the Bulgarian School 'Sts. Cyril and Methodius' in Paris, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary. This is an occasion to express our well-deserved appreciation to all the teachers, parents and community leaders whose dedication and perseverance preserve the Bulgarian language, culture and traditions among our compatriots abroad."

Minister of Education Prof. Georgi Valchev presented the "Bukvoznaiko" awards to the youngest participants in their respective categories, Aleksandra Kohchieva and Mina Shuster.

In an interview with Radio Bulgaria, Minister Valchev emphasized the essential role of parents in keeping the Bulgarian spirit alive in their children. He also stressed that the Ministry of Education and Science would continue supporting Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad and would work to adapt textbooks to the students' level of Bulgarian language proficiency and to the realities of growing up in a foreign-language environment.

"There is no education system in the world that can solve every problem without the support of the family. These schools demonstrate remarkable achievements by the children, but without the commitment of their families, no matter what educational materials or resources we provide, the results would not be the same. It is precisely thanks to the persistence and support of parents that these children achieve remarkable things. I was delighted to visit the Bulgarian schools here today, because hearing Bulgarian spoken in the heart of Paris and hearing children who have already mastered the letters and the rhythm of the Bulgarian language is truly wonderful," Minister Valchev said.

Rayna Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, presented the encouragement awards in the "Az Buki Vedi" competition, known as the "Guardians of the Letters" awards. She highlighted the role of teachers in Bulgarian Sunday schools in preserving Bulgaria's national identity and cultural memory.

"The work of Bulgarian Sunday schools has long gone beyond the boundaries of education," Mandzhukova told Radio Bulgaria. "This is largely due to the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, first because it brought the schools together, and then because of the support we have provided ever since Bulgarian schools abroad became an established network. The initiatives that unite Bulgarian schools from different cities are now numerous, and each one is extremely valuable. Every one of them reflects the imagination and dedication of a teacher, in this case Rositsa Bayraktarski, the principal of the Bulgarian School in Cologne."

Member of Parliament Elisaveta Belobradova, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad and head of the permanent delegation of the National Assembly to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, was also among the official guests. She presented two special awards to students from the Bulgarian School "Ran Bosilek" in Brussels.

Belobradova thanked all the parents, children and teachers who choose to spend their weekends at school instead of at leisure.

The Bulgarian National Radio also presented special awards handed by Dimitar Abrashev, a member of the Bulgarian National Radio's Management Board:

"It is an honour for the Bulgarian National Radio to be part of this cause because the mission of the public broadcaster is not only to inform but also to preserve the Bulgarian language, culture and spirituality. Everyone gathered here today has demonstrated that the Bulgarian language is not merely a means of communication. It is memory, identity and a bridge connecting generations, regardless of the distance between us. We should also warmly congratulate the organisers, teachers and parents, whose dedication ensures that the Bulgarian language continues to live far beyond Bulgaria's borders, not simply as a memory but as a living part of everyday life," said Dimitar Abrashev.

Dimitrinka Niklina, head of the Bulgarian School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" in Dortmund, Germany, received the statuette designating her school as the host of the 11th edition of the International Bulgarian Reading Competition "Az Buki Vedi." Following a draw, the Bulgarian Sunday School "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" in Regensburg was selected to host the 12th edition in 2028.

The competition concluded with a group photograph and a traditional Bulgarian horo dance led by the dancers of the Zora Folk Ensemble from Paris.

The names of all award-winning students in the 10th International Bulgarian Reading Competition "Az Buki Vedi" for first and second grade students from Bulgarian schools abroad can be found HERE.

English: R. Petkova