Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad honours winners of youth competitions

Young Bulgarians from 17 countries were honoured in Sofia after winning the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad's annual competitions for literature, art and music inspired by their love for Bulgaria.

Rayna Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, has often reminded participants in her welcoming remarks that regardless of whether they receive an award for their talent and hard work, simply having the opportunity to be in Bulgaria is already a dream come true and a reward in itself.

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The literary competition, named after poet, playwright and translator Stefan Gechev, marked its 30th edition this year. Dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising and the 170th anniversary of the birth of Rayna Knyaginya, it attracted 142 entries from participants in 17 countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Switzerland, Hungary, Greece, the United States, Cyprus, the Republic of North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark and Argentina.

Alongside the traditional Poetry and Prose categories, this year's competition introduced a special award for a digital project entitled Memory and Freedom – The Voices from 1876 Today. It was presented to students from the Bulgarian Sunday School St Kliment Ohridski in Limassol, Cyprus, and their teacher, Tanya Vitkina.

One of the winners in the Prose category for the 11–14 age group was Maksim Rangelov, a pupil at Hristo Botev Primary School in Tsaribrod, Serbia. He says his story goes beyond Bulgaria's heroes to include the country's history and its towns and cities.

For Maksim, the most Bulgarian place is Veliko Tarnovo. Having visited the historic city once, he says he was deeply impressed by its beauty and by the Bulgarian spoken there, which he finds very different from the Bulgarian spoken in Serbia. He hopes to study in Bulgaria when he grows up, perhaps something related to theatre. The Bulgarian rose is his symbol of Bulgaria. He often tells his many friends in Serbia what a beautiful country Bulgaria is, always stressing that he is Bulgarian, that he is proud of his roots, and that being Bulgarian is a great honour for him.

The full list of prize winners in all categories is available here

The Bulgaria in My Dreams art competition, held annually since 2001, marked its 25th edition this year. More than 200 entries from 23 countries were submitted in the categories of painting, applied arts, and graphics/computer graphics. The participating countries were Serbia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Albania, Spain, Italy, the United States, Canada, Romania, Belgium, Ukraine, Denmark, Türkiye, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Argentina, Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia and Cyprus. The jury selected winners in three age groups.

The full list of prize winners in the art competition is available here.

The Lyubka Rondova singing competition, held annually since 2010, marked its 16th edition this year. The jury listened to more than 180 performances by 681 participants, including soloists, vocal groups and ensembles, from 21 countries: Argentina, Albania, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Iran, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, the United States, Serbia, Ukraine, Hungary, France and Sweden.

The full list of prize winners in the singing competition is available here.

In the under-14 category, first prize was shared by Srdjana Milanov from Serbia and Ivan Ivanov from Ukraine. Srdjana is a pupil in the Bulgarian class at Hristo Botev School in Tsaribrod. Her favourite place in Bulgaria is the Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa because she loves bears and the park helps care for rescued animals.

She says she would happily move to Bulgaria. Singing is her passion, and she hopes to continue her education and develop her talent here. Especially for Radio Bulgaria, Srdjana performed Kade si, vyarna ti, lyubov narodna, the song that earned her first prize.

Nine-year-old Ivana Aleksandrova comes from London, where she attends the Bulgarian school Bulgarche. She is currently living with her family in the Bulgarian town of Razlog. If she had to recommend just one thing to foreign visitors, she says it would be Bulgaria's mountains and delicious food. She believes Bulgaria is a wonderful destination for skiing and many other activities.

Two years ago, Ivana won the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad competition in her age group. This year, she took second prize with the song Kitka ti padna, Deno, which she performed especially for Radio Bulgaria with great emotion.

As every year, first-prize winners in the three competitions will have the opportunity to take part in a 10-day educational summer camp in the village of Brodilovo, where they will make new friends and enjoy unforgettable experiences.

Editor: Desislava Semkovska