BOC and "Asen and Iliya Peykov" school in Italy mark start of the school year

Over 700,000 Bulgarian children, both in Bulgaria and abroad, will cross the school threshold for the new 2026/2027 school year. The first bell rings on September 15 - a tradition established in 1921 under the administration of Aleksandar Stamboliyski and his party, the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union. Prior to this, Bulgarian children returned to school as early as September 1, which marks the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year. However, the agricultural season and the harvest continues until the middle of the month and this prompted the authorities of the time to postpone the return to the classroom so that children could assist their families with fieldwork. Even today the tradition endures.

There are just over 400 Bulgarian Sunday schools worldwide that will once again operate under the Ministry of Education and Science’s curricula this year, continuing their mission of national and cultural revival. In many of them, the new 2026/2027 school year has already begun, while for others, it will start in just a few days. One such institution is the "Asen and Iliya Peykov" Bulgarian Sunday School with branches in Rome, Florence, and Avellino, Italy, where the first school bell will ring on September 19 in Rome at 2:30 PM local time. "We eagerly look forward to opening our doors for the thirteenth consecutive year - a year dedicated to knowledge, the Bulgarian language, and the memory and values ​​that connect the generations," Veneta Nenkova, founder of the "Parallel 43" Cultural Association in Rome and creator of the school, told Radio Bulgaria.

"The mood is particularly high this year for several reasons. First, we will have guests from the 'ACATAMUS' Vocational High School of Performing Arts in Sofia - a group of about 30 students, teachers, and parents. But this year the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is opening its doors right next to a Bulgarian educational center. We have this unique opportunity thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emilia Zankina, Dean of Temple University Rome, who is once again providing a 'home' for our school, and thanks to the local Bulgarian Orthodox Church parish. Since the building we occupy (part of the university campus) is a former Catholic school that houses a church, discussions with the Vatican resulted in permission for the Bulgarian community to gather at the Church of St. George and the English Martyrs to have Divine Liturgy and conduct activities."

After nearly two years, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church parish in Rome will once again gather Bulgarians under one roof. The first service at the church of "Saint George and the English Martyrs" and the beginning of the ecclesiastical year were marked on August 30 with a service conducted by priest Prof. Dr. Ivan Ivanov.

At exactly 4:00 PM local time, the first service of the Blessing of the Waters and a prayer for the new school year will be held at the Bulgarian Church of St. George, located on the school grounds. This marks the start of the school year for 130 students of the "Asen and Iliya Peykov" Bulgarian School. They will embark on their new journey of learning their native language and culture across the school’s three branches - in Rome, Florence, and Avellino, as well as through its highly successful distance learning program.