Bulgarians in Riga showcase their homeland at European Languages Festival

For the third consecutive year, the Bulgarian language has resounded in the heart of Latvia, as the Latvian-Bulgarian Cultural Society “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” presented Bulgaria at the European Languages Festival in Riga. The participation of the Bulgarian community in the event on September 18 was dedicated to two landmark anniversaries: the 1,200th anniversary of the birth of St Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher and the 1,140th anniversary of the arrival of his disciples in Bulgaria.

At a specially prepared stand, information panels were displayed in three languages: Bulgarian, Latvian and English.

“They presented, in an accessible and visually engaging way, the significance of the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the overcoming of the three-language dogma, and Bulgaria’s role in the creation and consolidation of the Cyrillic alphabet, a writing system still used by millions of people around the world. The historical narrative was complemented by facsimile editions of some of the most valuable literary monuments of the Bulgarian literary school. These included the Gospel of Tsar Ivan Alexander, preserved at the British Library in London; the Asseman Gospel (Codex Assemanius), the oldest Glagolitic Old Bulgarian manuscript known to scholars, kept at the Vatican Apostolic Library; Paisii Hilendarski’s Slavonic-Bulgarian History, preserved at Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos; the collected works of Clement of Ohrid, as well as other publications,” Iskra Boneva, a member of the “Sts Cyril and Methodius” society team, told Radio Bulgaria.

Visitors were also able to take home contemporary bilingual and trilingual books devoted to Bulgarian culture. For children, too, the encounter with Bulgaria at the Language Festival in Riga proved a memorable experience, with the youngest guests receiving books of Bulgarian poetry and educational publications.

“Alongside history and literary heritage, the Bulgarian participation also stood out for its vibrant cultural atmosphere. At the end of the festival day, the Bulgarian Folk Dance Group in Riga invited the audience to join a Bulgarian horo to the sound of popular folk songs. The northerner-style rachenitsa also attracted particular interest, with the most enthusiastic participants putting their dancing skills to the test and adding to the festive atmosphere of the event,” Iskra Boneva told us.

For Bulgarians in Latvia, expressing their national identity is more than a symbolic gesture. It is an inner need to preserve their sense of identity and pride. Some time ago, the coordinator of the Bulgarian participation, Iskra Boneva, told Radio Bulgaria how wearing traditional Bulgarian dress has become a bridge to her roots:

“I am proud to be Bulgarian. I use every opportunity to attend official events wearing Bulgarian traditional dress or clothing featuring Bulgarian embroidery. We even go to the opera in Bulgarian traditional costumes. Bulgarian traditional dress is formal attire, and you can wear it even to a reception hosted by a king, queen or president. I also wear it to corporate events and at my workplace, and everyone is always delighted because our traditional costumes are exceptionally beautiful.”

For more than three decades, Dicho Chumov, chairman of the society, has been at the heart of Bulgarian community life in Latvia. His journey to the Baltic began in aviation. Having worked in a helicopter aviation services unit, he moved to Riga to study engineering at one of Europe’s leading institutes. Following the political changes in 1991, he went on to build a successful business. He is the driving force and chairman of the Latvian-Bulgarian Cultural Society “Sts Cyril and Methodius”, founded on April 13, 1993. During one of his visits to Sofia some time ago, he explained how it all came about:

“With love and enthusiasm. The longer version is that man is a social animal and always looks for others who share his or her way of thinking, mood and so on. Bulgarians are no different. Naturally, besides everything else, Bulgarians also have hopes, which is perhaps the greatest punishment: hope. I always advise people not to live in expectation. If God gives, I thank Him and move boldly forward. If He does not, then accept it as a lesson from God and continue boldly along your path, like a samurai.”

Chumov makes no secret of what he considers his greatest disappointment: the absence of a Bulgarian Embassy in Riga.

“For all these years, our greatest achievement is that we survived, despite the state. Throughout these 37 years, we have had the desire and the hope that Bulgaria would fulfil its obligations and establish an embassy in Riga. Not that it would help us all that much, but at least that way we would have our country behind us. We need consular and embassy services, and when you do not have that support behind you, you feel cast aside,” Mr Chumov explains. He adds that so far, his efforts to help turn this dream into reality, including contacts at the highest levels, have produced no result.

Speaking about his role as a source of inspiration, his personal freedom and his attitude towards his homeland, he adds:

“I have no other people but my own, and I do everything I can to make sure that we do not forget our roots. I wish everyone that when they reach my age, and go much further beyond it, they can look back and have no regrets.”

Thanks to people like Dicho Chumov, Iskra Boneva and the other volunteers who contributed to yet another presentation of Bulgaria in Riga, including Vasil Tsalta, Miglena Ivankova, Vladimir Zikov and the society’s co-chair Benita Skrodere, the Bulgarian spirit in Latvia continues to live on and inspire the new generations.

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English version: R. Petkova