site.btaBTA Director General Valchev: 1,550 News Stories on Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad in Four Years

A total of 1,550 news articles about Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad have been published by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) over the last four years, Director General Kiril Valchev said in Sofia on Sunday.

He was speaking at the closing of the fourth creative meeting and seminar for leaders of Bulgarian folklore groups from abroad.

Valchev congratulated the participants in the fourth creative meeting and seminar of the Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad, which took place in Sofia from November 7 to 9. He expressed gratitude to Radoslava Nedyalkova and Anita Ekenova for their invitation.

Valchev noted that the first news item in the BG World section of BTA was published on November 2, 2021, entitled “Pirin Ensemble from Brno Marks 20th Anniversary.” Quoting statistics, he said that nine news items appeared in the section in 2021, 127 in 2022, 215 in 2023, 425 in 2024, and 774 for 2025 so far, though the year is far from over.

“Our people in BG World”, the special section for Bulgarians abroad, where six people work (four in Sofia and two correspondents in countries with established Bulgarian communities, Ukraine and Moldova), maintain contact with around 370 Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad, Valchev noted. He addressed the Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad to share that 105 of the news stories are devoted to their groups. Valchev added that this number has likely changed since Angela Georgieva continues to cover the meeting.

For the tenth travelling festival “On the Square of the Other Bulgaria,” BTA has published 115 articles, 20 of which were released during the festival days. “With your help, we can try to double that for next year’s festival in Munich,” he added.

Valchev also said that the team should choose the right moment to publish a special issue of LIK Magazine, BTA’s monthly periodical, dedicated to Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad. “This issue should be comprehensive and come together naturally as we gather presentations of all the ensembles we are in contact with through BG World,” he added.

In his view, the BG World section can serve not only as a link between Bulgarians living abroad and those in Bulgaria, but also as a connection among Bulgarians around the world.

Valchev said he would have liked to see a representative from Ukrainian Bessarabia at the event, though he knows efforts have been made. He mentioned he had just returned from Odesa, Izmail, Vasylivka, and Bolhrad, areas home to an estimated 160,000 Bulgarians according to official statistics. There, entire Bulgarian villages exist, something that is now rare in Bulgaria, with 105,000 to 110,000 Bulgarian residents in those communities, all of which have folklore ensembles. The situation is similar in Moldova, where Taraclia is the centre, but many other villages also have Bulgarian folklore groups.

He described it as a major challenge to bring everyone together and, next year, to ensure that “On the Square of the Other Bulgaria” includes more ensembles from areas with traditional Bulgarian communities. He mentioned Bosilegrad, Caribrod, the so-called Western Outlands, the Republic of North Macedonia (for those who self-identify as Bulgarian), and Kosovo and Albania. “This really is a challenge,” Valchev said.

He recalled that, for two successive years on the Day of the Bessarabian Bulgarians (October 29), BTA organized concerts with a Bulgarian folk singer in Bessarabia. In 2024, Desi Dobreva gave a performance in Odesa. In 2025, Iliya Lukov held concerts in both Moldova and Ukraine. Similar concerts are planned with Guna Ivanova next year. He considers these events important, as all artists participate pro bono, despite being leading performers who typically receive substantial fees. Valchev noted that BTA organizes their travel, and there is no need to bring dancers or musicians from Bulgaria, as hundreds of Bessarabian Bulgarians in traditional costumes dance to the songs at the concerts, despite frequent interruptions by air raid sirens in Ukraine.

Valchev thanked Radoslava Nedyalkova, who, he learned from BTA, emphasized the fundamental and invaluable role of the media during the fourth creative meeting and seminar for leaders of Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad, underlining that the exchange of information would not be possible otherwise. “It was a kind gesture to call BTA a reliable partner, not only for major events but also for everything happening with the ensembles throughout the rest of the year,” Valchev went on. In his words, in a world where the most modern term is artificial intelligence, the work being done by the BTA team sets an example that some things cannot exist without human intelligence.

“I must mention the names of those who pour their hearts into their work. This is the BG World team: Angela Georgieva, Iva Vatashka, Yoana Krasteva, Valeria Skorich, Irina Bogoeva from Taraclia, and Svetlana Dragneva from Odesa. They deserve your applause. My special thanks to Angela for preparing the statistics I quoted tonight, proving that your work is truly valued,” Valchev said.

In closing, Valchev noted that journalism is a lot like the traditional circle dance horo: beyond reason and physical presence, it requires soul. And above all: there can be no horo without people.