Bolhrad High School's Patron Holiday Celebrations

UPDATED Bolhrad High School's Patron Holiday Celebrations

Risida Dimitrova, BTA special correspondent Valeria Skorich

Celebrations marking the 205th anniversary of the birth of Georgi Sava Rakovski and the patron holiday of Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School, Bolhrad, Ukraine, April 14, 2026 (BTA Photo/Hristo Kasabov)

Bolhrad, Ukraine,

14.04.2026 19:30 | UPDATED 14.04.2026 22:40

(BTA)

Celebrations marking the 205th anniversary of the birth of Georgi Sava Rakovski and the patron holiday of Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School began on Tuesday in Bolhrad, Ukraine, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to the Bulgarian freedom fighter.

The ceremony took place in front of the school’s main entrance and was attended by Bulgaria’s Consul General in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Executive Director Raina Mandzhukova, MusicAutor Chief Executive Officer Ivan Dimitrov, Sofia University Rector Georgi Valchev, Izmail State University of Humanities Rector Yaroslav Kichuk, and G.S. Rakovski Bolhrad High School Principal Snezhana Skorich.

The name of Georgi Sava Rakovski unites generations connected to the Bulgarian community in Bessarabia, Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School Principal Snezhana Skorich said.

“Georgi Rakovski is a name that unites all of us, all those who are with Bolhrad High School every day, with heart and soul. Be worthy descendants of Georgi Rakovski and of all Bulgarian Revival figures who left their mark on history,” Skorich said.

Skorich highlighted the role of Bolhrad High School as a centre of education and spirituality that has contributed to the formation of generations of Bulgarian public figures. In her address to the students, Skorich expressed pride in their achievements and confidence in their future.

The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School is a small centre of knowledge outside Bulgaria, where the flame of Bulgarian education has been burning for 168 years, Bulgaria’s Consul General in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov said. Founded in 1858 in Bolhrad, Bessarabia, it is the oldest Bulgarian Revival school established outside modern Bulgaria. It was created to serve Bulgarian settlers who had fled Ottoman rule and wanted their children educated in their native language. Over time, the school became a key cultural and educational centre for Bessarabian Bulgarians.

Despite facing periods of repression, when Bulgarian language instruction was restricted or banned under Russian, Romanian, and Soviet rule, the school managed to preserve Bulgarian identity. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, Bulgarian teaching was restored. Today, after several years of efforts by diplomats from the Consulate General in Odesa and the embassy in Kyiv, as well as the Bulgarian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, a new agreement on the Bolhrad Lyceum was signed in Kyiv on March 30. The agreement preserves its status as a school providing education up to grades 11 and 12 and ensures enhanced teaching of the Bulgarian language in upper grades, Ivanov said.

At a ceremony held as part of the anniversary celebrations, fifth graders from the Bolhrad High School took a ceremonial oath and were initiated as high school students. The classes were welcomed with applause from students, teachers, parents and guests. The ceremony symbolizes the students’ inclusion in the school community. A symbolic "flame of knowledge" was presented, traditionally passed from older students to the new ones as a sign of continuity. Class teachers lit candles, which the students accepted as a symbol of their pursuit of knowledge. At the end of the ceremony, the school’s principal congratulated the newly initiated students and presented them with certificates, wishing them success in their educational journey.

A new school anthem was recorded as part of the Svetilnik (Candlelight) 2025/2026 initiative, to mark the anniversary. The recording involved students and parents, following weeks of preparation. The anthem, titled “Forward, Our Bolhrad High School,” was created by composer Ivo Metodiev Terziev and lyricist Irina Dekova, and selected for its message promoting moral values, respect for teachers, and Bulgarian cultural identity. The Svetilnik initiative aims to support Bulgarian schools, in Bulgaria and abroad, by creating original songs that help preserve national identity through music.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) opened its 45th national press club in Bolhrad, Ukraine, to strengthen ties with the Bulgarian community and support a new school-based media center at the Georgi Rakovski High School. The initiative, backed by Bulgarian institutions, aims to promote journalism, improve access to information, and preserve cultural identity among Bulgarians in Ukraine.

BTA will provide training, support news production, and create opportunities for students, including internships in Bulgaria, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said. The project reflects growing media attention to the region and is part of broader efforts to support Bulgarian-language education and community development.

The opening, held on the anniversary of the school’s patron, Valchev added, highlights both the legacy and importance of investing in young people, while also symbolizing solidarity with Bulgarians in Ukraine during challenging times.

The Bolhrad High School in Ukraine's Odesa Oblast shapes individuals who find their place in the world, the Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, Raina Mandzhukova said, at the opening of the Bulgarian media centre at high school. "For me, this is an event and a reason for great emotion. Everyone here knows that I am from here as well," Mandzhukova said. "Your graduates lead Bulgarian organizations in different countries. This is a huge potential and wealth – your wealth," Mandzhukova emphasized.

Musicautor CEO Ivan Dimitrov said that the Bolhrad High School has joined a community of 31,000 children whose educational institutions have their own anthems. Dimitrov spoke about the Svetilnik initiative, implemented by Musicautor, aiming to create original school songs and anthems for Bulgarian educational institutions, including those outside Bulgaria, promoting the preservation of Bulgarian cultural and spiritual identity through music.

Prof. Georgi Valchev, Rector of the St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, and BTA Director General Kiril Valchev bowed their heads on Tuesday before the memorial plaque marking the 120th anniversary of the April Uprising, located next to the entrance of the Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School in Ukraine. The commemorative plaque was donated by the Rodolyubets (Patriot) Association for Relations with Bessarabian and Taurian Bulgarians in Sofia and is dedicated to the Bessarabian and Odesa Bulgarians, as well as teachers and students who supported their compatriots who rose up in Bulgaria.

The St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University and Izmail State University of Humanities signed a cooperation agreement at the Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School in Ukraine. With the signed agreement, the two higher education institutions commit to developing academic cooperation, cultural ties and joint initiatives. The agreement provides for the exchange of lecturers and students, joint research projects, the organization of academic forums, and the exchange of books, publications and teaching materials.

/RY/