site.btaBulgarian Consul General in Ukraine: Bolhrad Is Symbolic Place of Importance for Bulgaria

Bulgarian Consul General in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov said here on Thursday evening: "For us, Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria, but for Bulgarians, Bolhrad is the capital of Bessarabia. It is a symbolic place that is very important for Bulgaria because we associate it with its monuments, the Church of the Holy Transfiguration, and the Georgi Rakovski High School in Bolhrad." He was speaking at a concert by Bulgarian folk singer Ilia Lukov in Bolhrad.

Lukov's concert in Bolhrad was the second in a series of concerts with the free participation of the Bulgarian folk singer under the slogan "Ilia Lukov and the Talents of Bessarabia: 30 Years of Songs with Love." The concerts are an initiative of the Bulgarian News Agency, with organizational support from the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Odesa, as part of the week-long celebrations of the Day of Bessarabian Bulgarians, October 29.

In his speech, the diplomat thanked the guests from Bulgaria – Deputy Minister of Culture Ashot Kazaryan and BTA Director General Kiril Valchev for their support in organizing the series of concerts. Ivanov also expressed his gratitude to the Bulgarian community in Bessarabia: "Thank you for preserving Bulgarian culture, language, traditions, and national identity for more than 200 years. Continue to do so for the next 200 years so that there will be a strong and united Bulgarian national minority here," the Consul General concluded.