Ruse University Rector: History Prepares Us for the Future

Andrey Kyuchukov, Martin Penev

Assoc. Prof. Desislava Atanasova, Rector of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse, speaking here Wednesday at a BTA-organized conference in Ruse that commemorates a December 1875 decision by the Giurgiu Revolutionary Committee to launch the 1876 April Uprising in Bulgaria, Ruse, on the Danube, December 17, 2025 (BTA Photo/Bisser Todorov)

Ruse, on the Danube,

17.12.2025 15:29

(BTA)

History prepares people for the present and the future, said Assoc. Prof. Desislava Atanasova, Rector of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse. She was speaking here Wednesday at a BTA-organized conference in Ruse that commemorates a December 1875 decision by the Giurgiu Revolutionary Committee to launch the 1876 April Uprising in Bulgaria.

The event brought together academics, public officials, diplomats, journalists, and students from Bulgaria and Romania. It is part of a joint initiative of BTA, the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), called "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe" for commemorating anniversaries in Bulgarian history that are significant for European history through to 2032, when 1,400 years will be marked since the establishment in 632 of the first Bulgarian state in Europe - Old Great Bulgaria.

Atanasova emphasized Ruse’s crucial role in the April Uprising, citing local historical figures. “Sometimes the significance of Ruse for the history of the April Uprising is overlooked. I think it is really very serious for all of us, the people of Ruse, who from childhood have been steeped in the vast amount of history here, with the story of Baba Tonka, her house with the many people who participated both in the April Uprising and in the struggles for Bulgaria’s liberation.”

She highlighted the role of educators and historians in passing this knowledge to students, helping them make informed choices and express their opinions with confidence.

She also noted the shared cultural and linguistic connections between Bulgarians and Romanians along the Danube and expressed her support for the ongoing "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe" initiative.

/NF/