site.btaBas-Relief of Long-Serving Bulgarian Priest to Be Unveiled in Edirne

A memorial service and the unveiling of a bas-relief of Alexander Chakarak in Edirne on March 17 will mark the first death anniversary of the long-serving Bulgarian priest in that Turkish city. Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova will unveil the bas-relief made by Kamen Starchev, the President's press secretariat said.

Father Chakarak was born in Edirne in 1960 to Bulgarian patriots Filip and Elena Chakarak. He was ordained a deacon on July 27, 2001 and a priest on July 29, 2001. He became a priest at the St George Church in Edirne on June 30, 2003. Father Chakarak died on March 17, 2023.

Alexander Chakarak was a member of the Supreme Committee of the Union of Thracian Societies in Bulgaria. He worked for the protection and strengthening of Bulgarian traditions and promoted good neighbourly relations between Bulgaria and Turkiye. In February 2023, President Rumen Radev conferred on Chakarak the Order of St. St. Cyril and Methodius, First Class, for his contribution to the preservation of the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage, the President's press secretariat said.