site.btaMonument to Former National Enlightenment Minister Stoyan Omarchevski Unveiled in Nova Zagora
Bulgaria's Education and Science Minister Krasimir Valchev and Nova Zagora Mayor Galya Zaharieva have unveiled a monument to former minister of national enlightenment Stoyan Omarchevski. The ceremony took place in Omarchevski's hometown on National Awakeners' Day, a holiday instituted on his own initiative.
"Stoyan Omarchevski is one of those visionaries who thought strategically and laid the foundations of modern Bulgarian education," Valchev said.
The monument is made of bronze and stands over two metres high. It was created by sculptor Todor Dimitrov and architect Nikolay Vassilev.
Attending the ceremony were also Satirical Theatre Director Kalin Sarmenov, public figures, teachers, and local residents.
"It is a great joy that here, in Nova Zagora, we pay tribute to the man who declared November 1 a holiday in honour of national awakeners," Valchev said. He noted that Bulgarian history rests on two pillars - national liberation and spirituality, the latter preserving the nation through the centuries.
Valchev called for support for modern-day awakeners - teachers who instill knowledge and virtue in children every day. "If we want to live in a better and more harmonious society, we must support people of spirit. We cannot be awakeners ourselves unless we uphold the values of education, patriotism, and human virtue," he said.
Mayor Zaharieva recalled that when he served as minister of national enlightenment, from 1920 to 1923, Omarchevski introduced compulsory free primary education, built over 1,000 schools, exempted textbooks and children’s literature from taxes, and expanded Sofia University with new faculties - medical, veterinary, theological, and agronomic. During his tenure, public libraries were established and new higher education institutions opened in Varna, Svishtov, and Sofia. In 1922, at his proposal, November 1 was officially declared Day of National Awakeners.
During the ceremony, the first plaquettes in the name of Stoyan Omarchevski were awarded. The inaugural recipients included Minister Valchev, Satirical Theatre Director Kalin Sarmenov, and the monument’s creators, Todor Dimitrov and Nikolay Vassilev.
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