Bolgrad – the administrative center of the Bolhrad Raion in the Odesa region – marked yesterday, August 25, 205 years since its creation. In the city, founded in 1821 by Bulgarian settlers, cultural events were held dedicated to the anniversary, in which an official delegation from Bulgaria also participated.

Among the representatives from the Bulgarian side were the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism in the 52nd National Assembly, Rositsa Kirova, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to Ukraine, Zlatin Krastev, and the Consul General of Bulgaria in Odesa, Svetoslav Ivanov.

The delegation also included the Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), Kiril Valchev, the Third Secretary at the Consulate General in Odesa, Ilian Zanev, and the Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, Raina Mandzhukova.

The temple built by the settlers

Bulgarian identity in Bessarabia is preserved through several key spiritual and cultural centers. One of them is the "Transfiguration of the Lord" Cathedral in Bolgrad, built with funds from the Bulgarian settlers.

The temple was consecrated on October 29, 1838, and covers an area of 2,000 square meters. Its construction lasted five years, and more than 10,000 people participated in it. Among the most valuable relics in the cathedral is the icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, placed in a frame of pure gold.

The first Bulgarian secondary school

Among the symbols of Bulgarian education in the region is the Bolgrad Gymnasium "St. St. Cyril and Methodius", which today bears the name "Georgi Rakovski". The school was opened on June 28, 1858, with the support of the governor of Moldova, Nicolae Vogoride, a Bulgarian by origin.

The gymnasium is considered the first Bulgarian secondary school of the Revival era. In its printing house, textbooks, periodicals, and newspapers were printed, and among its graduates are figures such as Aleksandar Malinov, Danail Nikolaev, and Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan.

The educational institution was restored in 1993, and since 1999 it has borne the name of Georgi Rakovski. In front of its building, a bust-monument of the revolutionary, created by the sculptor Ivan Lazarov, has been placed.

Today, about 450 children from the Bolgrad region study at the gymnasium. A major motive for the students and their families is the opportunity to study the Bulgarian language, history, and culture. For young people from more remote settlements, a dormitory and free transport are provided.

Memory of the Bessarabian volunteers

The third important sign of the historical connection between Bolgrad and Bulgaria is the Memorial to the Bulgarian Volunteers. It was opened on October 20, 2012, at the initiative of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine.

The monument is shaped as an obelisk with memorial plaques, on which the names of nearly 250 Bessarabian Bulgarians are inscribed. They participated in the Bulgarian Volunteer Corps during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.