Happy Nikola Day, Burgas! A Look at the City's Future

The Mayor of Burgas gives a festive address for Nikola Day, sharing the achievements and visions for the city's future, focusing on education, infrastructure, and culture.

Dear citizens of Burgas,

Happy holiday of Burgas! Happy St. Nicholas Day!

St. Nicholas Day is a holiday of protection, hope, and gratitude – towards Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and towards all those who, with their work, heart, and responsibility, build the image of our city every day.

The word for today is INSPIRATION. It contains everything that can describe the emotion we feel towards our Burgas.

A city that inspires a feeling of home. A city that inspires people of art. A city with inspiring personalities! A city that attracts more and more people and wins new friends. A city with self-confidence and ambition.

And it's not just the sea, and it's not just the aroma of grilled fish that are part of the magic of Burgas. The spirit is created by the people of our Burgas.

From the local cheerful people, poets, artists, performers. From doctors, teachers, economists, sailors, fishermen. From police officers and firefighters. From students who carry the future in their eyes. From athletes, from hygienists, architects, builders, bankers. From Bulgarians, Armenians, Roma, Jews, Greek descendants, Ukrainians, Russians, foreigners. Different in history, but equally connected by their attitude towards Burgas.

Burgas is a city created by immigrants. That's why it knows how to shelter, to give a chance, to accept difference, the new, the future. The people of this city are hospitable, open, brave. They have been and will remain so. All those who today choose Burgas over another city or another country become part of this tradition. I thank them — for the choice, for the trust, for the future we are building together!

The most important things for a city are people and horizons! And the passing year 2025 outlines important trends for Burgas for the next decades. And these are not just projects. These are guidelines that will lead us to a stronger, more knowledgeable, and more developing city. Today I assure you – our direction is right! Our strength is in the horizons that we are not afraid to follow together.

Here are the facts! One of our biggest dreams is about to come true! The opening of the Children's Hospital „St. Anastasia“ is forthcoming. This will not be just a building, but a guarantee that Burgas families will not be forced to seek treatment for their children far away. This is a cause that was supported by all politicians, citizens, municipal councilors, organizations! I thank them heartily! We have put our heart and efforts into this cause, and today we can proudly say that we are on the verge of something great and good! This is our investment in life, in health, in the future.

This year Burgas made a big leap in education. Our city today confidently occupies a significant place on the educational map and attracts more and more young people. Our Burgas universities – BSU and the State University “Assen Zlatarov” are developing, opening new specialties and attracting more and more students, including foreign ones.

And that's not all! Branches of leading universities are already operating in Burgas! The National Art Academy, Sofia University, the Theater College „Lyuben Groys“, NATFA! We are expecting the National Music Academy, the Mining and Geological University, the University of Forestry. Until a few years ago, it was unthinkable to think that there would be faculties of medicine in Burgas, but here it is a fact! We are awaiting the accreditation of the Faculty of Pharmacy, and we are continuing boldly with the preparation of the documentation for a Faculty of Dental Medicine.

We already have a result from our efforts and the data is categorical! In just two years, the number of students who have chosen Burgas has increased by 20.6%, and nearly 500 foreign students study in the city – something that was difficult to even imagine until recently.

In order to continue this positive trend and attract even more young people, we have started the construction of a modern student campus. On a plot of 26 decares in the new neighborhood „Horizon“ we will build classrooms, a scientific research complex, a sports complex, dormitories for students and teachers. This is an investment in the knowledge and future of Burgas. I believe that in a few years this campus will be filled with youthful energy and ambition, giving an even greater horizon to our city!

What is unattainable for many cities has happened in Burgas! We are one of the few cities with a positive mechanical increase, which means that many people choose to move and connect their lives with Burgas. The number of children in kindergartens and schools is increasing. The number of students is also increasing. Because Burgas attracts!

Of course, growth also brings new challenges! We need to build more nurseries, kindergartens and school buildings. To build new parking spaces and new road connections. To continue investments in sports, in green areas, in a modern urban environment. To work for year-round flights and for better connectivity. To create new industrial zones for business. To attract more people of working age, because the economy needs them.

We do not run away from these challenges, but we take them with responsibility! Because Burgas does not complain, Burgas works!

Connectivity is our key goal! The Northern bypass has already proven its benefit — less traffic, cleaner air, fewer accidents. That is why we are working on the construction of the Southern bypass and a bridge over the lake, which will connect the northern and future southern road arteries. Once we received a refusal from the ecologists, so we failed to build this bridge structure, but we will not give up on it. Because it is important for the people! We will seek the balance — between nature and infrastructure, between preservation and development. There is no other way!

We continue to win territory for the city. This beautiful Burgas of ours is surrounded by water. But in order to develop, it is necessary to literally fill in swamps, to provide land for business or for public functions. That's how we created our industrial park years ago, that's how we are creating the new industrial zone – on an area of 600 decares of swampy terrain, which we will turn into a place for business. Our economy needs people of working age and we want to bring them, to keep them, to give them a perspective.

I cannot help but note with gratitude another fact. During the long months of repairs to replace the water and sewer network in the city, the people of Burgas showed great patience. Yes, there was mud, trenches, difficulties, but this was the price, so that today we do not talk about a water crisis in Burgas. Today, water losses are drastically smaller, and the city is protected from water crises, such as those we saw in other regions. This was hard work, the effectiveness of which is already yielding results.

Culture is the other living pulse of Burgas. The city is applying for the European Capital of Culture. And I believe it deserves it! I see hundreds of children in cultural schools. I see the halls filled with children with sparkling eyes and I know that this city has a future. I see the Youth Cultural Center in „Meden Rudnik“ overflowing. Its construction caused doubts among many people. Today I know: the only mistake was that we didn't build it bigger. Because Burgas has energy that is growing.

Today's holiday is an occasion not only for joy, but also for responsibility. We must be more careful on the road, protect pedestrians, double our efforts for safe traffic. We must expand campaigns for the protection of nature, for separate collection and recycling, for the conversion of waste into energy. We must seek new paths, new ideas, new solutions.

The challenges ahead of us are not small — crises, turbulent times, uncertainty, but the bar must be raised. Tomorrow we must achieve more than today!

And today, on this St. Nicholas Day, I turn with an appeal to all of you: Let our city be brave! Let us not look at fear – but let us look at the horizon. There is no wind that can turn us back, we ourselves must direct it into the sails of Burgas! I believe in this city. I believe in the people of Burgas. And everyone is important. Both the noisy and the quiet. Both the old and the new citizens of Burgas. We are all Burgas!