Balgarianovinite.com Historians, archivists, literature teachers and students took part in a discussion entitled “Pencho Slaveykov Today”, held at BTA’s National Press Club in Vratsa, Northwestern Bulgaria. The event is part of the Bulgarian News Agency’s initiative marking the 160th anniversary of the poet’s birth. The discussion was moderated by Associate Professor Yordan Eftimov, who said that talking about Pencho Slaveykov also means talking about cultural heritage, modernism, secondary education and the way Bulgarian literary classics are taught.
Neli Stoyanova of the Vratsa Regional History Museum outlined the ties between the Slaveykov family and the city. She presented the work of Petko Slaveykov (Pencho’s father) and Pencho’s brother Ivan Slaveykov, both of whom worked in Vratsa and made a significant contribution to the development of education there. According to Stoyanova, some of the practices introduced during Ivan Slaveykov’s time as a teacher, including the main school register and regulations governing school life and relations, remain in use today.
Historian and curator Maya Antova of the Vratsa Regional History Museum spoke about Professor Boris Yotsov, a native of Vratsa and one of the earliest and most thorough scholars of Pencho Slaveykov’s work. She noted that Yotsov drew a clear distinction between the poet’s writings before and after his departure for Germany, arguing that his literary horizons broadened there. Antova also drew attention to the memorial address delivered by Professor Yotsov on the twentieth anniversary of Slaveykov’s death.
Yoanna Petrova, head of the State Archives Department in Vratsa, presented another scholar of the poet, Zdravko Dafinov. She discussed his book devoted to Pencho Slaveykov’s life, personal tragedy and literary legacy. According to Petrova, the book is grounded in extensive archival research and has a strong documentary character. She also noted that Dafinov was a pioneer in Bulgarian librarianship and is regarded as one of the founders of modern library science in Bulgaria.
Iskra Isaeva, a Bulgarian language and literature teacher at Vasil Kanchov Secondary School in Vratsa, argued that the school curriculum does not do justice to Pencho Slaveykov, as students study only three of his works during their education. In her view, this fragmented approach prevents them from developing a comprehensive understanding of his writing, making it all the more important to spark their interest in both the author and his works.
Asked how students perceive Pencho Slaveykov, Isaeva shared the opinion of one of her students, twelfth-grader Ina Boncheva.
“Discussing the texts in class together with the teacher helps students see the bigger picture. In this way, we discover for ourselves the essence of what has been written.”Another twelfth-grade student, Aleksandra Tsvetkova, said that “in today’s world of superficial information, his pursuit of depth and quality is more relevant than ever.”
Twelfth-grader Darislav Krastev also contributed an original interpretation of Cis moll. As a pianist, he approached the work from a musical perspective and said that its title had prompted him to read it.
“As you probably know, cis moll means C-sharp minor – a minor tonality that transitions into a major one.”In his view, Pencho Slaveykov is a writer who “looks into the human soul” and explores how people respond when overcoming obstacles.
Pencho Slaveykov remains relevant to today’s students through his philosophical reflections on suffering, freedom of spirit and the power of art, said Diana Nikolcheva, a Bulgarian language and literature teacher at Hristo Botev Secondary School in Vratsa. She described the philosophical poem Cis moll as one of the works through which students reach the deepest ideas in Slaveykov’s writing.
The “Pencho Slaveykov Today” initiative is being held at all 33 of BTA’s national press clubs across Bulgaria. The first discussion took place in the poet’s hometown of Tryavna on April 27, marking the 160th anniversary of his birth. Similar events have since been held in Samokov, Kazanlak, Stara Zagora, Kyustendil, Pernik, Haskovo, Pazardzhik, Kardzhali, Smolyan, Plovdiv, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven, Svishtov, Ruse, Blagoevgrad, Petrich, Gotse Delchev, Vidin and Montana. Historians, Archivists, Teachers and Students Discuss Pencho Slaveykov’s Legacy and Contemporary Relevance in Vratsa 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-21 19:44:33 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law