Balgarianovinite.com Celebrations marking the 205th anniversary of the birth of Georgi Sava Rakovski and the patron holiday of Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School began on Tuesday in Bolhrad, Ukraine, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to the Bulgarian freedom fighter.
The ceremony took place in front of the school’s main entrance and was attended by Bulgaria’s Consul General in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Executive Director Raina Mandzhukova, MusicAutor Chief Executive Officer Ivan Dimitrov, Sofia University Rector Georgi Valchev, Izmail State University of Humanities Rector Yaroslav Kichuk, and G.S. Rakovski Bolhrad High School Principal Snezhana Skorich.
The name of Georgi Sava Rakovski unites generations connected to the Bulgarian community in Bessarabia, Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School Principal Snezhana Skorich said.
“Georgi Rakovski is a name that unites all of us, all those who are with Bolhrad High School every day, with heart and soul. Be worthy descendants of Georgi Rakovski and of all Bulgarian Revival figures who left their mark on history,” Skorich said.
Skorich highlighted the role of Bolhrad High School as a centre of education and spirituality that has contributed to the formation of generations of Bulgarian public figures. In her address to the students, Skorich expressed pride in their achievements and confidence in their future.
The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School is a small centre of knowledge outside Bulgaria, where the flame of Bulgarian education has been burning for 168 years, Bulgaria’s Consul General in Odesa Svetoslav Ivanov said. Founded in 1858 in Bolhrad, Bessarabia, it is the oldest Bulgarian Revival school established outside modern Bulgaria. It was created to serve Bulgarian settlers who had fled Ottoman rule and wanted their children educated in their native language. Over time, the school became a key cultural and educational centre for Bessarabian Bulgarians.
Despite facing periods of repression, when Bulgarian language instruction was restricted or banned under Russian, Romanian, and Soviet rule, the school managed to preserve Bulgarian identity. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, Bulgarian teaching was restored. Today, after several years of efforts by diplomats from the Consulate General in Odesa and the embassy in Kyiv, as well as the Bulgarian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, a new agreement on the Bolhrad Lyceum was signed in Kyiv on March 30. The agreement preserves its status as a school providing education up to grades 11 and 12 and ensures enhanced teaching of the Bulgarian language in upper grades, Ivanov said.
At a ceremony held as part of the anniversary celebrations, fifth graders from the Bolhrad High School took a ceremonial oath and were initiated as high school students. The classes were welcomed with applause from students, teachers, parents and guests. The ceremony symbolizes the students’ inclusion in the school community. A symbolic “flame of knowledge” was presented, traditionally passed from older students to the new ones as a sign of continuity. Class teachers lit candles, which the students accepted as a symbol of their pursuit of knowledge. At the end of the ceremony, the school’s principal congratulated the newly initiated students and presented them with certificates, wishing them success in their educational journey.
A new school anthem was recorded as part of the Svetilnik (Candlelight) 2025/2026 initiative, to mark the anniversary. The recording involved students and parents, following weeks of preparation. The anthem, titled “Forward, Our Bolhrad High School,” was created by composer Ivo Metodiev Terziev and lyricist Irina Dekova, and selected for its message promoting moral values, respect for teachers, and Bulgarian cultural identity. The Svetilnik initiative aims to support Bulgarian schools, in Bulgaria and abroad, by creating original songs that help preserve national identity through music.
The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) opened its 45th national press club in Bolhrad, Ukraine, to strengthen ties with the Bulgarian community and support a new school-based media center at the Georgi Rakovski High School. The initiative, backed by Bulgarian institutions, aims to promote journalism, improve access to information, and preserve cultural identity among Bulgarians in Ukraine.
BTA will provide training, support news production, and create opportunities for students, including internships in Bulgaria, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said. The project reflects growing media attention to the region and is part of broader efforts to support Bulgarian-language education and community development.
The opening, held on the anniversary of the school’s patron, Valchev added, highlights both the legacy and importance of investing in young people, while also symbolizing solidarity with Bulgarians in Ukraine during challenging times. Bolhrad High School’s Patron Holiday Celebrations 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-14 17:20:26 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