Balgarianovinite.com The Consulate General of Bulgaria in Munich hosted a formal reception on Friday on the occasion of the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature – May 24. The event, held at the Sudetendeutsches Haus in the Bavarian capital, was dedicated to the Bulgarian Sunday schools within the consular district of the Consulate General in Munich – the provinces of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg – as well as to their principals, teachers, students, parents and donors.
The official guests included Bulgaria’s Consul General in Munich Stefan Ionkov, President’s Secretary for Culture, Education and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad Milena Dimitrova, Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA) Executive Director Raina Mandzhukova, and Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony.
Consul General Stefan Ionkov underlined that the Bulgarian school abroad is not merely a place of education – it is a place of belonging. “A place where children not only learn the Bulgarian language, but also feel their connection to Bulgaria,” he added. “May 24 is a celebration that every Bulgarian carries within themselves – through the first letters they wrote, through the first poems they learned… But here, outside Bulgaria, this celebration has an even deeper meaning. Because here the Bulgarian language is not something taken for granted. It is preserved through effort, perseverance and love – in the family, in the school, in the classroom and in community celebrations,” Ionkov said.
EABA Executive Director Raina Mandzhukova stressed that the Bulgarian school abroad is not something to be taken for granted. “It is precisely the schools that instil in our children a love for the language, for the written word and for the alphabet,” she said. She also noted that state institutions have an important role in supporting Bulgarian communities and schools abroad. According to her, Ionkov has managed in a short time to unite the Bulgarian community in Southern Germany.
President’s Secretary for Culture, Education and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad Milena Dimitrova stressed the importance of language as the foundation of Bulgarian identity, especially for Bulgarians abroad. She added that it is precisely the written word that connects Bulgarians around the world – regardless of whether they live in Germany, France, the United States or another country. Dimitrova also highlighted the role of community centres as a Bulgarian institution preserving spirituality and cultural memory.
Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony said that May 24 is not only a celebration of the alphabet, but also a celebration of the spirit. “A celebration of that sacred word through which a people finds its voice, its memory and its dignity. Our alphabet is more than a script – it is a blessing and a covenant. Through it, our ancestors preserved their faith, culture and national identity through centuries of trials. Through it, Bulgaria today also bears witness before the world that our people do not live by bread alone, but also by the written word, education and spirituality,” he added.
Following the official greetings, the cultural programme continued with choral and musical performances by singer Anna-Maria Zhivkov and students from Munich’s two Bulgarian schools – Paisii Hilendarski and Dora Gabe.
During the reception, donations from a charitable initiative were presented to support 16 Bulgarian Sunday schools in Southern Germany with books, educational materials and equipment. The schools received Bulgarian children’s libraries with books provided with the support of the Bulgarian Book Association and Bulgarian publishing houses, laptops provided with the support of Bulgarian company Lirex BG, educational boards provided by Prosveta Publishing House, and teaching aids provided by KLETT. Bulgarian Consulate General in Munich Hosts Reception Celebrating May 24 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-16 07:20:21 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