ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Related
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Society of Banat Bulgarians celebrates 55 years since its establishment

Banat Bulgarians in folk costumes. The second person from right to left is Mikhail Shipkov.
Photo: Gyuro Lavrov's private archive

On this date, 55 years ago, the first Society of Banat Bulgarians in Bulgaria was established. It was born due to the enthusiasm and ambition of the heir of the Bulgarians from Vinga, Mikhail Shipkov, born in 1919 in the Bulgarian village of Asenovo near the town of Pleven, Northern Bulgaria.

The society was established as a "patriotic organization" uniting the Banat Bulgarians and their descendants in Sofia. Its goal was to maintain close ties with the compatriot groups in Bulgaria in order to preserve the traditional way of life and culture and the Banat Bulgarian self-identity. 

After the death of Mikhail Shipkov in 1996, the society's activities ceased. In 2007, its operation was resumed via the registration of a new society which was the successor of the old one. Its leader became Svetlana Karadzova, which gradually led to uniting the activity of the society and the Falmis concept born in 1998 of the first printed edition of Banat Bulgarians in Bulgarian "FALMIS-Uvec falim" (from the Catholic greeting "Laudater Jesus Christus!", Falmis is based on the abbreviation of this greeting).

In 2016, a dance group "Falmis" was created as part of the organization. It brings the descendants of the Banat Bulgarians in the capital close to the Banat Bulgarian folklore, but also gladly accepts friends and admirers from near and far as members.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria History and religion    Banat Banat Bulgarians Bulgarians Falmis Foundation folklore Mikhail Shipkov Vinga

More from category

Patriarch Daniil: In peace with God and with our neighbours, let us work together for our salvation

Patriarch Danil of Bulgaria, Metropolitan of Sofia, greeted the faithful with the joyful words "Christ is risen!"  In his Easter message, he called on Orthodox Christians to share the extraordinary joy of heaven with the world through a life of light and..

published on 4/20/25 7:15 AM
Father Paolo Cortesi

Father Cortesi: More and more people from all Christian Churches are working for unity

On 20 April, all Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Against the backdrop of our divided and troubled world, Catholics, together with Orthodox Christians, Armenians and Protestants, will send a message of hope and share the joy of the..

published on 4/19/25 12:35 PM

On Holy Saturday, Christ descends into hell to save the righteous

Holy Saturday services begin on Friday evening with Vespers. The Church commemorates the burial of Christ the Saviour and His descent into hell to save the righteous who had died before His work of redemption. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, with..

published on 4/19/25 5:10 AM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 34
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 39
Partly Cloudy
Min: 22 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 19 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 19 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 39
Partly Cloudy
Min: 15 | Max: 38
Partly Cloudy
Min: 19 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 39
Partly Cloudy
Min: 14 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 40
Clear
Min: 21 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 22 | Max: 41
Clear
Min: 25 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 21 | Max: 38
Partly Cloudy
Min: 14 | Max: 34
Partly Cloudy
Min: 23 | Max: 36
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 40
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 38
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 40
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 39
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 39
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

Archaeologists discover a gold coin from the time of Emperor Justinian I

A gold coin minted during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire, was discovered during excavations at the Tuida Fortress..

published on 6/25/25 9:11 AM

Bulgarians' traditional costumes from the Romanian village of Băleni-Sârbi featured in an ethnographic catalogue

An album showcasing traditional folk costumes from the seven regions of the Wallachia area in Romania was presented at the Giurgiu County Museum. The..

published on 6/26/25 5:10 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"