Children from Bulgarian communities abroad recreate their favourite places in Bulgaria through art

Nearly a thousand children from more than 20 countries have responded to the call of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad to tell in words, brush or song about their favourite place in Bulgaria - where they feel happiest. Recreating the beauty of nature, remarkable places and cultural monuments that have survived over time, they also got in touch with Bulgarian history and the legends of their own nation.

At a ceremony at the National Palace for Children, the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad presented the annual awards in the literature, drawing and song competitions for children and adolescents from Bulgarian communities abroad.

"When in 1994 we founded the literary competition first under the name "Know your own family and language", based on the idea of our great writer Stefan Gechev, we did it with the aim to bring back emotionally to Bulgaria our children abroad - those who were born there or have just left", said the Executive Director of the Agency Rayna Mandzhukova. "They did not choose this path, but their parents, grandparents, in the case of historical communities even distant ancestors, in whose hearts, however, Bulgaria has remained and they have passed this knowledge to their children."

Rayna Mandzhukova says that thanks to the competitions, generations have already been raised who have linked their destiny with Bulgaria.

"The most important thing is not even the theme of the competitions, but the fact that our children abroad have been expressing their love for Bulgaria for 30 years through essays and stories at the beginning, and later through drawings and songs," she adds. "We provoked the children to look back in time and see where their Bulgarian roots lie, what they know about the place where their relatives came from, to search for lost songs in the treasury of their grandparents."

Eight-year-old Boyana Ilieva, who won an incentive prize for painting, comes from the city of Mérida in Mexico.

"I have painted a mummer dancing for the freedom of Bulgaria. I know that Bulgarian mummers dance to make bad things go away. I believe it," she says in fluent Bulgarian, which she speaks with her mother and grandmother.

In Bulgaria, she most enjoys going to Pernik. "Because my great-grandmother's house is there," Boyana continues.

Even though she participates in a drawing contest, the girl's dreams go far beyond the idea of her day passing in front of an easel or computer. She wants to come to Bulgaria when she grows up to work...

An astronaut. Because I really like to count, and when you're an astronaut, you have to count. And because I really like planets and stars. I see the stars every night. I think there are people on a planet and I want to go see. When I meet them, I'll ask them if they want to be my friend. About our Earth, I will tell them that it is very nice here, that all the people speak different languages, but they understand each other."

Dimitra Miteva - 16 years old, student at the Bulgarian Sunday School "St. Kliment Ohridski" in Limassol, Cyprus, has won the second prize in the category "Painting".

"I painted a girl who is supposed to represent Bulgaria," she says. "I'm from Karnobat, but I haven't been back for 6 years and I'm very homesick. Thinking about it, I decided to represent my native land in this drawing. And since Karnobat is part of Burgas region, so I drew the Black Sea too. Most of my relatives are there and have told me stories. I always try to stick to my roots and learn new things about Bulgaria."

The girl spoke with pride about the Bulgarian school in Limassol, which, she said, aims to preserve the Bulgarian spirit and culture.

"New pupils saw my drawing and decided to participate in the competition too," says Dimitra. "I believe that next year even more children will feel the excitement of travelling to Bulgaria. My school helps us to develop spiritually and makes us rejoice in every achievement that will bring us to great heights. In my opinion, over the years we will become one of the best schools in Cyprus and will be heard everywhere."

A graphic designer in her homeland - this is how Dimitra sees her future, "Bulgaria in my dreams is a place where you can show yourself, feel at home because it is our home and our motherland."

Darina Genova, from the Ukrainian village of Orekhovka in the Bolgrad region of Odessa Oblast, has won the hearts of the jury with "Mama's Lesson". Thanks to the words she put into poetic form, which only a loving mother's heart can give birth to, she received the Grand Prix in the literary contest.

The village of Orehovka, also called Pandakli, is the birthplace of a prominent Bulgarian politician from Bulgaria's post-liberation history.

"Pandakli is the birthplace of Alexander Pavlov Malinov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria", says Darina. "I am very proud to be from Orehovka and to have grown up in the village where he was born and lived. There is even a monument in our street in honour of Alexander Malinov. We go there often and put flowers there. Our school bears his name and there is a memorial plaque there."

There is also a Bulgarian school in the village where children study Bulgarian language and literature every week. But now there is a full-scale war in Ukraine and every day the classes are moved to the bomb shelter.

"It's very scary," says Darina. "We often go to Odessa, my mother lives there. Through the windows you can see missiles, planes flying. It was very scary from the beginning. I wanted our family to leave the country, but then we stayed here and we got a little used to it. We are afraid, but we are adapting to the whole military situation. We go to school, and when the sirens go off, we go down to the bomb shelter - several times every day. We keep away from the missiles there, and we have our lessons there. We sing, tell stories, draw."

As if to sweeten the misfortune heaped on the Ukrainian people, Darina makes cakes with iced decorations. And she dreams of one day studying the art of confectionery in Bulgaria.

Photos: Diana Tsankova