site.btaAwards Presented in Annual Contests of Agency for Bulgarians Abroad

Vice President Iliana Iotova presented the awards to the winners in artistic competitions for children and teenagers from Bulgarian communities abroad, organized by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad every year, her press office said on Wednesday. She said the event is a celebration of talented Bulgarian youths from all over the world. 

This year's essay competition, which has been held for 26 years in a row, was dedicated to the Bulgarian monk Paisii of Hilandar, since the year 2022 marks the 260th anniversary of his book "Slav-Bulgarian History" and his 300th birth anniversary.

The competition is named after the writer, playwright, translator, novelist, and fiction writer Stefan Gechev - one of the rare examples in the history of the 20th century of encyclopedic knowledge of ancient and modern, near and far languages and cultures. Bulgarians from 15 different countries participated with 150 essays in total. 

Over 120 Bulgarian children and youth from 11 countries took part in the 12th edition of the folk song competition named after Lyubka Rondova.

A total of 205 works were submitted by participants from 16 countries in the 21st edition of the drawing competition.

Iotova thanked the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and confirmed the support of the presidential institution for their work with Bulgarians abroad.

An extract from the essay of 15-year-old Adelina Hristova from Ukraine was read out at the ceremony, in which she thanked the Bulgarian people and the presidential institution for their support in this difficult time for her country.