Is there Russian propaganda in Bulgarian schools and what does an investigation by BNT show, commented on “The Network“ on the program “Hristo Botev“ Maya Dimitrova, a journalist at BNT, author of the investigation.
"Actually, I did not expect that the problem is so widespread in the Bulgarian education system. This is a process that, in my opinion, began to develop around 2013 and has now encompassed the entire education system, because while I was looking at various online sources on various Russian websites and documents, I came across a conclusion in various reports that said that fewer and fewer people in Bulgaria speak Russian, young people no longer know Russian culture, older people are leaving, and some measures must be taken to reverse this process so that their cultural influence here in the country does not decline so drastically.
Then, in 2013-2014, in my opinion, their cultural operation in Bulgaria began, mass funding of various projects with Bulgarian cultural institutions, schools, community centers, libraries, and external foundations that organize events related to Russian culture began. Just a mass presence, which, let's say, before the war in Ukraine, did not make such an impression, since Russia is not perceived so negatively, not as an aggressor country. There is a clip from the school in Sevlievo of Bulgarian children, students, dressed in Russian military uniforms, hats with five-pointed stars and St. George ribbons and glorifying Russia. Let's say, this was before the war, in 2021.
But this year, on the occasion of May 9, there was a rather large offensive by the Russian Embassy
to have various Bulgarian students participate in its channels on social networks. Again Bulgarian children, again in military uniforms, reciting different things. This is happening through the participation of both teachers and parents. And this is already now, when the war in Ukraine is a fact. In the Telegram channels of the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria, of the Russian Cultural Center, there are clips with Bulgarian students and such young children, under the age of 10, with St. George ribbons, reciting in Russian. And no one reacts to this.
As far as I understand, the ministry itself does not find any signs of propaganda in Bulgarian schools by Russia. They will simply ban one competition now, remove it from the calendar, but there are other competitions. And the problem with these competitions is that they are included in the National Official Calendar of Student Competitions, of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education itself, which means that they are recommended for participation by every Bulgarian school, i.e. the Ministry, through the education inspectorates, sends information about these competitions to the children who can participate, i.e. it's as if it has the blessing of the Bulgarian state."
What's so disturbing about the competitions
"The organizers of these competitions until the war in Ukraine were quite officially under the patronage of the Russian Embassy. After the war began, probably out of courtesy, the Russian Embassy was removed from the list of organizers, but the others who are there have clear ties to Russia."
"This site has existed in Bulgarian, at least according to what I found, maybe since August. I didn't find any journalists, names, nothing. There are no names of Bulgarian authors. Nobody signs the publications."
How is it financed
"What is clear from the site is that a company is behind a company registered in Cyprus, which is already affiliated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is, however, affiliated with the Russian Patriarchate, i.e. not the Independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They are two churches, they have very similar names there, so it always has to be clarified.
There are publications on this site that defend a certain ideology. How should we introduce traditional values into society and the media, religion in schools."
Actually, two things should worry us
"That there is no one who has signed these materials and that there are clearly connections with the Russian state. At least according to the site, that is how it turns out in practice. The people we found to be connected have clear ties to Russia.
The site appeared in Bulgaria after the death of Patriarch Neophyte. Maybe two or three months later. But it has existed in other languages for at least 10 years. First it was in Ukraine, where it has already been banned. It also exists in other countries in Eastern Europe. And now in Bulgaria."