Nearly 70 children are educated in the Bulgarian Sunday School in Istanbul, and this year 17 first graders cross its threshold. The official start of the new school year was given today by the Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev and the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Galin Tsokov.
„This is one of the most emotional events I have ever attended - because of the foreign-language environment in which you work and because of the great successes you achieve,' said Minister Miloshev. He wished the Sunday school team a successful year and emphasized the role of Sunday schools abroad.
„Bulgaria has so many beautiful places and ancient history to show. Visit Bulgaria at every possible moment. Be healthy, be brave and always carry the homeland in your hearts", said Minister Miloshev.
„This school is the successor of an institution that trained a number of Bulgarian educators, that is why I am very excited to be here today," said Prof. Galin Tsokov, Minister of Education. He emphasized that the Sunday school is still achieving a number of successes and drew attention to the project implemented by him under the National Program of the Ministry of Education and Culture - “Untold stories of the Bulgarians". Within its framework, students took on the role of researchers and collected data on the contribution of Bulgarians to the development of sports in Turkey. “This is the future not only of Sunday, but also of Bulgarian education - for children to create, to apply their skills in practice and to be personally involved in what is happening in class," emphasized Minister Tsokov.
The school educates children and students from preschool to 6th grade. It functions at the General Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in Istanbul and bears the name "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" - as the first Bulgarian school was called, opened in 1857 in Constantinople and existed for 116 years.
The two ministers presented the school with tablets, as well as a multimedia projector, on which to present interactive lessons and project educational materials about Bulgaria. The Ministry of Education and Culture also provides a number of student aids and books for the educational activities in it, MT donated Encyclopedias for the school library, and the Minister of Sports donated aids for their sports activities.
„The new year always brings hope for something better. Hopefully together we will achieve it and our children will learn the Bulgarian language, Bulgarian history and Bulgarian geography even better", wished the Consul General of Bulgaria in Istanbul Vasil Valchev.
The MES supports organizationally, methodologically and financially two Bulgarian Sunday schools in the Republic of Turkey - to our diplomatic missions in Istanbul and Edirne, in which more than 120 children are educated. In them, they study the Bulgarian language, as well as the history and geography of our country, organized as training courses. Many of the children are also involved in additional activities - music, folklore and fine arts. The school in Istanbul is housed in the building of the Bulgarian Exarchate of the Foundation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Churches.
Earlier in the day, the two ministers also attended the solemn liturgy on the occasion of Cross Day in the Iron Church “St. Great Martyr and Archdeacon Stefan", which was also attended by Elena Shestakova, the oldest graduate of the Bulgarian school in Istanbul. At the end of it, Minister Miloshev presented the Bulgarian church with a Gospel in silver fittings, and on the day of the Epiphany he sent a message to meet the challenges with faith in the souls and love for Bulgaria, as our forefathers who founded this church had.
Minister Tsokov presented the church with an icon of St. Ivan Rilski reminded that every year the Ministry of Education and Culture honors school principals for outstanding contribution to the development of education with an award established in the name of the saint. “We chose this icon because this temple has a special place in the history of Bulgarians. And it is sacred both from the point of view of our religion and for the spread of knowledge throughout the Bulgarian lands. And since the icon to a large extent also symbolizes this strong connection between Orthodoxy and education, I hope it will remain in this spiritual center", pointed out Minister Tsokov.
In the church of “St. Stefan" a funeral prayer was also held in memory of the fallen Bulgarian pilots Major Petko Dimitrov and Senior Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin from the Air Force.