Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

104-year-old Yummyush Adilova from Bulgarian village of Madrevo and her secrets of longevity

The oldest resident in the municipality of Kubrat Yummyush Adil from the village of Madrevo, has marked her 104th birthday.

"Our mother was born back in 1916, during the Balkan War, in a poor family that subsisted on agriculture. She has experienced wars, famine, poverty and difficulties.Together with my father she was sent to do apprentice work and also worked as a shepherd. After my mother became a widow before she turned 50, she had to raise her four children on her own. She decided to give me for adoption, but the family I grew up with did not separate me from my brothers for a moment and I am very grateful to them,”her son Muharrem told Radio Bulgaria.

After losing two of her sons, today Grandma Yummyush enjoys the attention of her other two sons, daughters-in-law, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

The centenarian is in good health and never misses elections. Perhaps one of the secrets of her longevity lies in hard work. She spent her entire life working in agriculture. Proximity to the earth, a positive attitude towards life and the difficulties she overcame along her path seem to be the key to the high spirits of Yummyush Adil. Otherpeople in the villagesay she is a good neighbor and advisor and speak of her with much respect.

"She receives a very low pension, but my brother Ramadan takes very good care of her," Muharrem told us, adding: “For her birthday she received flowers and greetings from the mayors of Kubrat and our village and we offered her our presents and wishes for good health. She was extremely happy with these gestures of attention."

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: private library

More from category

New online platform helps Bulgarians returning from abroad settle more quickly back home

There is no exact statistic on the number of Bulgarians living abroad, but a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from last year indicates that around 2.8 million Bulgarians are living outside the country . According to the 2021 population census..

published on 11/6/24 12:16 PM

WWF Bulgaria is launching donation campaign "Subscribe to Nature"

The nature protection organization WWF - Bulgaria is launching a campaign entitled "Subscribe to Nature".  The disappearance of wild animals is a series in which we play the main role. In less than one human lifetime, 73% of vertebrates in..

published on 11/6/24 10:56 AM

Antarctica is the engine of climate change

The Embassy of France and the French Cultural Institute brought together scientists to present their experience and the scientific challenges in Antarctica, as well as the fight against climate change. Partners of the event were the..

published on 11/4/24 12:35 PM