Bulgarians first set foot to Moldova more than 200 years ago. It was during the Ottoman rule. At the time many Bulgarians sought refuge outside their homeland and found it in Bessarabia.

This was also the case with the family of Dimitar Borimechkov – a poet, public figure and intellectual. Borimechkov is a member of the numerous Bulgarian community in the Republic of Moldova.

He was born on May 1, 1949, in Taraclia. "This is my hometown, this is my small homeland" - he says and continues to tell about his ancestors.

"The forefather of our lineage is Petko Iliev Borimechko. He has fought with a bear and has won, as a result of which was his nickname "Bori mechka" (fights with a bear). That's where our surname comes from - Borimechkovi.

Ever since their migration from the Balkans to Budzhak, the Bessarabian Bulgarians found common grounds with the locals. We are friends, we help each other. Bulgarians have not faced conflicts and problems - neither political, nor ethnicity based. To this day, we live in the Republic of Moldova and we are perceived as their own, as a national minority that makes up just over 3% of the population."

Dimitar Borimechkov has visited Bulgaria many times. He also has many friends here and does not hide that he misses his ancestral homeland. When asked what his friends in Bulgaria are like, he answers like this:

"Many are my friends, both by blood and spirit. My friends from Bulgaria saw me as a person who is interested in his homeland, in its culture, art and history.When I was with them, they used to say to me: 'Mitya, you are our guest, but you know more about Bulgaria than we do.'

They treated me with great respect. At first they didn't understand how we were so different from them. For example, my ancestors had lived in Bulgaria, moved over here to Moldova and embraced the local culture and language. We have the same blood, but spiritually we differ. The main differences lie in the language, it is purer here, there are not so many borrowed words from Turkish and English. But in "our" Bulgarian language there are many Russian words. Yet I personally consider Bulgaria my first homeland - where my ancestors came from. I feel at home both here and there".

"Homeland is where your soul is," concludes Dimitar Borimechkov.

You can learn more about him in the third episode of Radio Bulgaria's video series "Time to Talk" on the Bulgarian National Radio's YouTube channel. On the platform, you can choose subtitles in the language you prefer.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova