"Through the Doors of Time" – 190 years of innovative spirit inspiring the students of the Aprilov National High School

Generations of Bulgarians have studied in the prominent Gabrovo-based school, the successor to the first secular school in Bulgaria

published on 1/13/25 4:35 PM

Author: Joan Kolev

Photo: nag-school.org

The Aprilov National High School in the beautiful Bulgarian town of Gabrovo nestled in the foot of the Balkan Range celebrates its 190th anniversary in 2025. Following in the traditions of the Gabrovo Mutual School – the first secular school in Bulgaria which opened its doors on January 14 (January 2, old style) 1835, the high school currently has over 600 students.

Vasil Aprilov and Bulgaria’s secular education

Numerous events will mark this important anniversary for the city and the country, not only on the date of the patron saint's holiday, but also throughout the current year. The initiatives are held under the motto "Through the Doors of Time":

"We celebrate this day with a solemn ritual and a program of cultural events, an initiative of the school", we learn from the school principal Elvira Hristova. "Emblematic over the past 14 years is the intellectual game "Aprilov's Code", in which teams of students solve a series of puzzles around the building that bring one of the teams closer to the so-called code, which is a scroll with an Old Bulgarian text, in which fragments of the testament of Vasil Aprilov are written. This year's edition will be special, as the mentors of the student teams will be important public figures."

The game is a collection of questions and tasks in all school subjects, but above all those in the field of humanities, which is the profile of the school. In addition, this year, with the assistance of the high school, two publications of exceptional value for the educational institution will be printed:

"The humanitarian collection of student work "Dennitsa" was first published in 1991 at the initiative of the teaching staff. The name of the publication is taken from the "Dennitsa of New Bulgarian Education" written by Vasil Aprilov, and it contains student texts that have received awards from conferences, literary and historical seminars or have been awarded at various competitions and readings. So far, there have been 18 editions of this collection, and this year we are preparing the 19th edition, which will appear on the eve of the Day of the National Enlighteners - November 1. At the end of the calendar year, the latest history of the school is expected to be published, entitled "History of the Gabrovo School from 1835 to 1871" and the Gabrovo High School from 1872."

The publication has been prepared for two years in partnership with the State Archives, the Regional Library and the National Library "St. St. Cyril and Methodius".

Within the framework of the Vasil Aprilov Days of Culture, in May, in the ritual hall of the Municipality, a reconstruction of a meeting of the Municipal Council of the city, known by the nickname "the Bulgarian Manchester", due to the many factories and Bulgarian homeland-loving entrepreneurs in the post-liberation period of our country, is planned:

"The students will prepare a proposal for erecting a monument to our first director Raycho Karolev, because there is none in the town so far. It will include an ideological concept, historical research and a financial plan and will be submitted during the academic session of the Municipal Council. The practice of open lessons dedicated to historical or literary knowledge is extremely successful."

The cooperation of the high school with the Drama Theater in Gabrovo has been extremely intensive in recent years. In 2023, the students are preparing an entire performance and this is becoming a tradition for the following classes.

"The students are preparing it themselves, without the intervention of a teacher. That is why we sought the professional support of the theater director and he not only provides us with the stage, but also participates in the final preparation and shaping of the performance. It is curious that 30 years ago the school had a Theater and Art class and I am glad that the newest generation of students is restoring that time."

Among the prominent graduates of the high school who today actively participate in the public life of the country is the political scientist Hristo Panchugov. He defines as one of the memorable moments of his studies there the return of the building of the educational institution, since for a certain period the emblematic school for Gabrovo was housed in the building of the local Mathematics High School.

Museum of Education in Gabrovo – the only functioning museum dedicated entirely to education

"And in fact, after numerous protests on our part and with the efforts of the director and teachers of the high school, we managed to agree to be moved to the original building, which at that time was the National Museum of Education. The last years of my studies there were in the building in the center of Gabrovo, behind the monument to Vasil Aprilov. A completely new wing of the building was also built so that it could accommodate all the students."

In 1992, the successor to the first secular school in Bulgaria received the status of a state school and its current name – National Aprilov High School and its western wing continues to house the Museum of Education. Thus, the past and the future intersect in the very geographical center of Bulgaria, where education and entrepreneurship have always been the highest value. In this sense, Hristo Panchugov’s wish to the current teachers and students of the Aprilov National High School is also:

“I wish them to preserve the spirit that has been in this building since the very beginning – a spirit of innovation and a desire for social changes that will prepare the public for everything that is to come.”