Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

"Cultural Alternative Tsaribrod" motivates Bulgarians in Serbia to write in their native language

Photo: Ivan Gergov

Earlier this week the parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad examined the case of the association "Cultural Alternative Tsaribrod" - a Bulgarian organization in the Serbian town of Tsaribrod (or Dimitrovgrad), which publishes a cultural magazine in Bulgarian, publishing both Bulgarian authors from the Bulgarian minority in Serbia and translating Serbian authors into Bulgarian. ‎

‎"We invited the representatives of the "Cultural Alternative Tsaribrod" association because I believe that there should be more and more such initiatives of Bulgarian communities abroad. Because Bulgarian culture abroad is slowly dying out and the Bulgarian state is not doing enough. We can do this as a commission, and I expect a more serious initiative from the executive branch," Stoyan Taslakov, chairman of the Commission for Policies for Bulgarians Abroad, told Radio Bulgaria. ‎


The idea is to have funding for cultural activities and for the National Assembly to vote on a budget for such initiatives annually, and not to have uncertainty until the last moment, as is the case now, the MP added. ‎

"It is important to have the support of the Bulgarian state so that we can work on the cause of preserving our identity. The language is the most important - and how to preserve and promote it," Taslakov added. ‎

The chairperson of the Cultural Alternative Tsaribrod Association Iva Simeonova (in the middle)
‎"It is very important that Bulgarians in Serbia have such a platform through our magazine, so that they can publish their works in Bulgarian. This also motivates them to write in their mother tongue. Because otherwise they would turn to the Serbian language, which was a process that is still ongoing. Now there are already young authors writing in Bulgarian, which is a very good trend," Iva Simeonov, the chairman of the "Cultural Alternative Tsaribrod" association, told Radio Bulgaria.


Photos: Ivan Gergov, BGNES
English version: R. Petkova


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Students at the Vasil Aprilov Bulgarian Sunday School in the USA discover the art of the master

Students from the Vasil Aprilov Bulgarian Sunday School in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, learned about the life and art of Vladimir Dimitrov – the Master, BTA reports. During the lesson, the children viewed various paintings by the Master and then..

published on 6/26/25 1:57 PM

Will Bulgaria remain the EU country with the lowest fuel prices after the adoption of the Euro?

Bulgaria is the country with the lowest prices of basic fuels in the EU – petrol and diesel, data show. Yet, as the date of the expected adoption of the single European currency, the Euro, as of 1 January next year draws nearer, people’s fears seem to..

updated on 6/26/25 11:07 AM
Yana Todorova

Hiring remote teachers can help Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad

Yana Todorova is a tour guide and teacher. Since 2019, she has been a member of the Association of Tour Guides in Bulgaria, but has been working as such since 2006. She uses every opportunity to do so today, especially within the framework of the..

published on 6/25/25 11:27 AM