The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadjov, presented the awards to the three winners of the national competition “Bulgaria – Land of Wonders.” The ceremony took place yesterday at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre and brought together representatives of state institutions, local authorities, the cultural community, and the media.
The awards for Best Brand were presented to the municipalities of Kardzhali, Shumen and Etropole, honoured for preserving and promoting three invaluable cultural and historical treasures – Perperikon, the Madara Rider, and the Etropole Literary School.
In his address, Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov emphasised that enlightenment is not a profession or a duty, but a choice – to preserve, to create, to share, and to pass the spark forward.
“There are days when Bulgaria falls silent – out of gratitude to those who have awakened it through words and spirit; to those who believe that words can be strength and knowledge – salvation. The first of November is such a day.
The Day of the National Awakeners – the people who seek not fame, but meaning. Today we honour those who turn knowledge into salvation and the spirit into light. Bulgaria is a land of wonders because it keeps its memory alive through those who believe in it,” said Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov.
He noted that the three award-winning sites symbolise the strength, resilience, and spirituality of the Bulgarian people –
Perperikon as “a city of stone and light”, the Madara Rider as “an eternal symbol of the Bulgarian spirit”, and Etropole as “the city of letters and learning”.
“Three wonders, three voices, one mission – to remind us who we are and why we must preserve Bulgaria as we love it,” Karadjov concluded.
