The Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev brothers, the wealthiest people in the Balkans in the end of the 19th c. were also the biggest donators in the history of Bulgaria. The Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, the oldest and most respected university in this country was built up with their money, along with several hospitals, students’ maintenance abroad, funds left to education etc. Evlogi Georgiev gifted to his native town of Karlovo the textile factory, constructed with his funding, as the incomes were aimed at the local school board. Besides that the two brothers’ actions served as an impetus to other rich patriots living abroad.

Dignified persons will receive the awards in their name – people, who have devoted their life and deeds to the spheres of education, business and charity. Chair of the awards’ initiative committee Hristo Tuchev motivates the need of such initiatives like that:

“It is worth talking about these things. The focus on everyday life dullness should be moved to more serious values that could give proper results, regarding the prosperity of this nation. The more complicated thing over the nomination process is to make them agree, as some of them refused and they all said: “What we do is not for any award”. These people live with their idealistic goals and they are even embarrassed to be mentioned and discussed publically.”

Is it easy to find nowadays Bulgarians with deeds, comparable to those of the Georgiev brothers?

“It is not easy, but there are still such people and the society somehow lacks the sensitivity to see them, omitting their good deeds. Focused on details, we miss the actions of great people, living among us today… Now the nominees: Prof. Minko Balkanski in the Education category. He has numerous orders, Bulgarian and international, he is a lecturer at 34 universities, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne and establisher of the Academy of Sciences in India. Thanks to his foundation in Bulgaria laureats at international mathematics, informatics and physics contests get their promotion at the most prestigious French school – Ecole Normale Superieure, which turns them into real scientists… Prof. Grigor Gorchev is another nominee – he established robotized surgery in Bulgaria, creating also an educational center. Prof. Hristo Glushkov is also a nominee – he is a researcher of the life and deed of the Georgiev brothers. Next, the Donation Category: Ivan Stanchov – a diplomat and Maecenas who donated his family property, in order to establish the Karin Dom center for children care in Varna. Ivan Anev is the greatest donator of the Bulgarian Red Cross. The society is unaware of his existence, but he donated his family property and the heritage of his wife to the tune of over EUR 250,000 to 9 hospitals where life-saving equipment was purchased. The Zhelev family from Dobrich is also nominated – they donated all blood money for the death of their daughter in a railway incident to the Sofia University, the schools and kindergartens where their daughter had studied.  Hristo Tenchev and Svetlin Nakov are nominated in the Business Category: they established the Software University with 22,000 graduates so far and now working with the software industry. Those two created a new business model, as far as university education is concerned. Vasil Terziev is one of the founders of the most successful Bulgarian companies, sold for USD 260 mln. last year and boosting right now. All these people are an example that we must see and follow…”

The award ceremony will take place on May 24 at the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev