History of the “Seliminski Center”
The Bulgarian community in Athens has already been shaped up at the close of the 20th and the dawn of the 21st century by publishing its own newspapers and creating informational sites. At about 2010 the first Bulgarian cultural associations have been registered as Greek legal entities, aiming at organizing educational activities for those who aspire to learn Bulgarian language and civilization. «Ivan Seliminski» Culture Center, known by the name «Hellenic – Bulgarian Cultural Association – Seliminski Center» dates back from that period, having as specific vision and activities aimed at the cultural convergence between Bulgarian and Greek people as well as developing collaboration and friendship, and contributing for Bulgarian people’s integration in the Greek community. Since 2011 a Sunday School «Paisyi Hilendarski» has been functioning under the aegis of the association, which later has been named «Prepodobni Raisyi Hilendarski», having the purpose to recognize the contribution of the significant revivalist for creating the Bulgarian identity, as well as to honor his sacred personality, surpassing the scope of a distinguished world figure. Many renowned personalities in the cultural sphere, representatives of the Greek and Bulgarian communities – writers, interpreters, historians, artists, actors and lawyers were among the founders and the members of the association as well as the teachers’ staff. Other older and newer Bulgarian cultural associations disposing of Sunday schools have been founded at the same time, for instance: «Kiril and Metodyi» Sunday School at «Buditeli» Association, a second “Paisyi Hilendarski” School and ABV – School Academy at the respective newly-founded associations.
Following its vision of cultural convergence of the two nations, Seliminski Center have been constantly seeking collaboration in the Greek capital and elsewhere. Shortly after the association has succeeded to found a second Sunday school «Prepodobni Paisyi Hilendarski» in the island of Crete, where a significant number of Bulgarians live and work. Thus, in the village of Gerani in 2013 the first Bulgarian school on the island has opened and during the first years of its existence has gathered up to 80-90 students in the different grades.
During the years of the severe economic crisis in the country of 2018-2019 the Hellenic – Bulgarian Center «Seliminski» also has experienced its crisis. During this period the association decided to announce as a patron of both Sunday schools in Athens and Crete – Vasil Levski – the Apostle of freedom. This decision abides with the search for collaboration and convergence between the Bulgarian Sunday schools in Athens, which has led to the informal decision: each school to organize an annual celebration with the participation of the rest of the schools.
By decision of the Management Board the Association changed its management, thus confirming and developing its vision. Soon enough Seliminski Center not only proved its existence but also deployed larger scale of activities. In 2020 the first school at Seliminski center founded a subsidiary branch in the town of Navplio and respectively in 2023 – a second branch in the town of Kalamata.
In December 2021 teachers from the Sunday schools of the Association took part in the Second Balkan Forum under the name “Strategies for learning Bulgarian language in foreign language enviromment”, which was held in Athens on initiative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science and was organized in collaboration with the Bulgarian Embassy and the Bulgarian Sunday schools in the Greek capital.
The activities of Seliminski Center aim at maintaining a cultural bridge with the Greek community, taking creative and significant part in the contemporary Greek social activities.
On ocasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Uprisal of 1821 the Association organized an interscholar competition on the topic “The brother protects his brother. The Bulgarians and the Greek revolutionary movement in the first half of the 19th century” for the Sunday schools’ students in Greece in order to acknowledge them with the colaboration between Bulgarians and Greeks in their struggle for freedom as well as to convey the spirit of that troubled era. The awards ceremony was held in two phases: in Athens and in Navplio respectively due to the limitations during the period of Covid-19.
The awards ceremony in Athens was held in the Greek Parliament. The winners were handed a diploma and a reward (a plaquette) with the illustration of Orin Arkomanis, renowned illustrator and interpretor, from the book of acad. Nikolay Todorov and prof. Veselin Traykov – “The Bulgarians who took part in the liberation of Greece 1921 – 1828”. After the ceremony the awarded student recited poems of Bulgarian and Greeks poets. Salutations were addressed on the behalf of the Bulgarian Embassy in Athens as well as from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Thanks to the cooperation with dr. Theodoros Kutsugiannis, the chief curator of the exhibition, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Greek independence, the Bulgarian students attended the exhibition in the halls of the Parliament.
The second awards ceremony of the interscholar competition “ The brother protects his brother – The Bulgarians and the Greek revolutionary movement in the first half of the 19th century” was held at the Military Museum in the town of Navplio in the presence of the organizers of the competition – Seliminski Center, The Russian Philology and Slavic Studies Department of the Athens University, parents and representatives of the Bulgarian community as well as the representatives of the Bulgarian Embassy in Athens. The Director of the Military Museum Lieutenant – Colonel Evstathios Proksenios congratulated the winners and introduced the museum expositions to the guests.
Seliminski Center and the respective Sunday schools organized the international competion “Vasil Levski before the court and before the world. The views of the students in the country and abroad”.
On 19.02.2023 the results were announced in the Bulgarian Embacy in Athens. The participants received their awards from Prof. Milko Palangurski, Deputy President of the Scientific Department of Veliko Tarnovo University “Kiril and Metodyi” and Mr. Gencho Banev, lecturer in Bulgarian language and civilization at the University of Athens.
Together with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Bulgarian Embassy in Athens, Seliminski Center took part in the organization of the 9th International Conference for university and PhD students on the topic “The Rage and the Peace in the European civilization”, which was held on 29.03.2023. Contemporary events of world significance in the sphere of Bulgarian studies were discussed and examined at the accademical forum according to the existing tradition.
The presentation of the book “The Early Works of Ivan Seliminski”, written by the Theology Professor Dimitrios Gonis on the ocassion of the celebration of the Day of the National Revival leaders– 1th of November 2023, is also an event organized by Seliminski Center in cooperation with the Bulgarian Embassy in Greece and the Greek Commitee of South-Eeastern Europe.
The book was discussed and analysed by the professors of the University of Athens – Assistant Professor Irini Kasapi and the lecturer Gencho Banev, as well as the author of the book – Prof. Dimitrios Gonidis, who led an intersting discussion with the audience.
On November 27th 2023 at Seliminski Center a meeting with Prof. Yura Konstantinova, a long-standing researcher of the Bulgarian-Greek diplomatic relations during the period 19th-20th century, was held as well as a presentation of her new book “Bulgaria and Greece in labirynth of monologues”, which is the first consistent research of the Bulgarian-Greek diplomatic relations from their establishment in 1880 until their severance in 1941.
The book was presented by Prof. Spiridon Plumidis, professor in Contemporary History at the University of Athens and by Gencho Banev, professor in Bulgarian Studies of the Russian Philology and Slavic Studies Department at the University of Athens. The author herself discussed about her book, thus answering the multiple and intriguing questions made by the audience.
Seliminski Center participates in the program of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science ‘The untold stories of the Bulgarians” with two projects, in which both students and teachers will research the wealth of the Bulgarian artistic heritage in the works of Stoyan Donev and Hristina Kelidi-Donev (painting and sculpture), Anatoli Georgiev and Vangelis Kiris (embroidery and photography) and Svetlin Vasilev (illustration). The students will as well follow the evolution of the Bulgarian sport dancing and gymnastics in Greece learning about the inspiring career of Galena Velikova – Hayna and Lidia Perulaki.
The Association takes an active part in projects under the programme “ Educational Routes” of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, which enables the proccess of enlargment the interests scope of children and students, regarding the Bulgarian identity, cultural traditions and literary heritage, as well as affirmation of spiritual values of the Bulgarian nation.
