Bringing youthful energy, colour and cheer to the Bulgarian National Radio studio, students from the Bulgarian Sunday School Dr Petar Beron arrived from Larnaca. The group from Cyprus — 16 pupils aged between 14 and 19 — is currently on a week-long tour of Bulgaria. This trip has been made possible through the Educational Routes programme, which is funded by the Ministry of Education and Science.

The Larnaca school has 82 pupils and six teachers who cover Bulgarian language and literature, as well as Bulgarian history and geography. This is not the first group of Bulgarian students from Larnaca to visit Bulgaria. This year, they have chosen to explore Sofia, as well as the sights of Bansko, Rozhen and the village of Dolno Draglishte in the Pirin region.

‘At our school, we receive grades from our teachers, but that’s not the most important thing,’ says Kristian Ivanov, a tenth-grade student at Dr Petar Beron School in Larnaca. ‘What really matters is that, after passing our exams, we receive a diploma and a certificate proving our command of the Bulgarian language. We can then use these to come to Bulgaria and continue our studies here.’

‘At school, I learn so many things: history, geography and Bulgarian. We also do folk dancing and go on school trips, where I discover even more about Bulgaria. What I like most are the landscapes and the country’s nature, because Cyprus doesn’t have anything like it,’ explains Kristian.

‘Last year, around this time, we visited Bulgaria again. We were in Pamporovo and learnt new things about the country. When I was younger, we used to go to Bulgaria almost every year, but now, for economic reasons, travelling has become much more difficult. At home, we speak Bulgarian. I might study at a Bulgarian university next year, but I also want to learn the language so that one day, when I have children of my own, I can pass it on to them,’ says Nikol Petkova, an eleventh-grade student.

‘I have been at the school since first grade, just like most of my classmates. We have grown very close, and I have made many new friends, for which I am very grateful. At the Bulgarian school, we learn an incredible amount, even though we only attend once a week. It’s a source of pride to know the language. I watch films in Bulgarian, which helps me a lot. My parents constantly follow Bulgarian news and take a keen interest in Bulgaria,’ adds Nikol.

Georgi Dilov's favourite subject at Sunday school is history. He says it gives him confidence and pride, and inspires him to dream of achieving great personal success in the future. ‘Especially when I study the lessons about Tsar Simeon, how Bulgaria once stretched across three seas, and about Cyril and Methodius, who created the alphabet, I realise that we would not exist without people like them. It reminds me of how great, invincible and formidable Bulgaria once was to its enemies,’ says Georgi.

Alejandro Ivanov, a twelfth-grade student and the eldest of the group visiting Bulgaria, expresses deep gratitude towards the teachers at the Larnaca Sunday school. Looking back, he recognises how much he has gained from his parents and from teachers who value education, as well as from learning about Bulgaria’s history, geography, literature and script. Alejandro’s words reflect the experience of a young man from a Bulgarian family living in Larnaca due to his parents’ commitments there.

‘After I graduate, I plan to study in Sofia, Bulgaria. Thanks to Ms Angelova, I passed my Bulgarian language exams with excellent grades. I have also made many good friends in Cyprus. My social life there is very active. The Sunday school has given me friends for life, but next year I have decided to apply to various universities in Bulgaria. I want to study psychology,’ says Alejandro.

‘What keeps us teachers at the school is our love and care for the children, and the knowledge that we have something to pass on to them,’ says Eleonora Angelova, director of the Dr Petar Beron Bulgarian school in Larnaca, at the end of her visit to Radio Bulgaria.