Oleg Kosih: Bulgaria acts as a bridge in southern Moldova

Vladimir Mitev

Summary

The interview with Oleg Kosih, president of the Bulgarian Spirit Foundation, examines the dynamics of relations between Bulgarians in Bessarabia and their ancestral homeland Bulgaria, as well as the Republic of Moldova’s efforts toward European integration.

Key points:

• Historical ties: Kosik describes the ties as sporadic and episodic in the early 20th century, sharing a story about a meeting between Bessarabian Bulgarians and captured Bulgarian soldiers during World War I. The real “discovery” of Bulgaria for his generation came in the late 1980s with labor migration to Bulgaria.
• Support in the field of education and culture: After 1990, the process intensified thanks to Decree No. 103 of Bulgaria on the admission of students from Moldova and Ukraine. Bulgaria sent teachers and choreography specialists, organized courses, and helped introduce Bulgarian as a compulsory subject. This assistance is systematic and has a decisive influence on the development of pedagogical capital.
• Cultural exchange: The importance of horizontal links between municipalities and collectives is emphasized. The Bulgarian theater in Bessarabia, “Funny Friday,” and dance/singing groups regularly participate in festivals in Bulgaria, which is key to maintaining the Bulgarian spirit among young people.
• Soft power tools: The opening of a branch of Ruse University in Taraclia and a center for Bulgarian language and culture in Comrat are seen as historic events and soft power tools for long-term planning and European integration. The university is expected to become a center for Bulgarian intellectuals.
• Bulgaria’s role: Bulgaria acts as a “bridge” in the region, with a non-aggressive policy focused on education and support for civil society.
• Political and intergovernmental relations: Relations between Bulgaria and Moldova at the official level are excellent, with the branch of the University of Ruse being an exceptional precedent in Moldova. It is noted that Bulgaria is becoming a key partner for Moldova in terms of gas and electricity transit.
• The situation of Bulgarians in Moldova: Kosich notes that the Bulgarian community is not under pressure and is proud of its nationality. The main problem is the lack of sufficient proficiency in the official language. There is political distance on the part of the ruling party (PAS) towards national minorities, but Moldova as a whole is a tolerant country.
• Projects of the Bulgarian Spirit Foundation: The foundation implements projects with the support of the Bulgarian state through programs such as “Bulgarian Development Aid” (infrastructure repairs, school equipment). Kosich cites the literary almanac “The String of Bessarabia”, published for eight years with private donations, as his greatest source of pride.

Intro

Oleg Kosih is a public figure, politician, and journalist from the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Moldova. He is also the president of the Bulgarian Spirit Foundation, which implements projects among Bulgarians in Moldova with the financial support of their community and the Bulgarian state. The Bridge of Friendship spoke with Oleg Kosih about the dynamics of relations between Bulgarians in Moldova and Bulgaria, as well as the efforts towards European integration of the Republic of Moldova.

Historical ties between Bulgarians in Bessarabia and Bulgaria in the modern era

Mr. Kosih, since the end of World War II, Bessarabia and Budjak have been part of different countries. How have relations between Bulgarians in Bessarabia and their ancestral homeland, Bulgaria, developed in the modern era?

I am not a professional historian, and what I know is rather subjective. But this is an extremely interesting question that has not been sufficiently researched.

While working on the monument in the town of Tvarditsa dedicated to the Bulgarians of Bessarabia who died in World War I, an elderly woman from the village of Corten told me a story, which I do not know if it is completely true or if it is a product of collective memory. In 1915 or 1916, prisoners of war led by Russian soldiers passed through the village. They were tortured and exhausted. At one point, both the prisoners and the villagers who had gathered to see them realized that they spoke the same language. The prisoners could not believe they were hearing Bulgarian, and the villagers could not imagine that these people were Bulgarians. It turned out that they were Bulgarian soldiers who had been captured on the front and ended up in the Russian Empire, without even knowing that there were Bulgarian settlements there. The women in the village immediately gathered what they had—bread, food—and gave it to these tortured people. This story shows that our connections have always existed in different, sometimes unexpected ways.

At the beginning of the century, our society was predominantly agricultural. Wealthier people sent their children to school, and later, in the 1920s and 1930s, under Romanian rule, some of this intelligentsia moved to Romania or Bulgaria. These were sporadic, episodic connections. The real “discovery” of Bulgaria for my generation took place in the late 1980s. That’s when I suddenly realized that there was a country called Bulgaria. This coincided with the Renaissance Process, when many people emigrated from Bulgaria to Turkey and a labor shortage arose. Groups of Bulgarians from Bessarabia left to work for three months in Novi Pazar. One of them was my father. I remember how these people returned, and then the guests from Novi Pazar came to visit us—my father had become friends with them. That’s how the country of Bulgaria opened up to us. It was very interesting for us to listen to them speak, to discover the differences, but at the same time to see that everything was mutually intelligible. They were surprised by our old words, but we spoke freely, without an interpreter.

The cultural and educational presence of Bulgaria in the Moldovan part of Bessarabia today

How did this process develop further and what is Bulgaria’s presence in Bessarabia today in the fields of culture and education?

After that, the process became very intense. Bulgaria adopted Decree No. 103, which provided places at universities for young people from Moldova and Ukraine. Young people began to study in Bulgaria en masse. Bulgarian language and history teachers began to arrive, as well as choreography specialists to help our dance and singing groups. The assistance in this area was enormous and affected practically every Bulgarian village in Moldova, not just the large centers such as Tvarditsa or Valea Perjei.

Until 1990-1991, we did not have a subject called “Bulgarian language” in schools. Since then, it has become part of the compulsory school curriculum. At first, it was very difficult for teachers without methodological assistance and textbooks. Bulgaria organized training courses, accepted teachers into its universities, and helped them build their pedagogical capital. This assistance was crucial and successful—in just a few years, every school had a qualified teacher. This helped many people transition from dialect to the literary form of the language, which was vital for those who wanted to study in Bulgaria. To this day, Bulgaria sends specialists to coordinate the teaching of Bulgarian language, literature, and cultural history in the Taraclia and Gagauzia regions. This assistance is systematic—these people have been working here every day for years, which brings real results.

And what are the specific cultural dimensions—festivals, fairs, cooperation between collectives?

The most important thing is the horizontal links between municipalities and collectives. The Bulgarian theater in Bessarabia, “Funny Friday” (Smeșen Petăk), has been going to Topolovgrad every year for decades to participate in a theater festival and regularly wins awards. For our actors, this is the only opportunity to communicate with their colleagues in Bulgarian. We have unique ensembles, such as the choir of the school in Valea Perjei, which has a very high professional level thanks to a seconded teacher.

Our dance and singing groups regularly travel to festivals in Bulgaria. We can tell children for 10 years how beautiful Bulgaria is, but it is quite another thing for them to physically participate in a festival in Pernik, for example, to feel the Bulgarian atmosphere and spirit, to communicate with the people there. This cultural exchange is ongoing and constantly developing.

The importance of the Taraclia branch of the University of Ruse and the Bulgarian Language and Culture Center in Comrat for the Europeanization of Moldova

Recently, the University of Ruse opened a branch in Taraclia, and a Bulgarian language and culture center was inaugurated in Comrat. What is the significance of these centers?

It was a huge undertaking that took many years. The opening of the University of Ruse branch in Taraclia is a historic event. Expectations are high—it should become a center for Bulgarian intellectuals here and train professionals with national consciousness. We cannot live only in the past, we must look ahead, and without a serious education there can be no development. I hope that the university will not only provide a profession, but will also ignite the spark of “Bulgarianness” in this globalized world.

In terms of Europeanization, the university and the center in Comrat are instruments of “soft power.” This is long-term planning, the effect of which is visible after a while, but it is sustainable. Although there is sometimes geopolitical opposition in the region, I believe in universal human values, such as freedom of expression and the right to opinion, which apply everywhere. Bulgaria acts as a bridge here. I am glad that Bulgaria’s policy towards Moldova is not aggressive, but focuses on education and support for civil society. Bulgaria gives us “wings,” helping our small community to believe in its own strengths, so that we do not wait for someone else to do the job for us.

The PAS Party and Bulgarians in the Republic of Moldova

How do these good Moldovan-Bulgarian relations fit into the context of Moldova’s domestic politics and the ruling PAS party? There seems to be a political distance between the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Moldova and this party…

We must be precise – the ruling party does not specifically distance itself from Bulgarians, but from all national minorities. PAS is a specific party that uses social slogans, but its core consists of right-wing voters. If it takes measures in favor of minorities, its core may not understand this. Therefore, all minorities – Gagauz, Bulgarians, Russians – are viewed with some distrust.

On the other hand, relations between Bulgaria and Moldova at the official level are excellent. The branch of the University of Ruse is a unique achievement of Bulgarian diplomacy. In Moldova, in general, it is not permitted to open full branches of foreign universities—Romanian ones, for example, operate on the basis of memoranda and are not full branches. What happened in Taraclia is an exceptional precedent. In the context of changing energy routes, Bulgaria is becoming a key partner for Moldova in terms of gas and electricity transit. These political ties will sooner or later lead to economic interdependence and common interests worth billions of euros.

It is important to note that the situation of Bulgarians here is not like in North Macedonia. There is no pressure on our community, no fear of saying that you are Bulgarian. On the contrary, we are proud of it. The problem is rather the lack of knowledge of the official language, which leads to difficulties in communicating with the authorities, and that is why our people often vote for left-wing forces, which are more tolerant of our linguistic needs. But Moldova is a very tolerant country—if you pay your taxes and everything is in order, no one asks you what your nationality is.

Activities of the Bulgarian Spirit Foundation

As head of the Bulgarian Spirit Foundation, what projects are you implementing and how do you see the support from the Bulgarian state?

Support from Bulgaria is growing every year through programs such as Bulgarian Development Aid. These are transparent – anyone can apply with ideas for infrastructure repairs, school equipment, or classrooms. I have personally participated in projects for musical equipment in Parcani and Valea Perjei and for sports equipment in Taraclia. These projects do not involve huge sums of money, but they are extremely important for the children who receive new clothes or equipment.

Our Bulgarian Spirit Foundation recently completed a major project to repair the roof of the school in the village of Ciumai, worth €60,000. This roof had not been repaired for 50 years. Such initiatives create a symbiosis between our work and Bulgaria’s support, and the authorities in Chișinău see that something is happening in the Taraclia region and are paying more attention.

However, my greatest pride is the literary almanac “The Necklace of Bessarabia”. We have been publishing it for eight years, thanks to private donors, without participating in state programs. In it, we collect the creative works of Bulgarians in Bessarabia—poetry, family memories. This is our way of preserving a “snapshot” of the era in which we live and showing how we feel about life.

Photo: Oleg Kosih (source: Oleg Kosih)

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