The Crimean peninsula is located close to the conflict zones between Russia and Ukraine. Radio Bulgaria contacted Ivan Abazher, chairman of "Paisii Hilendarski" Regional National-Cultural Autonomy of the Bulgarians in the Republic of Crimea, to talk about how Bulgarians live there today and how they feel about what is happening in Ukraine.

According to the 2014 census, there are 2,500 Bulgarian families living in Crimea, some of them of mixed marriages, Ivan Abazher points out. Since they are not a homogenous community, but are scattered on the territory of the peninsula, the preservation of everyday Bulgarian language is a challenge. However, young people are keen on learning it, so they maintain a good level by studying, through access to online media and events organised by “Paisii Hilendarski”.

“We are not a big diaspora, but all Bulgarians here know their origins, they love Bulgarian culture and customs. Our organization has existed for over 25 years,” says Abazher .

Bulgarian businesses have no presence on the peninsula. Despite all efforts of the Regional National-Cultural Autonomy, which has made proposals and talked to delegations of Bulgarian businessmen at the International Economic Forum in Yalta, there have been no results, informs us Ivan Abazher.

But a bigger problem for all Bulgarians on Crimea is that, since Sofia, like most countries, does not recognize Crimea as a subject of the Russian Federation, it does not issue visas to Crimean Bulgarians and they cannot visit their ancestral homeland. Thus, the Crimean Bulgarians find themselves in isolation without being able to travel to Bulgaria and other European countries. Ivan Abazher tells about the following paradox:

"I regularly participate in international events of the UN, and OSCE. And when I arrive in Geneva, Vienna, Warsaw or elsewhere for a meeting, I am given a visa, because I am a delegate, but on a separate piece of paper. And it is ridiculous that when I cross a border, the customs officers do not know what to do with this kind of permit. It's a humiliation that you can't even imagine, and how unfair it is and what a big discrepancy with all these "postulates" preached by Western countries - about freedom of movement and human rights!"

Abazher defines our question about the conflict in Ukraine as a tough one, since the Bulgarians in Crimea went through the same thing in 2014. We were under threat from Ukraine in Crimea back then, in May 2014. What is happening to Ukraine today is the result of the aggressive policy of the Western world towards the Orthodox Christians," says Abazher .

He said that after 2014 the Bulgarians in Crimea received the status of national cultural autonomy. "This gives us privileges in the development of culture, language, customs and traditions," explainsAbazher . "Paisii Hilendarski" Regional National-Cultural Autonomy of the Bulgarians in the Republic of Crimea organizes many events in support of the Bulgarian identity, Ivan Abazher points out and gives an example:

"This year we are preparing to celebrate the 300^thanniversary of the birth of Paisii Hilendarski. I think that with this event we will popularize Bulgarian national traits among the other more than 130 nationalities living in Crimea. Everything that is done in Crimea to popularize Bulgaria is done in order to preserve the memory of our own kind.

English version: Elizabeth Radkova

Photos: private library