A friend invited me to go to Bosilegrad. "It's just a step away from Kyustendil", he said and went on convincing me. - For the locals people coming from across the border is a real support from Bulgaria." All said and done.

Crossing the border at Oltomanzi is like crossing any border. The Serbian customs officer curiously looked through the two volumes of the encyclopedia we were carrying for the Bulgarian Cultural Information Centre in the townm and concluded that "you can find it all in Wikipedia." We explained to him that the book was very useful, especially when the electricity or the internet goes down. 

Ivan Nikolov, who is the driving force and the soul of the Cultural Information Centre in Bosilegrad, invited us to a nice celebration in the nearby Dobri Dol area. Fifty children and parents solemnly celebrated the end of the first shift of the "XIV Children's Olympic Holiday - Bosilegrad 2022".

The next shift begins immediately after. Inspired by their teacher Zhelko Nasev, the children have fun with games and learning about nature, as well as with different art activities - painting, photography, video, clay and wood work, theatre, social skills. In the last 6 years, the amateur initially, Olympic vacation is supported by the program "Bulgarian Development Aid" of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some of the children are going on an organised holiday to the Black Sea and Mr Nikolov said he is still looking hard for funds to expand the group.

We meet also with Alexander Dimitrov. With Renaissance dedication he surmounts all kinds of obstacles to organise cultural and educational events in the small town, inhabited mostly by ethnic Bulgarians, which is settled in the valley of the Dragovishchitsa river. He enthusiastically tells us that from 18 to 24 July an international art plein air event will be held for a second year. The 16 participants are local school-educated artists, but also beginner high school students. This year the participants from Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia are joined by a family of Bessarabian Bulgarians from Ukraine.

"We do not give them tasks, we do not want to outline their vision for Bosilegrad, explains Alexander Dimitrov. - Our task is to show them the beautiful villages of Bosilegrad, the nature, but basically they paint what is in their heart." However, the plein air will not be the end of the artistic exchanges from both sides of the border. Alexander Dimitrov expects students from a graffiti school in Kyustendil in Bosilegrad this summer.

"They will be as guests of Bosilegrad. We have already selected five local houses on which large graffiti will be made. This will happen for the first time in our city and I am sure it will be appreciated by all. In a way, our city will become an art exhibition on the houses themselves and I am glad that I can share it with you. It is going to be an interesting summer in Bosilegrad."

So, come to Bosilegrad! It's just a step away and they are really waiting for you there. 

English: Elizabeth Radkova