Are you going to Bulgaria?
An interview with Nikolay Kostov – Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Warsaw
Ewa Kotus: Are you going to Bulgaria? Show your fascination with this beautiful country by participating in the photography competition of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, which could secure your participation in the artistic exhibition “Bulgaria through the eyes of Poles” and the chance to win a prestigious award. Are you not a professional photographer? Amateurs have been impressing with their photos for eight years. This is how I remember the “My Bulgarian Journey” contest – is it your brainchild?
Nikolay Kostov: The photography contest “My Bulgarian Journey” was created before I arrived in Poland in 2021. The contest and the photo exhibition “Bulgaria Through the Eyes of Poles” are the work of the former Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, Mrs. Kalina Stancheva. As a representative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism, I could not help but support this initiative, and for the past four years, the National Tourism Office has been providing prizes for the contest winners. I would like to emphasize that the photo exhibition “Bulgaria Through the Eyes of Poles” is not only displayed at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute and as an outdoor exhibition on the fence of the Bulgarian Embassy in Ujazdowskie Avenues in Warsaw. After the presentation in Warsaw, every exhibition travels around Poland thanks to the invaluable help of Bulgaria’s honorary consuls and many other friends and institutions. The most important thing for us is to promote the tourist attractions and interesting places in Bulgaria, and in this case, to show them through the eyes of Poles!
E.K.: Is the opportunity to meet directly with tourists who have fallen in love with your homeland important to you?
N.K.: Every opportunity to meet with tourists is important. Both with those who have been to Bulgaria more than twenty times, those who have been once and are unsure whether to go again, and especially with those who have heard of Bulgaria but have not yet been there. The “Bulgaria Through the Eyes of Poles” project is also a valuable source of information for me. It is a presentation of the most frequently visited routes, a vast knowledge about what interests them, what fascinates them, and what they want to show off. From a marketing point of view, the process of selecting the works of participants in each edition is the most important to me. It is then that I also have the opportunity to see “Bulgaria through the eyes of Poles”…
E.K.: You are known for your creativity, and I must admit, I was very curious about how rich this year’s event at the Embassy will be…
N.K.: The contest has its history and has already become an important part of the events promoting Bulgaria in Poland. The exhibition “Bulgaria Through the Eyes of Poles” has firmly established itself in the program of events presented by the Bulgarian Cultural Institute. For those interested in my country, I recommend active contact with the Institute and keeping an eye on the events it organizes.
E.K.: Between 1990 and 1995, you studied at the Faculty of International Trade at the Warsaw School of Economics, so your knowledge of our country, our language, our traditions, strengths, and perhaps also weaknesses, dates back to your youth. It is not surprising, therefore, that you hold positions that require extensive knowledge of Poland.
N.K.: In 1996, I started working for the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation in Sofia, where I was responsible for relations with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. From 2002, I worked for the next five years as the Commercial Counsellor at the Bulgarian Embassy in Warsaw. In 2019, I took up the position of Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Investments in Tourism at the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism. In 2021, I was appointed Director of the National Tourism Office of Bulgaria after the decision was made the previous year to establish the National Tourism Office within the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Warsaw. Over all these years, I have observed Poland and the Polish people, and I am very impressed by what you have achieved since joining the EU. Every time I come to Warsaw, I am surprised by the progress that is visible everywhere. More and more people speak foreign languages, travel around the world, and bring back experiences gained abroad. There is a noticeable optimism and a positive attitude.
E.K.: As the Director of the National Tourism Office of Bulgaria, you are responsible for promoting Bulgaria, which is obvious. But what I admire the most is the friendship between our countries, which you treat in such a natural way; we understand each other, our post-war history was similar, we simply have a lot of mutual respect…
N.K.: The scope of this promotion is very broad. We present Bulgaria as a safe, year-round tourist destination, facilitate the establishment of relations between tourism companies from Bulgaria and Poland, organize conferences, seminars, and other meetings to present the potential of Bulgarian tourism. We maintain direct contacts with representatives of the tourism industry, the media, and tourists, but with every meeting, every presentation, I emphasize the closeness of our nations, both geographically, historically, and socially. There are many examples. I will mention the most obvious one: the march of the Polish King Władysław III and the battle with the Turks near Varna in 1444.
E.K.: Let’s remind ourselves that King Władysław III was an excellent knight and a very good leader. The effectiveness of the Hungarian troops, led by the Polish king, in the battle with the Turks was so impressive that by June 1444, Sultan Murad II was forced to ask for peace, agreeing to a series of territorial concessions.
I began my journey with Bulgaria in such an important and beautiful place as Veliko Tarnovo, because that’s where the Tour Film Fest – Bulgaria “On the East Coast of Europe” Festival took place. I will remember this beautiful city for the rest of my life, one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria, and historically, it was the third capital of the country. It is truly worth recommending to tourists. Veliko Tarnovo, located about 240 km northeast of Sofia, is a must-see. And an important piece of information for tourists: Veliko Tarnovo has excellent train and bus connections with the capital.
N.K.: I must emphasize the historical heritage of Bulgaria, as it is also part of our strong European roots. Bulgaria, in the place it occupies today, was founded by Khan Asparuh in 681. It is the second oldest state in Europe after San Marino. An interesting fact is that since its founding, Bulgaria has never changed its name. 185 years later, in 866, Khan Boris I Michael was baptized by Greek clergy and, in honor of Michael III, his godfather, he took the name Michael. Bulgaria became a Christian country, and during the period from 855 to 862, the “Glagolitic” alphabet was created by Byzantine clergy Cyril and Methodius, which later evolved into the Cyrillic alphabet. Cyril and Methodius were canonized soon after their death in the Eastern Church. Pope John Paul II declared Cyril and Methodius co-patrons of Europe on December 31, 1980.
around 310–290 BCE.
Bulgaria is full of monuments. Over 40,000 sites have been recorded, which places Bulgaria in third place, after Italy and Greece, in terms of the number of historical sites in Europe. In Sofia, in the ancient city center – the area around the mineral springs of today’s Central Mineral Baths – evidence of settlement dating back to the Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) has been found. In Varna, the Archaeological Museum displays the oldest technologically processed gold in Europe and the world (around 6500 years old). It is one of the most magnificent and significant prehistoric monuments in the Balkans and Europe.
in the world.
E.K.: Bulgaria’s heritage is impressive, and I am proud to have visited the historic Veliko Tarnovo. But I must emphasize here that I remember not only the majestic monuments. Your cuisine is extraordinary. I’ll put it this way: it refinedly reaches into tradition, but what’s very important is that the restaurateurs know how to be hosts…
N.K.: The climate of Bulgaria is conducive to agriculture and the production of natural products, which has a huge impact on the country’s rich and diverse culinary offerings. In addition to the climatic conditions, the history of Bulgaria also plays a significant role, as well as the fact that Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula, at the crossroads of routes from the Arabian Peninsula to Europe, and from Africa to the North. Among the most popular dishes, I would like to mention the following:
- Bulgarian Gyuvech (a vegetable and meat casserole in a clay pot);
- Banitsa (a symbol of Bulgarian cuisine, popular in various forms across the Balkans);
- Lukanka (Bulgarian salami);
- Shkembe (tripe soup);
- Tarator (a cold soup made from Bulgarian yogurt and cucumbers);
- Shopska salad (the most well-known Bulgarian dish in Poland);
- Meshana Skara (mixed grilled meat);
- Lozovi Sarmi (stuffed grape leaves, dolma from Ottoman cuisine);
- Musaka (a casserole made with ground meat and potatoes);
and last but not least, the “king” of Bulgarian cuisine:
- Kiselo Mlyako (Bulgarian yogurt) – the secret of Bulgarian longevity.
E.K.: Thank you for accepting the invitation to be part of the jury of the FilmAT Festival – the International Festival of Tourist, Corporate, and Television Documentary Films for the second time. What does working in the jury mean to you?
N.K.: It is a special honor. The trust that the festival organizers place in me is very valuable. I have the opportunity to see new films, which allows me to better understand the ways of promotion and how Poles perceive tourism advertising.
E.K.: During the 19th edition of the FilmAT Festival, we will be selecting the awards given by the Jury Committee, chaired by the President of the Jury, but each jury member also has their own award. Why did you decide to give your award to the film “The Magic of Christmas… Christmas Eve with Daisy”?
N.K.: I won’t hide the fact that we were considering the film proposals during the pre-Christmas period. I was also greatly impressed by the castle in Pszczyna, which I visited just a few months earlier at the invitation of the local authorities. It is a wonderful place that the municipality, with the help of the state, has transformed into a fantastic tourist attraction. The castle, along with the adjacent park, is an incredible draw for thousands of tourists.
E.K.: In 2024, you were once again listed among the “100 most influential people in Polish tourism” by the magazine Wasza Turystyka. In 2023, you were awarded the “For Services to Tourism” medal – the highest state distinction given by the Minister of Sport and Tourism. You’ve become part of our Polish reality, don’t you feel, in some way, like a Pole?
N.K.: I feel Bulgarian, and nothing can change that. I’m sure some of my closest colleagues at the Ministry of Tourism in Sofia would smile and nod in confirmation. Just like some of my closest friends. But when we live in one place for a long time, don’t we start to identify with the people who live there? I’m not sure if I would ever feel Polish, but I can definitely say that a part of me feels like a Warsaw resident.
E.K.: Thank you for a very interesting conversation.