Култура

Community Center "St. Sv. Cyril and Methodius” in kv. Chepino responded to the kind invitation of Mr. Stelios Luskos, Chairman of the Association for Folklore in Arachova, participant in last year's cultural holidays of the municipality of Velingrad.
The host city has about 5,000 inhabitants. It is situated 1000 meters above sea level on a steep slope of Mount Parnassus, with alpine character. Arachova is known as one of the few winter resorts of Greece. Nearby, in a southerly direction, extends the Corinthian Gulf with its two sea-sports Iteya and Antikyra, visited also by the guests of Arachova. In the vicinity is the settlement of Delphi, famous for the ancient temple of the god Apollo and the prophetess Pythia. And Mount Parnassus itself, according to legend, was the dwelling place of the divinely endowed poets. Led by the chairman of the community center and participant in the ensemble Georgi Vasilev, we traveled in a good mood the 750 km long road and early in the morning of June 16 we found ourselves in Arahova. We were most warmly welcomed by Mr. Luscos and activists from the Association for Folklore. Their first word was of gratitude for the warm reception given to them in our city. They also shared their excellent impressions of Velingrad and Bulgaria. Immediately their ambition to perform most worthy as hosts, which they achieved, far exceeding our expectations. Their efforts were joined by several of our compatriots, married here or settled for years of work. A central event during our three-day visit was the performance "Journey in Tradition", presented by the folk ensembles of the hosts and guests in the crowded city amphitheater. The colorful costumes of our amateurs and the cheerful mood with which they appeared on the stage immediately caught the attention of the audience. Every performance by our singers, dancers and musicians was accompanied by loud applause. The artistic leader of the ensemble Boyan Bayrakov also received well-deserved attention and high praise. The performance, turned into a real celebration, ended with a general horo, in which, along with the Greek and our amateurs, the audience joined.
The day ended with a dinner in the representative restaurant "Santa Marina", given in honor of the guests by the mayor of Arachova. And here, among cheers and dances, a natural sense of closeness and community arose, for which we will all keep a pleasant memory.
The Domakis offered to walk us to the nearby sea resorts with their picturesque parks, coquettish villas, with their clear, peaceful and warm sea. The most remarkable and meaningful was our visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Only ruins are left of the temple itself. But in the new magnificent museum building are exhibited all the valuable finds: statues, columns, stone slabs with inscriptions, weapons, coins... We were also received here as guests of honor. Among the visitors were groups from France and distant Japan, and new ones were coming. In a prominent place in the ancient temple were inscribed the words "Know thyself!" - the fundamental appeal of classical Greek philosophers, alive and active to the present day.
The farewell dinner took place on Sunday, June 18, in the schoolyard, under the ancient city clock, perched on a huge rock overgrown with ivy. On the long table, laden with dishes, sat not foreigners but kindred spirits, determined to update the ancient call with a new meaning: "Know thy neighbour!", to go together, hand in hand, to the future, cast aside the dark shadows of the past. The two ensembles exchanged gifts, and each of the guests received their own personal gift.
Returning home, we reflect gradually on the experiences of those days. For over 13 centuries, our country has been making super efforts to establish itself and survive on these crossroads and stormy Balkans. Innumerable are the sacrifices and sufferings that these efforts cost us. We also endured two foreign dominions, the first of Byzantium. But no one will deny the spiritual influence of these empires on our civilizational development. She was our godmother in Orthodoxy. Through it, we became associated with ancient Greek philosophy and literature. Our first teachers Cyril and Methodius, patrons of the Chepin Community Center, born in Thessaloniki, are honored in Greece. Pope John Paul II proclaimed them patrons of Europe, and they became a symbol of its unification. The time has come to forget past quarrels and battles and to focus on the main, the essential and the fateful - our common Christian affiliation. On the eve of our accession to the EU, we are participants in the conclusion of a centuries-old historical process that generations of Bulgarians have dreamed of before us.
The visit of the Chepino folk ensemble in Greece turned into an unforced manifestation of the will of ordinary people from both countries to live together, twinned, in a peaceful, free and equal European family.
Dr. Alexander Popov