Plovdiv Bulgaria
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
>> U.S. Embassy Presents Conservation Equipment to Khmelnytsky State Historical Archives (Ukraine) 111 111 PRESERVATION HIGHLIGHT 11111 Detail of restored mosaic from a 4th century AD Roman Villa, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Source: U.S.Embassy Sophia ... [Read More]
Bulgaria (07/05)
Others: Plovdiv--368,568, Varna--349,482. ... [Read More]
Bulgaria
Heavy truck traffic along the two-lane routes from the Greek border at Kulata to Sofia and from the Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo to Plovdiv creates numerous hazards. Motorists should expect long delays at border crossings. A U.S. state driver's license is valid in Bulgaria only when used in conjunction with an International Driving Permit. For information on how to obtain a permit, please see http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html#permits. ... [Read More]
Bulgaria
In July and August 2000, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) encountered a number of politically inspired legal and administrative obstacles at the local and regional levels to its efforts to build a new church and administrative center in Plovdiv. One political party in particular, which has several seats on the city council in Plovdiv, led protest marches as well as filed several administrative challenges to the construction. Ultimately with the support of the local mayor, the building was completed. ... [Read More]
Reports, International Education Week 2001
The Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission made the most of the excellent opportunity the second annual International Education Week gave international educators to heighten the awareness of U.S. educational system and the advantages of international education. Nearly 300 students, teachers, lecturers and researchers visited the Fulbright Advising Center and were consulted on the educational system in the U.S.; opportunities to study, research and lecture in American colleges and universities; how to apply to U.S. educational institutions both on undergraduate and graduate level; university search; American standardized tests; sources of financial aid; filling our of application forms. Above 100 persons visited the Fulbright local info-centers in Plovdiv, Varna, Stara Zagora, Veliko Turnovo, ... [Read More]
Bulgaria
Legal/Policy FrameworkThe Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricts this right in practice for some non-Orthodox religious groups. The Constitution designates Eastern Orthodox Christianity as the "traditional" religion. The Government provides financial support for the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as for several other religious communities perceived as holding historic places in society, such as the Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Jewish faiths, which also are considered "traditional." These groups generally benefit from a relatively high degree of governmental and societal tolerance. A new law on religion, known as the Confessions Act, was approved by Parliament on December 22, 2002. It entered into force 1 week later, replacing an outdated religion law dating back to 1949. Religious and human rights ... [Read More]
Bulgaria
During the year, Roma protested after government-owned local electricity companies demanded the payment of large unpaid bills that residents of some Roma communities had accumulated over recent years. The unrest began in February when Roma in Plovdiv protested a decision by the local electricity company to cut off power to the mainly Romani neighborhood of Stolipinovo because of unpaid bills of approximately $3 million (6 million leva). Other places affected included districts in and around Burgas, where unpaid bills amounted to approximately $120,000 (240,000 leva), and Sliven. In Sliven many Roma had not paid their electricity bills for 4 or 5 years. In the northwestern city of Vidin, where it was eventually agreed, as elsewhere, that a portion of Government welfare payments would go directly to the local electric company, Roma protested that they would no longer be receiving that money in cash. There were reports that failure to collect electricity bills was considered ... [Read More]
Reports, International Education Week 2001
The Bulgarian–American Fulbright Commission made the most of the excellent opportunity the second annual International Education Week gave international educators to heighten the awareness of U.S. educational system and the advantages of international education. Nearly 300 students, teachers, lecturers and researchers visited the Fulbright Advising Center and were consulted on the educational system in the U.S.; opportunities to study, research and lecture in American colleges and universities; how to apply to U.S. educational institutions both on undergraduate and graduate level; university search; American standardized tests; sources of financial aid; filling our of application forms. Above 100 persons visited the Fulbright local info-centers in Plovdiv, Varna, Stara Zagora, Veliko Turnovo, Bourgas, Sliven, Smolyan and Rousse. ... [Read More]
Ambassador’s Fund For Cultural Preservation Awards For 2003
The Department of State is pleased to announce that it has awarded cultural preservation grants to projects in 43 countries through the $1 million Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. Established by Congress in 2001, the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation aims to assist less developed countries in preserving their cultural heritage. Congress noted that, “cultural preservation offers another opportunity for America to provide assistance to other countries. In efforts to preserve the heritage of other cultures, we show our respect for them.” The Department ... [Read More]
Bulgaria
Although several municipalities such as Burgas, Plovdiv, Pleven, Gorna Oryahovista, and Stara Zagora previously had passed local ordinances that curtailed religious practices, often in contravention of the Constitution and international law, it does not appear that these ordinances have been strictly enforced. ... Some religious minorities are concentrated geographically. The Rhodope Mountains (along the country's southern border with Greece) are home to many Muslims, including ethnic Turks, Roma, and "Pomaks" (descendents of Slavic Bulgarians who converted to Islam centuries ago under Ottoman rule). At the western extreme of the Rhodopes, there are greater numbers of Pomaks, and on the eastern end, more ethnic Turks. Muslim ethnic Turks and Roma also live in large numbers in the northeast of the country, primarily in and around the cities of Shumen and Razgrad, as well as along the Black Sea coast. There are comparatively large numbers of Roman Catholics in Plovdiv, Assenovgrad, and in cities along the Danube River. Eastern Rite Catholic communities are located in Sofia and Smolyan. Many members of the country's small Jewish community live in Sofia, Ruse, and along the Black Sea coast. However, Protestants are dispersed more widely throughout the country. While clear statistics are ... [Read More]
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