07.10.2019
A formal ceremony that took place in Karlovo announced the winners of the 2019 “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Awards. The award, named after the two notable benefactor brothers, are given in recognition of contribution made to Bulgarian society in the sphere of education, business and donorship. They can be given to Bulgarian citizens residing in the country or abroad. The award - a statuette - is a downsized replica of the Evlogi and Hristo Georgivi brothers’ statue found in the centre of Karlovo.
At the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Teodor Sedlarski was announced winner of the “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Award in the sphere of education. Assoc. prof. Sedlarski is a full-time member of the academic staff of the Economics Department at FEBA, academic director of the Centre for Economic Strategies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. In 2014 he was elected a National Representative of Bulgaria in the Programme Committee Configurations of Horizon 2020. Presently, he is Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University.
An “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Award in the sphere of education was also given to Ilko Minev – a Bulgarian who has for many years now lived outside of Bulgaria. His name is associated with a number of very substantial sponsorships for Sofia University which have been used towards the complete renovation of the Classical Philologies Library. The funds donated by him also helped establish the Centre for Archaeometry at Sofia University.
The “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Award in the sphere of business was given to engineer Lilko Bochev, owner and manager of “BONNER” – a machine building company specialised in the manufacturing of machines and equipment for the food and farmaceutical industries – and of the GMST “Steflex & Co” company for the production of cutter knives. Mr. Bochev has sponsored and co-sponsored a number of initatives benefiting children and adults.
Winner of the Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Award for sponsorship is Dr Theophana von Sachsen. Dr von Saxen is of Bulgarian origin, daughter of financier Petar Aladzhov – director of the Bulgarian Commercial Bank and High Commissioner of economy during World War II. Her family left Bulgaria more than fifty yars ago. She graduated the Ludwig Maximilian University with a degree in Law and Economics. She has donated a valuable numismatic collection to the Archeological Museum in Veliko Tarnovo and has contributed donation for the Stefan Stambolov statue in our former capital. The princess has also donated seals used by Vasil Levski and other significant historical artifacts to the National History Museum. She has been supplying humanitarian aid to hospitals and children’s homes in Bulgaria for about thirty years.
An “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Award was also given to engineer Lyubozar Fratev, who has been actively involved in the work of a number of social, citizen and business organisations. He has actively participated in charity, social and educational projects run by the Rotary clubs in Plovdiv. His donor activities extend to homes for disadvantaged children, the Bulgarian Red Cross, hospitals, charity funds and organisations, various culture and sports events.
The awards were given out by Prof. Dr.Sc. Anastas Gerdzhikov, Rector of Sofia University, Dr.r Emil Kabaivanov – Mayor of Karlovo municipality and chairman of the initative committee for marking the anniversaries of the births of the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi, and Zdravko Kostadinov – President or Rotary Club, Karlovo.
The formal “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi” National Awards ceremony was organised by the Municipality of Karlovo, Sofia Univeristy “St. Kliment Ohridski” and Rotary Club, Karlovo and was held in Community Culture Centre “Vasil Levski – 1861”.
During the ceremony, prizes were also awarded to nineteen drawings which had been entered into a children’s drawing competition titled “The Legacy of the Benefactor Borthers - Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi - 2019”. The works were reviewed by a jury of sculptors and painters from Karlovo with chair – Nina Kanarova and members – Dimitar Rashkov and Dimitar Bakardzhiev. The competition was entered by eighty participants divided in three age groups. The awarded drawings will be gathered in a calendar to be distribited throughout the country.