REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

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Remembrance in Time
Another big celebration of the academic community in the local university was 24 May
– The Day of the Cyrillic alphabet and Bulgarian culture, which is the patronal feast of
the University since its inception. It was officially recorded especially in 1988- the 25th
anniversary of the Alma Mater was celebrated.
Each year the celebration of May 24 included a series of student events – literature
readings of the circle Emiliyan Stanev, exhibitions of works by the students from the
Faculty of Fine Arts, sports festivals that took place within a few days and many others.
Traditionally, the festivities began with a solemn assembly in the hall of the university,
where the rector, the secretaries of the local party and Komsomol leaders and other
official guests served their greetings to the teachers and students. A ceremony for
awarding students was held "for an excellent and very good and active Komsomol
activity." 12 In the 80s of the twentieth century an interesting practice was introduced:
during the days which were dedicated to the patron famous foreign scientists to have been
awarded Honorary Doctor; prominent scientists to have been awarded Evtimii’s award for
Bulgarian studies.
On May 24, all university students must participate in the citywide parade. In the early
years after it the freshmen made their solemn oath of loyalty to the Party and the
Motherland. According to the program rituals and traditions in the University "Cyril and
Methodius" this important event related to ideological and political education of students
took place on Sunday the second week of May in the village Sushitza, Veliko Tarnovo,
the birthplace of the patron of the University's Komsomol organization - senior sailor
Dimitar Atanasov Dimitrov. It was assumed during the year to do this in Nikola
Gabrovski Park in Veliko Tarnovo. There were some exceptions from the regulations. For
example, in 1976 the student oath was held in the village of Balvan, where the students
and professors paid tribute to fallen partisans in the Balkan Battle 13 , in 1983 - on
Tzarevetz Hill 14 , and later on, in front of the University.
Traditionally, after a citywide parade on May 24 ceremony the exchange of the flag of
the History Faculty was held; the flag represented a ponytail. Graduates from the 4th year
gave it to the third course students. This ritual was accompanied with many jokes, it
usually took place near the fountain in Marno pole park. After it had been closed for
reconstructions in the mid-80s of the twentieth century, the ritual was held in Druzhba
Park. In 1981, exceptionally, the exchange of the "horse tail" of the historians happened
on 10 May in the town of Pliska, where was the final stage of the student expedition
"1300" 15 . That was the biggest academic event of the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian
state, organized by the Faculty of History from 8 May to 10 May.
The initiatives devoted to May 24, included traditional sports festival involving students
and professors from the university. In 1969, the races included cadets from the Vasil
Levski National Higher Military School 16 . In 1981 in the sports festival the first relay lap
Cup Journal "Science and Labour was held ." 17 On May 24, 1984 of the stadium running
mass gymnastic composition "40 Years of Progress", implemented under the guidance of
professors of VTU 18 . Since the mid-60s of the twentieth century there was a tradition
football matches between teachers and students stems to be organized; the initiative
belonged to the Faculty of History. One of the most attractive players in the team then
was Prof. Yordan Andreev who was remembered by the audience as a "goalkeeper" who
was walking in front of the goal, reading a newspaper, thus demonstrating the poor play
of the opponent. 19