On March 20, 2025 at 13.00 in the foyer of the Regional Library were awarded the prizes in the annual competition "My hometown". For the twenty-fifth time the Regional Department of Education - Veliko Tarnovo and the Regional Library "Petko R. Slavejkov announced the competition for children's and youth creativity in the fields of Literature and Fine Arts on the theme "150 years since the death of Matej Preobrazhensky - an awakener, scribe, prominent worker of the Bulgarian national revival, comrade of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski".

   March 7, 2025 was the advertised deadline for collecting entries for the competition, and on March 10, 2025 entries were submitted for judging. The Poetry and Prose sections were judged by philologists Valentina Kamburova, Elina Daneva and Bisera Dzhivoderova, and the Fine Art section by artists Anna Pavlova, Stefan Stefanov and Maria Kovacheva. Both committees were under the honorary chairmanship of Eng. Rosalia Licheva - Head of the RDE, Sofia. Ivan Alexandrov - Deputy Director of the Regional Library "Petko R. Slaveykov". 99 works were juried, of which the majority were those wishing to participate in the Art section. The Literary Creativity section received 36 entries. In this edition of the competition were also presented projects on the theme, prepared by students in the 4th grade of the School "Nikolai Katranov", town of Svishtov, with class teacher Stefka Nikolaeva and teacher CDO Svetoslav Savov. The traditional First, Second and Third place in each section and age category were awarded. This year the organizers awarded participants with Special and Incentive prizes. There were awards for active and sustainable development. Awards were also presented to leaders and teachers. Traditionally, artists from Veliko Tarnovo and the region took part, as well as participants from further afield. With the preliminary preparation of the celebration, the organizers were pleased to note that the contest "My Hometown" remains recognizable and preferred. The tendency for students to create works on historical themes also remains. The life and work of Matthew Preobrazhensky is not strongly covered in the curriculum and is unfamiliar to the youngest, but the theme has provoked this year not a little interest and a desire to enrich knowledge.

The highlight of the celebration was the announcement of the award winners. The drawings, poems and stories of all the winners were displayed in an exhibition.

The award ceremony started with Nikolay Todorov receiving the award for the most active reader in childhood for 2024. He is a My Reading Family award winner from our previous initiatives with his mother Svetlana Strahilova and are readers and donors to the library.

A certificate of participation was awarded to Momchil Enchev, a student at St. He was awarded the prize for the first time by the Ministry of Culture. Inspired by this year's theme, he painted and presented to the Regional Library his work on the theme. His portrait of Matthew Preobrazhensky found its special place in the exhibition. Momchil has participated in many editions of "My Hometown" over the years in which he has been among the winners, and in 2021 he won First Prize with the theme "Heroism of April - 1876".

On the eve of the holiday of Veliko Tarnovo the organizers of the Regional Library "Petko R. Slaveykov" voted a Special Award for donation to Diana and Nikolay Nikolov, a family of long-time readers and donors of the library. They have contributed to the acquisition of a large number of new books, mainly fiction, to the adult readers' department "Snezhana Yaneva" of the Slaveyche branch.

A number of awards were presented at the event for literary and artistic creativity, projects, and leaders.

In the "Poetry" section, the First Prize in the category from 7 to 10 years was awarded to 8-year-old Boris Ivanov from the Primary School "Sv. Kliment Ohridski", town of Pavlikeni. Third Prize was awarded to Angela Simeonova, 12, from the Literary Club "Pegasus (read)" at the Municipal Children's Complex in the town of Strazhitsa; Second Prize to Raya Koseva, 13, from the "Angel Karaliychev" Secondary School in the town of Strazhitsa; First Prize to Monika Stefanova, a sixth grader from the same school. In the category from 15 to 18 years there were two Second Prizes - for the tenth grader Plamen Nikolov from "Vicho Grancharov" Secondary School, Gorna Oryahovitsa and for the 16-year-old Tsvetiana Petrova from "Angel Popov" Secondary School, Veliko Tarnovo. The first prize was awarded to Simona Ivanova, a student in 12.A class of "Angel Karaliychev" Secondary School, town of Strazhitsa.

In the "Prose" section in the first age category, the Second Prize was awarded to Maxim Enev, 10 years old, from Bacho Kiro Primary School, Veliko Tarnovo, and the First Prize was awarded to the second grader Ivayla Decheva from St. Kliment Ohridski", town of Pavlikeni. In the second age category from 11 to 14 years, the library awarded the prize for originality to Atanas Grozdanov, 14 years old, from "Bacho Kiro" Primary School, Veliko Tarnovo. The third prize went to Ivayla Ivanova, 12 years old

from the same school. The second prize was awarded to Fedat Marinov, 13, and the first prize went to 12-year-old Ralitsa Angelova. Both of them are students of Mrs. Tsvetomira Nikova from the school "Angel Karaliychev" in the town of Strazhitsa. In the category from 15 to 18 years second prize went to 17-year-old Nicole Andreeva from "Georgi Izmirliev" Secondary School in Gorna Oryahovitsa. The evaluation committee unanimously decided to award First Prize to two students. These are 18-year-old Ivona-Siyana Staneva from PGSAG, town of. Simona Ivanova. Simona won the First Prize in both Poetry and Prose.

 Traditionally, the organizers also honored leaders in the Literature section for their dedication and activity in working with children. The award for active participation was awarded to Mrs. Tsvetomira Nikova, teacher at the "Angel Karaliychev" School in the town of Plovdiv. She was awarded with a prize. Her students participated with a total of 9 works and won many prizes. Mrs. Maryka Terzieva from the primary school "St. Kliment Ohridski", town of. Pavlikeni; Todorka Tsoneva, head of the Literary Club Pegasus (Cheta), at the Municipal Children's Complex - Strazhitsa; Emilia Petrova, teacher at the Primary School "Dr. Petar Beron", Strazhitsa. Elemi Beron, teacher at the University of Debelets. Students prepared by them participated with works in the section "Literature" in the edition of the competition "My hometown" for 2025.

This year we received original works in the Project section. The students from the 4th grade of the school "Nikolay Katranov", Svishtov sent us their works, on which they worked collectively. The organizers awarded a Special Prize to all of them, and also to the class teacher Mrs. Stefka Nikolaeva and to the teacher of CDO Mr. Svetoslav Savov.

In the section "Fine Arts" the award for the youngest participant was given to 5-year-old Sianna Dimitrova. The third prize for up to 10 years was awarded to the third grader Pavel Georgiev from "Tsanko Tserkovski" Secondary School, Tsanko Tserkovski. The first prize was awarded to the winner of the first prize, Prof. Pavel Tsarkovich Cherkovski, Polski Trambesh. Second prize went to 7-year-old Alexa Vankova from Panev Gallery. The jury awarded the first prize to Orlin Bosilkov, a fourth grade student of the "Sv. St. Kiril and Methodius", town of. Gorna Oryahovitsa. In this category was also awarded one Encouragement Prize to the student Magdalena Petrova from 4th grade of school "Bacho Kiro".

In the age category from 11 to 14 years, the Third Prize went to Siyana Yordanova, 11 years old, also a student at Bacho Kiro School in the town of Sofia. She is also a student of the school "Kiro Kiro", Veliko Tarnovo. Second prize went to Emma Bogdanova, 11 years old. First prize went to Ioana Yordanova, 11 years old. Both participants are representatives of Panev Gallery. In this category there were also two Incentive Awards. One went to Ivelin Angelov, a seventh grader from St. He was the seventh grade student of St. Cyril and Methodius", town of. The first prize went to. The other one went to Raya Valkova, 11 years old, from Panev Gallery. One Special Prize was awarded to 14-year-old Deborah Radulova, representative of Panev Gallery. In the age category from 15 to 18 years as always the organizers received outstanding works. The jury awarded a prize for a portrait to 17-year-old Michaela Ilieva from the "Angel Popov" School of Art and Design in the town of Plovdiv. Veliko Tarnovo. The incentive prize for portrait was awarded to her classmate Elitsa Trendafilova. An incentive prize in the category was also awarded to 15-year-old Yordanka Yordanova from the same school. The third prize was awarded to Diana Nikolova, a student in the 11th grade of the "Emilian Stanev" School in the town. She was awarded with a prize for 11th grade. Second prize was earned by 16-year-old Tatianna Rousseva from PGSAG and Stefania Grozdanova from Panev Gallery. The jury awarded the first prize to 18-year-old Vasilena Vassileva from Panev Gallery. The jury awarded a special prize to the 17-year-old Bozhidar Georgiev, a student in the 11th grade of "Emilian Stanev" School. It was his work that impressed the jury and found a special place in the exhibition. Bozhidar was also awarded a special prize by the "Movement of Enlighteners".

Award for leaders were presented to Mrs. Lazarinka Gancheva, teacher at Vladimir Komarov Secondary School, Sofia. Mr. Gabriela Panev, head of the gallery "Panev"; Magdalina Cholakova, teacher at the secondary school "Angel Popov", Veliko Tarnovo. Ms. Olga Popov, Head of the Academy of Fine Arts, Veliko Tarnovo. At the ceremony, the award for sustainable participation was also given to Mrs. Daniela Petrova, also a teacher at PGSAG "Angel Popov", Veliko Tarnovo. She was also a prize-winner, Ms. Daniela Popov, Veliko Tarnovo. The Vocational School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy are among the most active participants in the 2025 edition of "My hometown".

Official guests of the event were Rosen Ivanov - Deputy Chairman of the Municipal Council - Veliko Tarnovo; Eng. Rosalia Licheva - Head of the Regional Department of Education, Veliko Tarnovo and partner in the initiative; Penka Ignatova - Director of the Directorate of Education of the Veliko Tarnovo Municipality; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miglena Petkova - Deputy Director of the Regional Museum - Veliko Tarnovo.

For the musical design, the organizers would like to thank Adelina Sergeva, Simona Krasteva and Hristina Serafimova from "Emilian Stanev" School, with Stella Doykova as the director.

Some of the works received in the competition were placed in a festive exhibition on March 14 in the village of. Novo Selo in connection with the celebration of 150 years since the death of Matej Preobrazhensky - an awakener, scribe, prominent figure of the Bulgarian national revival.

The works of the awarded participants in the competition were displayed in an exhibition accompanying the celebration. For the finale, the guests viewed the exhibition, after which all guests and participants joined in the traditional photo for the archive of the competition.

The event is part of the cultural calendar of Veliko Tarnovo Municipality, Regional Library "Petko R. Slaveykov" and the Regional Department of Education on the occasion of the Feast of Veliko Tarnovo - March 22.

Photos from the event can be found at. Р. Slaveykov" facebook