A Bulgarian Exhibition and a Documentary Film were Presented for the First Time in Abuja
With the assistance of the State Institute for Culture within the framework of the Week of Francophonie (March 18-26, 2023) in Abuja, on March 21, 2023, with a very high interest from the Nigerian public, the Bulgarian community, federal institutions and the diplomatic corps, were presented the exhibition "Bulgarian Monuments under the Protection of UNESCO" and the documentary film "The Way of Light", which tells about the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and about Bulgarian education and culture and Slavic literature.
Special guests at the event were Mrs. Mariam Katagum, Nigeria's Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, who is a former Permanent Representative of her country to UNESCO, as well as the Director General of the Nigerian Council for Culture and the Arts, Mr. Otunba Ramsue.
In their greetings, the Bulgarian ambassador Yanko Yordanov and the director of the French Institute in Abuja, Mr. Raphael Pon, emphasized the importance of popularizing Bulgarian culture and history and the opportunity that the Week of Francophonie in Abuja provides for this purpose. Ambassador Yordanov emphasized that this year Bulgaria celebrates the 30th anniversary of its accession as a member of the International Organization of Francophonie.
An introduction to the historical context of the film "The Way of Light" and an overview of the monuments under the protection of UNESCO, included in the exhibition, was made by Mrs. Raya Schifferle-Stoyanova, who made a significant voluntary contribution during the preparation of the event.
The exhibition "Bulgarian Monuments under the Protection of UNESCO" and the documentary film "The Way of Light" were provided by the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, with whose support a number of Bulgarian events from the program of the Week of Francophonie in Abuja are realized.
The exhibition "Bulgarian Monuments under the Protection of UNESCO" is one of the traveling exhibitions of the Institute and will be presented in the coming months in other cities in Nigeria and in the region.