From March 21-23, the Consul General of Bulgaria in New York, Angel Angelov, visited the Bulgarian community on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The occasion was an invitation extended to him to participate in celebrations and events marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian Educational Center in Nantucket.

The island is located about 50 km south of Cape Cod. It is believed that its name comes from a local language and means “the distant island.” Once considered the whaling capital of the world, Nantucket is also known as the hometown of Captain Ahab, the obsessed hunter of the white whale Moby Dick from Herman Melville’s bestseller Moby-Dick.

Today, the island, renowned as an exclusive and unique summer tourist destination, is home to a close-knit and dynamic Bulgarian community. Ten years ago, three Bulgarian women—Lora Nikolova, Virginia Kostadinova, and Gergana Neykova—laid the foundation of the Bulgarian school, soon joined by Jeaneta Marinov. Currently, around 50 children study there.

The success of the Bulgarian Saturday school in Nantucket is also due to its excellent collaboration with the Bulgarian School St. St. Cyril and Methodius in Boston. The school was represented at the celebration by several key figures, including President Rosen Dimitrov, Academic Director Silvia Mihaleva Eaton, Founder Zheni Tsankova, and others. The support of the Bulgarian community in Boston was evident with the presence of Father Rumen Pelovski from the Bulgarian Church St. Petka in Boston, as well as representatives of the Bulgarian Center of New England, which includes the school, the church, and the cultural center in the Boston area. Guests also included representatives from the Bulgarian school in Cape Cod, a branch of the Bulgarian school in Boston.

Over several days, the Bulgarian Educational Center in Nantucket organized various events to celebrate its first milestone anniversary, including a highly valuable educational-methodological workshop. During this session, representatives from the mentioned schools discussed best practices in their shared mission to develop Bulgarian-language education in the northeastern United States. The festivities included a school celebration featuring an exceptionally rich cultural program. Highlights included an impressive performance by young gymnasts from the Nantucket ACK Rhythmics Gymnastics Club, led by Rositsa Stefanova, and a folk performance by the school’s Bulgarian Kitka ensemble, directed by Kristina Hristova. Additionally, a gala dinner was held, where guests enjoyed outstanding performances by the Boston-based dance ensemble Ludo Mlado.

The Consul General took part in the various events commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Bulgarian school in Nantucket and presented its leadership with a certificate of recognition from Raina Mandzhukova, Executive Director of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. The certificate honors the school's contributions to preserving the Bulgarian language, culture, and traditions, as well as its role in fostering Bulgarian spiritual development and building cultural bridges between Bulgaria and the United States.

During his visit, the Bulgarian diplomat held numerous discussions with members of the Bulgarian community in Massachusetts, addressing various aspects of their cultural, educational, and religious activities.