News - USA, Chicago, Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria

From August 29 to September 1, 2025, the 104th Convention of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization (MPO) in the United States and Canada took place in Chicago. For more than a century, the MPO has been a guardian of the cultural heritage of Macedonian Bulgarians in America.

A number of important decisions were adopted during the convention. Two MPO chapters were reestablished: “Rodina” in Indiana and “Brothers Miladinov” in Los Angeles, the latter founded by Christina and Teodora Atanasovi-Brown, a mother and daughter with roots in Štip, North Macedonia. Sebastian Lebamov, Boyan Lazarevski, and Dr. Ivan Dinev were elected to the Central Committee. The organization continued its work on the digitization of its archives, while the Macedonian Tribune, the official newspaper of the MPO, will now be accessible to the wider public.

Among the official guests of the convention were Svetoslav Stankov, Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago; Prof. Georgi Nikolov and Assoc. Prof. Naum Kaytchev from the Macedonian Scientific Institute in Sofia (founded in 1923); as well as Dr. Andrey Kovatchev, Member of the European Parliament and head of the Bulgarian delegation in the EP.

The “Pirin” MPO Chapter in Chicago organized a lecture dedicated to the women revolutionaries of IMRO, along with a screening of the film “The Avenger”, honoring Mara Buneva. Participants were also greeted by her descendant, Anna-Mari Buneva.

The cultural program featured performances by the “Vivanov” Ensemble of Chicago and singer Sonia Membranio, who performed well-known songs from the Macedonian region. The Macedonian-Bulgarian “Goce Delchev” Foundation presented Consul General Svetoslav Stankov with an honorary plaque.

Consul General Stankov expresses its deep gratitude to the Central Committee of MPO, volunteers, and sponsors, whose efforts helped turn the Chicago convention into a significant event honoring the common history, culture, and traditions.