9 Things Bulgarians Are Most Proud Of

Izlel e Delyu Haidutin is a Bulgarian folk song performed by Valya Balkanska. A recording was sent on board of the Voyager spacecrafts in 1977, along with other earthly mementos.

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Bulgarian national football team won fourth place, and this has been a major point of pride ever since. The names of the players are known by football fans from around the world, especially Hristo Stoichkov. More recently, Dimitar Berbatov and Stiliyan Petrov, who played for major British teams, have also brought prominence to Bulgaria among sports fans.

The Bulgarian volleyball team is another national team that continues to do well. Bulgarians keep up with the matches and support them avidly.

Grigor Dimitrov is the most successful Bulgarian tennis player in the last decade. He has played against some of the biggest names in tennis worldwide, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. His love affairs with Maria Sharapova and Nicole Scherzinger have also brought him much publicity.

Yogurt can be found around the world, but Bulgarians take pride in the fact that Dr. Stamen Grigorov, the scientist who discovered the bacteria that causes milk to become sour and turn into yogurt, is a Bulgarian.

The Cyrillic script is used by many nations today, including Russians, Mongolians, Serbians, and others, but Bulgarians are particularly proud that it was created by Bulgarian brothers, Cyril and Methodius. The brothers have been proclaimed as saints and are celebrated every year on May 24.

Bulgaria is a world leader in rose-oil production. Central Bulgaria’s Rose Valley has the most suitable climate and soils for roses, and you’ll find most of the fields here. Bulgarian rose oil is used in some of the most exquisite perfumes but is also used as an independent beauty product. You can buy rose water from every pharmacy and cosmetics store in Bulgaria, and many use it to cleanse their faces, as well.

There are many famous people who are actually Bulgarian, including John Atanasov, who is of Bulgarian descent. He worked with Clifford Berry to create one of the first computers.

Last but not least, Bulgarians are warm and welcoming people who will always pour a generous glass of rakia, the local fruit alcohol, for their guests. Even today, many people distill their own rakia at home and proudly share some of the secrets of the process (no added sugar, use only homegrown pears, etc).