Today in the yard of the Armenian Church in Ruse was held a ceremony for the consecration of a stone cross /khachkar/ in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The ritual was led by His Eminence Bishop Tatev Hagopyan – Bishop of the Armenian Diocese in Romania and Bishop's Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Bulgaria, and Father Dirayr Khadavyan – Pastor of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church "Surp Astvadzadzin" ("St. Theotokos") in Ruse. A special guest of the event was the Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev.

"Today is especially important for the Armenian community. With the consecration of this cross, the traditions and faith of the ancestors of this ancient people are honored, and a connection is created between the past, present and future. Let this khachkar be a symbol of peace, hope and empathy," said the Deputy Mayor.

The stone cross is made of Armenian tuff and rises to more than a meter in height. The entire Armenian community and a number of donors contributed to the sacred symbol being placed in the courtyard of the oldest church in the city. The event was supported by the Union of Armenians in Europe, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Pan-Armenian Benevolent Union in the city.

The ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Bulgaria H. E. Armen Edigaryan, the Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov, representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Father Walter Gorra from the Ruse Catholic Church "St. Paul of the Cross", as well as many believers who came to touch the sacred symbol.

Before the ceremony, a holy liturgy was performed for the ordination of three subdeacons and one reader, who will henceforth serve in "Surp Astvadzadzin". Their elevation into a church sacrament was performed by Bishop Tatev Agopyan and Father Dirair Hadavyan. Such an elevation to a spiritual rank has not happened for years in the Ruse Armenian Church.

Khachkar consists of two words - hach ​​/cross/ and stone /kar/. Traditionally, each stone cross does not repeat its ornamentation, but observes certain stylistic rules. The khachkar is a unique manifestation of Armenian culture and one of the most typical symbols of the identity of the ancient people. The stone cross was registered in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.

Today, Mayor Pencho Milkov and the Director of the ''SOS Children's Village Veliko Tarnovo – Gabrovo – Tryavna'' Ivan Hristoforov signed a contract for the provision of the social service "Crisis Center for Unaccompanied Children, Foreign Nationals and Refugee Children at Risk" in Ruse. The term of the contract is for a period of two years, starting from August 1.

"The way we treat people in need is indicative of our growth as a society. I believe that the trust you have built so far in the country is indicative of your abilities. It is a privilege for us that you will develop your activities in our city as well," said the mayor. He wished success to the service provider and said that the cooperation between the local administration and SOS Children's Villages Bulgaria is also an opportunity for the Municipality of Ruse to develop its capacity.

The choice for the management of the Crisis Center was made after a competition, and the funding for the activity is in accordance with a subsidy from the state budget. The control over the implementation will be carried out by the municipal administration as the contracting authority.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev, the Director of the Social and Health Activities Directorate Milena Vlahova and the Head of the Social Activities Department Gergana Pasheva.

We remind you that the service is a state-delegated activity and was opened on the territory of the municipality of Ruse on November 1, 2022 by an order for preliminary approval of the Executive Director of the Social Assistance Agency and by a decision of the Municipal Council.

The capacity of the service is 16 children, for whom 24 hours of specialized care are provided by a team of 12 members.

Currently, 13 children from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Syria are accommodated. Since the beginning of the opening of the service, 56 unaccompanied children from 6 countries have found temporary shelter.
The need to disclose this service was identified by the refugee wave and the frequent cases of detention of unaccompanied refugee children at the Danube Bridge border checkpoint, as well as the lack of appropriate services on the territory of the municipality of Ruse.

The service operates successfully, receiving the necessary methodological and expert support from the Municipality of Ruse, non-governmental organizations with experience in the field and state authorities at local and national level.

SOS Children's Villages Bulgaria Association is the first civil rights organization in the country that provides direct care for children at risk. Bulgaria For more than a quarter of a century, SOS Children's Villages Bulgaria has been offering family-type care and support to the family and actively advocating for the rights of children and young people.

More and different social and educational services on the territory of the municipality of Ruse are envisaged by the UNICEF Representation for Bulgaria. This became clear at the meeting held between Mayor Pencho Milkov and Ramiz Behbudov - Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Bulgaria, Desislava Encheva - Ivanova - Program Director "Community Services" of UNICEF in Bulgaria and Lora Voynova - Program Coordinator of the State Agency for Refugees.

"With its already 50 social services, the Municipality of Ruse has the competencies and the desire to further expand their scope and reach as many people in need as possible. Our partnership with UNICEF can only increase our capabilities and help us develop the potential of our employees, as well as improve customer care," said the mayor.

During the meeting, the possibilities for wider cooperation between the representation of the world organization and the local administration were discussed. UNICEF offers further funding for a number of projects affecting refugees and foreign nationals seeking protection, as well as the needs of local users of social services. The long-term joint activity will also cover employee training and educational programmes for the benefit of vulnerable groups and consumers in need of additional qualifications for better integration into society. Support is also provided in controlling cases of minors with problematic behavior.

Future projects will start in early September, when a cooperation agreement will be signed. The activities will be selected according to the needs of the municipality and will aim at sustainable and long-term results.
For his part, Ramiz Behbudov pointed out the fact that the Municipality of Ruse is the only one that has practical experience in dealing with crises affecting foreign citizens. He said that the control of the unprecedented situation with the thousands of Ukrainian citizens who sought refuge in the city at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine is indicative of the capabilities and capacity available to the administration. The COVID-19 crisis was also given as an example, when an adequate organization was created to prevent the mass spread of the infection.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Mayor for Social Activities, Health and Transport Dimitar Nedev and the Director of the Social and Health Activities Directorate Milena Vlahova.
We remind you that in June 2023, the Municipality of Ruse signed a memorandum of cooperation with UNICEF. With it, the local administration is committed to cooperate with the world organization to support the most vulnerable children with information and access to social services and inclusion, as well as protection from violence. The Memorandum also aims to coordinate communication with competent authorities and official providers of social services on the territory of Ruse Municipality.

More and different social and educational services on the territory of the municipality of Ruse are envisaged by the UNICEF Representation for Bulgaria. This became clear at the meeting held between Mayor Pencho Milkov and Ramiz Behbudov - Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Bulgaria, Desislava Encheva - Ivanova - Program Director "Community Services" of UNICEF in Bulgaria and Lora Voynova - Program Coordinator of the State Agency for Refugees.

"With its already 50 social services, the Municipality of Ruse has the competencies and the desire to further expand their scope and reach as many people in need as possible. Our partnership with UNICEF can only increase our capabilities and help us develop the potential of our employees, as well as improve customer care," said the mayor.

During the meeting, the possibilities for wider cooperation between the representation of the world organization and the local administration were discussed. UNICEF offers further funding for a number of projects affecting refugees and foreign nationals seeking protection, as well as the needs of local users of social services. The long-term joint activity will also cover employee training and educational programmes for the benefit of vulnerable groups and consumers in need of additional qualifications for better integration into society. Support is also provided in controlling cases of minors with problematic behavior.

Future projects will start in early September, when a cooperation agreement will be signed. The activities will be selected according to the needs of the municipality and will aim at sustainable and long-term results.

For his part, Ramiz Behbudov pointed out the fact that the Municipality of Ruse is the only one that has practical experience in dealing with crises affecting foreign citizens. He said that the control of the unprecedented situation with the thousands of Ukrainian citizens who sought refuge in the city at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine is indicative of the capabilities and capacity available to the administration. The COVID-19 crisis was also given as an example, when an adequate organization was created to prevent the mass spread of the infection.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Mayor for Social Activities, Health and Transport Dimitar Nedev and the Director of the Social and Health Activities Directorate Milena Vlahova.

We remind you that in June 2023, the Municipality of Ruse signed a memorandum of cooperation with UNICEF. With it, the local administration is committed to cooperate with the world organization to support the most vulnerable children with information and access to social services and inclusion, as well as protection from violence. The Memorandum also aims to coordinate communication with competent authorities and official providers of social services on the territory of Ruse Municipality.

The current challenges in the development of social services were discussed today by experts during a regional meeting organized by the Municipality of Ruse and the National Alliance for Social Responsibility (NASP). The discussion took place in the Battenberg Hall of the Regional History Museum and was attended by the Chairman of the Management Board of NASP Georgi Georgiev, the Director of the Social and Health Activities Directorate in the Municipality of Ruse Milena Vlahova, Diana Petrova - Director of the Control, Monitoring and Licensing of Social Services Directorate at the Agency for the Quality of Social Services (AQSS), the Director of the Regional Social Assistance Directorate in Ruse Venelina Pencheva, managers and specialists from social assistance directorates, municipalities, providers and teams of social services. The event was hosted by Elena Petkova, representative of NASP for Ruse and Chairperson and Program Director of the ''Equilibrium'' Association.

At the beginning of the meeting, Milena Vlahova delivered a congratulatory address on behalf of Mayor Pencho Milkov. "I believe that through the constructive dialogue and joint efforts of all attendees, the quality of the social services we provide to citizens will be further improved. I thank all participants for your contribution to the development of the social sphere," says the greeting of the Mayor of Ruse Municipality.

The Chairman of the Board of NASP Georgi Georgiev thanked the local administration for the organized meeting. "Ruse is one of the leading cities in the development of social services and social policies. In terms of the way services are managed, the municipality is in one of the leading places, and very often it is in first place. Here many services are managed by external contractors and the percentage of this indicator in Ruse is almost the same as in Europe and around the world, and this is a very good indicator," Georgiev stressed.

Snezhana Georgieva, Chief Expert at the Regional Social Assistance Directorate in Ruse, said that a good dialogue and interaction between the institutions has been established, which is the basis for the successful implementation of activities for resolving individual cases.



The Director of the Social and Health Activities Directorate Milena Vlahova presented the social services on the territory of the Municipality of Ruse. As of July 1, 2024, a total of 50 social services are provided. 44 of them are on state-delegated activities, including 3 specialized institutions for adults; 3 social services and 1 health and social service - municipal activities; 1 social service "Care at Home" and the "Personal Assistance" Mechanism. In the provision of social services, the Municipality partners with 12 non-governmental organizations. As of the end of June 2024, approximately 4500 residents of Ruse use various social and municipal services. About 2000 employees have been hired to help those in need. The newest service related to early childhood development has been implemented since July this year. A multidisciplinary mobile team has been created, which will work on the territory of the nine nurseries in the city.
Vlahova also highlighted some of the priorities the directorate is facing. One of them is caring for people with dementia. It became clear that many letters are received from relatives of people with dementia with the desire to accommodate the patients in the "Prista" specialized home. Vlahova stressed that solving this problem should be one of the directorate's priorities - to find an opportunity to support the families of people with this neurological disease, without breaking away from their usual home environment.
Diana Petrova from the Agency for the Quality of Social Services (AQSS) also spoke in support of Vlahova. "We have to get used to seeing social services as support activities. And we must focus our efforts on developing the services in a home environment", stated Diana Petrova.
The meeting continued with the sharing of good practices and a discussion on the challenges in the provision of social services.

Just a month after being awarded as one of the 10 finalists of the prestigious National Competition "TOP 10 Bulgarian Dance Folklore" 2024 for amateur groups and performers, the Folklore Ensemble "Ruschukliyche" at the Municipal Children's Center for Culture and Art took part in two international folklore festivals. With these performances, the active season for the performers from Ruse ended.

The youth formation of the ensemble showed talent at the XXIV International Folklore Festival in Montenegro, where it competed with groups from Bulgaria, Latvia, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Greece and North Macedonia. The concert group also participates in the IX International Folklore Festival in the town of Sofia. Paralia, Greece, which was respected by the Secretary General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Thessaloniki
In Montenegro, a concert parade took place in the towns of Petrovac and Bar, where the young people of Ruse caused a furor with their impressive costumes and impressive presentations. The ensemble walked around the Koturski Bay, which will remain an unforgettable memory for the performers and their leader and assistant leader Nelly Garvalova and Angel Ivanov

In Greece, music and dance works from different folklore regions of our country were presented, which were applauded for their exceptional attractiveness and unique rhythm.

Folklore ensemble "Ruschukliyche" represented Ruse with dignity in the two European countries, and there are already invitations for subsequent events.