Mayor of Ruse Municipality Pencho Milkov attended the discharge of the first baby born in Ruse Municipality in 2025. Little Samuel was born at 00:16 on January 1 at the University Hospital "Medica Ruse." The baby is in excellent health, weighs 3,370 kg and is 51 cm tall.

The birth went smoothly thanks to the on-duty medical team, which included the obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Alexander Rudnytsky, the neonatologist Dr. Rafie Osman, the midwives Shafie Sabrieva and Gergana Gateva, as well as the nurse Desislava Dimitrova.

Pencho Milkov greeted the young family from the city of Isperih, wishing them health, success and a happy childhood for Samuel. 'Your heir is not only a symbol of the new life, but also of the hope and promise that every new beginning brings with it. It is a blessing for you as parents and a reason for pride and joy. Your role is priceless and may it receive the best from you - care, love and upbringing,' he said. He presented parents Alexander and Bozidara Babevi, who already have one child, with a diploma and gifts.

The mayor of the municipality of Ruse expressed his gratitude to the doctors and medical team for the high professionalism and dedication with which they welcome the new life and bring joy to the families.

They are included in two large-scale project ideas for the development of transport, urban environment and culture

After successfully defending two large-scale project ideas under the Program "Development of the Regions' 2021-2027 last year, the Municipality of Ruse has been approved to apply for them. They are "Integrated development of boulevard infrastructure and urban transport" and "Urban environment, culture and economic development."

The first project idea aims to modernize the transport infrastructure and includes the purchase of electric buses, delivery and installation of charging stations for the needs of urban transport, renovation of bus stops in the city, rehabilitation of Blvd. "Tutrakan" and installation of filter cubes at key busy intersections.

The second project idea focuses on the creation of modern cultural and educational spaces through the construction of a new building next to the Revenue Building, major renovation of the Regional Library “Lyuben Karavelov” and “Ritual House” Ruse, as well as construction of a new outdoor stage for holding public events.

Both projects have an implementation period of 36 months, and the total value of the grant is almost BGN 43 million. The detailed project proposals will be presented to the Managing Authority of the Development of Regions Programme 2021-2027 by March 31, 2025, after which they will be considered for approval and financing.

The application guidelines under procedure BG16FFPR003-1.001 “Support for integrated urban development in the 10 urban municipalities – main growth centres” were published on 31 December 2024, with the objective being sustainable and balanced development of urban areas.

On the eve of one of the brightest holidays, the Christmas Town of the Ruse Municipality turned out to be cramped to accommodate the members of the National Community Center "Prosveta - 1915", who kept the tradition and called for health, prosperity and well-being. The Christmas carolers were welcomed by the "owner" of the town - the mayor Pencho Milkov.

"This ritual is performed to remain in the heart and soul of every person. Only by preserving traditions will we preserve ourselves as a people and move forward, succeeding," said the mayor. He wished the people of Ruse and the guests of the city to welcome the approaching Christmas and New Year holidays with their loved ones in peace and warmth.

The participants presented carols, including those dedicated to Saint George - the patron saint of the city. In the spirit of the ritual, they also "sang" the maiden from the reenactment of the customs "Christmas Eve" and "Caroling", recreating scenes filled with the magic of Bulgarian tradition. The most attractive participant was two-year-old Simeon, who is participating in the ritual for the first time.

The festive table was the center of attention. Blessings for health and fertility were pronounced at it, predictions were made for the new year, and the ritual bread "Bogovitsa" was solemnly broken. The mayor also contributed to the ritual by tying a strong knot on a traditional woven cloth - a symbol of health and prosperity.

Those present and participants enjoyed the traditional Christmas banitsa and the ritual pita, which complemented the festive atmosphere.

The event is part of the Christmas and New Year Festival of the Municipality of Ruse and is organized by the folklore ensemble for authentic customs and rituals at the National Community Center "Prosveta - 1915"  in the district "Dolapite" under the artistic direction of the chairman Snezhana Atanasova.

"We have commissioned a large-scale renovation of the swimming pool of the sports school in Ruse, which has not been done since the building was built. The conditions in which the children train are one of the reasons for them to achieve high sports results." This was stated by Mayor Pencho Milkov during his visit today to the Sports School "Major At. Uzunov" to inspect the swimming pool in the educational institution and its adjacent premises. He was accompanied by his deputy Borislav Rachev and the director of the ME "Sports Properties" Lachezar Ivanov.

The activities include a complete renovation of the cladding of the facility, as well as the room in which it is located. The sanitary facilities and changing rooms are currently being renovated. Preparations are also being made for a complete renovation of the moisture removal system, which has not been done for decades. In this way, the conditions of the users of the swimming pool from both the school and sports clubs, as well as from citizens, will be significantly improved. The activities are part of the overall policy of the Municipality of Ruse to provide a better environment for the development of swimming sports.

The renovation of the boxing hall, located in the school where the Lokomotiv Sports Club trains, was recently completed. Activities were carried out on the energy efficiency of the room, as well as a complete renovation of the sanitary facilities and changing rooms. A wall in the hall was also painted with the colors of the Bulgarian tricolor.

We recall that in 2021, the swimming pool in the sports school and the boxing hall were transferred to the management of the ME "Sports Properties", following a decision of the Municipal Council. Since then, they have been managed by the Municipality of Ruse, in order to give more people the opportunity to develop their favorite sports and to meet the expectations of the sports clubs. The decision came after a letter from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which indicated that the school's budget was not sufficient to ensure the educational and training process.

The traditional Christmas concert of the Children's and Girls' Choir "Danube Waves" at the Municipal Children's Center for Culture and Art was held in the "Europe" hall of the Dokhodno zdanie. Under the leadership of conductor Vesela Todorova and accompanied by pianist Gergana Vicheva, the concert presented a diverse musical program, including works by Bulgarian and international composers.

The event was honored by the Deputy Mayor of Ruse Municipality Nikola Lazarov, who welcomed the participants and attendees on behalf of Mayor Pencho Milkov. In his address, Lazarov drew attention to the significant successes of the Children's Choir "Danube Waves" achieved in 2024, including two awards won in September at the International Choir Festival "Music and the Sea" in Greece. Then the choir won first place in the "Children's Choirs" category, and Vesela Todorova was awarded the special award for best conductor. We remind you that the Women's Chamber Choir "Danube Waves" at the "Angel Kanchev 1901" National Community Center also participated in the same competition, which also impressed the audience and the jury.

The program of the Christmas concert included performances of works by Boris Karadimchev, Petar Leondev, Lyubomir Denev, Hristo Nedyalkov, Petar Petrov, as well as a number of popular Christmas songs.

The Women's Chamber Choir "Danube Waves" at the "Angel Kanchev 1901" National Community Center also participated in the concert with performances of works by Dobri Hristov, Robert Schumann, John Davis, Debbie Wood and Mikhail Leontovich, as well as traditional Spanish, French and Polish Christmas songs.