One of the most glorious pages in the history of Bulgarian football – 50 years since the famous victory of “Dunav” over the Italian giants “Roma” – was celebrated today at the City Stadium in Ruse.

Half a century ago – on October 1, 1975 – “Dunav” defeated the guests from the Eternal City 1:0 in Ruse in a rematch of the UEFA Cup tournament. Although the team from Ruse was eliminated after an aggregate score of 1:2, the success against one of the strongest European clubs remains as a vivid symbol of sportsmanship, will and love for the game.

On the occasion of the anniversary, a short ceremony was organized before the start of the match between “Dunav” and “Etar” from the 11th round of the Second League. The event was attended by legendary football players from the golden team of "Dunav" - Ignat Mladenov, Blagoy Dalev, Ivan Vazharov, Todor Todorov, Pavel Malinov, Lyudmil Aleksandrov, Nikola Hristov - team captain, Stoyan Iliev and Valentin Nikolaev, who were applauded loudly by the audience. The Mayor of the Municipality of Ruse Pencho Milkov presented each of them with a diploma. He also presented them with an honorary plaque in recognition of their contribution to the history of Ruse football. The Mayor congratulated the football players and thanked them for making Ruse proud of the victory for 50 years. “You showed what it means to fight until your last breath for the honor of your city and you proved that there are no impossible things, that with hard work, discipline and faith in yourself, even the greatest can be defeated. With every minute on the field, you defended not only the colors of the club, but also the dignity of Ruse. Today, five decades later, your victory continues to live on – in the memories, in the stories, in the hearts of all who are proud of you. That is why your success is an inspiration for generations of Ruse residents who love football and believe in the strength of their home team,” said Milkov.

The unforgettable teammates who are no longer with us were also mentioned with respect – Slavi Damyanov, Alexander Manolov, Ventsislav Lambev and the author of the winning goal – Todor Ivanov, who will forever remain part of the football glory of Ruse.

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Mayors Dimitar Nedev and Encho Enchev, Director of ME "Sports Properties" Lachezar Ivanov, Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov, Chairman of the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Football Union Dimitar Dimitrov-Kulimans and others. Draganov also presented an honorary plaque to the players and awarded them with diplomas. The Football Club "Dunav" honored each of the players with a commemorative statuette.

On behalf of the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Football Union, Chairman Dimitar Dimitrov-Kulimans honored Sevdalin Petrov and Volodya Surdov for their long-standing contribution to the football refereeing community and their work as delegates of the Bulgarian Football Union.

After the ceremony, the audience at the City Stadium stayed to support their beloved "Dunav" in the derby against "Etar". The football team appeals to their fans to help with the treatment of 26-year-old cancer patient Radoslav Vassilev, who is part of the match security.

A new 7-seater Renault Kangoo passenger car was provided by the Municipality of Ruse to the team of the Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration in the city.

The social institution is managed by the Third Age Foundation - Ruse and provides social services to elderly people and adults with physical and somatic disabilities who are at risk of social exclusion. The team takes care of over 50 people in need. Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev officially handed over the keys to the vehicle to the head of the center, Tsenka Dimitrova, today.

The vehicle will be used for mobile provision of health and social services to people with limited mobility and people at risk of social exclusion.

The Municipality of Ruse continues to support the development of social services in the city by providing better conditions for people with disabilities and senior citizens in need of support.

Mayor Pencho Milkov presented an honorary plaque to Nikolay Kolev

The Society of Artists in Ruse celebrated 80 years since its establishment with an eclectic exhibition, which was opened this evening at the Art Gallery. During the event, Mayor Pencho Milkov congratulated the artists on the anniversary and expressed his respect and gratitude for their contribution to the public and cultural life of Ruse and Bulgaria.

“Your society is home to generations of talented artists who, with their work and inspiration, leave lasting traces in our cultural memory. During these years, you have created and established the famous Ruse School of Painting – a phenomenon that transcends regional borders and occupies a worthy place in Bulgarian and European art history. Your canvases, drawings, graphics and sculptures carry the spirit of the Danube, the city’s architecture, the unique atmosphere and beauty of Ruse, therefore they are part of the city’s cultural identity,” the mayor emphasized.

He presented Nikolay Kolev, Chairman of the Society of Artists in Ruse, with a congratulatory address and an honorary plaque as a sign of gratitude for the spiritual wealth that the artists create and share with society.

The regional governor Dragomir Draganov also welcomed the artists, stating that over the years the Society has established itself as a place for new ideas and searches.

The Society was established on May 12, 1945 under the name "Collective of Artists in the City of Ruse". Among its founders are Kiril Stanchev, Ani Nedkova-Hadzhimisheva, Alexander Lazarov, Georgi Karakashev, Atanas Mihov and others. Today, it has 80 members, 47 of whom are participating in the exhibition.

Painting predominates in the exhibition, but graphics, icons and drawings can also be seen. As noted by the director of the gallery Eslitsa Popova, the exhibition is not retrospective, but reflects the contemporary state of the society and its authors. Both established professionals and amateurs, famous artists and young authors are represented.

Until October 31, visitors will be able to view works by Nikolay Kolev, Nikolay Karadzhov, Violeta Radkova, Grisha Kubratov, Manyo Manev, Virginia Pencheva, Tsonyo Tsonev and many others. The exhibition also includes a portrait of the teacher of the Ruse artists – Bai Kiro (Kiril Stanchev), painted by Lyubomir Nikiforov. According to Popova, surprises for the audience are the works of the young authors Plamen Monev – Jr. (Norep), who works in Berlin, and Ralitsa Georgieva.

The exhibition, uniting different styles, reveals the wealth of creative approaches, techniques and aesthetic visions of the Ruse artists and invites the audience to feel the power of the deep artistic tradition of the city.

A working meeting on the topic of "Partnership for Employment and Inclusion" was held in the "St. George" Hall of the Ruse Municipality. The event was organized by the Ruse Municipality on the initiative of parents of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and brought together representatives of state and municipal institutions, employers from various sectors, educational and cultural organizations, non-governmental structures and the parent community. The meeting was opened by the Mayor of the Ruse Municipality Pencho Milkov, and was also attended by Deputy Mayors Dimitar Nedev and Encho Enchev.

“Ruse is one of the cities in Bulgaria with the richest palette of social services – both municipal and in partnership with the non-governmental sector. But in order to have a real effect, these services must be complemented by opportunities for education, work and active social life. Only through dialogue, shared experience and joint actions can we build a sustainable environment in which young people with special needs and those with autism spectrum disorders can develop their potential and feel like full citizens of our city,” Mayor Pencho Milkov addressed the attendees. He also stated that the problem is real and believes that this meeting will mark the beginning of the joint work of the institutions and will identify the initial tasks and their solutions.

Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev also took part in the discussion, stating that society needs to learn from a very early age to accept people with special needs. He also shared that this year the charity Christmas concert, which the Municipality of Ruse is organizing, will be dedicated to the people who give their heart and soul to their work with children with special educational needs.

The initiative was provoked by the challenges faced by families after the completion of secondary education by children and young people with special needs. In most cases, due to the lack of sufficient employment opportunities, they remain at home, which makes it difficult for them to integrate into society and the labor market.

Good practices and measures to support employers and young people were presented within the program. The Director of the Labor Bureau Directorate - Ruse, Ioana Terzieva, focused on the topics of "Youth Employment" and "Youth Practices", Milena Georgieva from the Regional Educational and Cultural Organization - Ruse shared her experience in inclusive education, and Nikolay Gospodinov from the Regional Library "Lyuben Karavelov" presented his innovative project "Laboratory for Future Builders". The Social Future Foundation – JAMBA, the Children and Environment Association, the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry and partners from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy also participated in the presentation of significant initiatives.

The participants in the discussions discussed the challenges facing employment and the opportunities for building effective partnerships between institutions and businesses. Special emphasis was placed on the creation of more internships, trainings and social enterprises that would meet the real needs of young people with SEN and ASD.

The fifth international triathlon tournament "Ruse Cup" this year will be held as a duathlon due to adverse weather conditions.

The competition will take place on October 4 at the lake in Nikolovo and will include two disciplines - running and cycling. Low water and air temperatures prevented the swimming stage from taking place, explained Miglena Angelova, chairwoman of the "Triathlon-Dalyan" sports club, organizer of the event.

Over 100 athletes from Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania will participate in the competition. The start is at 8 a.m. at the Rowing Base in Nikolovo. Athletes will compete in different age groups: - 8 years and younger are in the "Sladuri" group, 9-10 years - "Benjamin", 11-12 years - "Children", 13-14 years - junior age, 15-16 - senior age, 17-19 - youth and girls, + 17 years - men and women, 40 + men and women, as well as relays of amateurs and professionals.

Among the youngest competitors will be a 6-year-old boy from the village of Banya, Karlovo region, and a 7-year-old representative from Ruse.

The classification will be individual, relay and team. All participants will receive gifts. The tournament is being held with the assistance of the Ruse Municipality.