TOLERANCE

BULGARIAN ETHNIC MODEL PRESUMES A RESPECT FOR THE IDENTITY OF MINORITIES

AIMS:

Make students think about the necessity of being tolerant to other people who are different from them.

Bulgaria is famous for its cultural diversity –ethnic and religious. Students should agree that this diversity of the population of Bulgaria makes it richer and we should keep alive the cultural originality and provide the necessary conditions for that.

Religious tolerance – very important nowadays.

TASKS:

1. The students are asked to say what tolerance is according to them. They are given papers where they write their answers which are put on the board and read in front of all

Expected answers: Tolerance is-friendliness, respect, thoughtfulness, equality, brotherhood, civil rights, equal opportunity, fellowship, altruism, broad-mindedness, freedom, humanity, sympathy, understanding, fairness, mildness, soft-heartedness, honesty, integrity, friendliness, friendship, generosity, helpfulness

2. The students are asked to say if they know anything about the religious diversity of Bulgarian population and which religious group has the most members, which is the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth

Expected answers:

• The biggest religious group in Bulgaria are the Bulgarian Orthodox Christians- about 6,5 million
• The second religious group are the Muslims –almost 1 million
• The third religious group are the Roman Catholic Christians-about 44 thousand
• The fourth religious group are the Protestant Christians-about 42 thousand
• The fifth religious group are the Jews-8 thousand

3. The student are asked to say what they know about each of the mentioned religious group and their existence in Bulgaria ( What do you know about the religious groups living in Bulgaria?)

Expected answers:

• Eastern Orthodox Christians-most citizens of Bulgaria belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church which was founded in 870AD under the Patriarchate of Constantinople and has been autocephalous since 927. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is the independent national church of Bulgaria like the other national branches of Eastern Orthodoxy and is considered an inseparable element of Bulgarian national consciousness. Bulgarians adopted Christianity in 865 during the rule of Boris I.
• Muslims-The Muslim population of Bulgaria, including Turks, Pomaks, Gypsies, and Tatars, lived mainly in northeastern Bulgaria and in the Rhodope Mountains. Most of the Muslims in Bulgaria are Sunni. They have their root in our country in 14^th century
• Roman Catholicism-it is the third largest religious congregation in Bulgaria. It has roots in the country since the Middle Ages and is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.
• Protestants-Protestantism was introduced in Bulgaria by missionaries from the United States during the National Revival period. The two main denominations are Methodists and Congregationalists.
• Jews- After the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire a number of Jews persecuted in the Byzantine Empire may have settle in Bulgaria. Jews settled here in the 10^th-11^th centuries from Italy too. In fact, the really large influx of Jews to the Balkans began after 1492, when they were driven away from Spain and they were tolerantly treated both by the authorities and by the population of the Peninsula as a whole.

4. The students are shown religious monuments of all the mentioned religious groups living in Bulgaria. They are asked to say what they know about them. Some possible answers are:

1. CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS

• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – it is the capital city of Bulgaria and it is among the biggest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in Europe
• Rila Monastery-it is the largest monastery in Bulgaria. It was founded in 10^th century by St. John of Rila. It has an important role for our culture, history and architecture. Lots of tourists visit it every year.
• Dryanovo Monastery –situated near the town of Dryanovo . Dryanovo is very close to Veliko Tarnovo which has been a capital city of Bulgaria during the time when this monastery was founded.
• Sokolski Monastery- It is situated near the town of Gabrovo in 19^th century.
• Troyan Monastery-it is the third largest monastery in our country and was founded around 16^th century. It is famous for its icon called-‘The three-handed Virgin’-it is one of the holiest icons for Christians
• Bachkovo Monastery - The “Assumption” monastery is the second large monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the western part of Rodope Mountain 10 km away from Asenovgrad. It was founded by Grigoriy Bukuriani – Georgian military commander who was at the service of the Byzantine Emperor.

2. MUSLIM MONUMENTS

·        Tumbul Mosque –it is situated in the town of Shumen –it is famous for it’s dome and at present  it is a place that is often visited by many tourists. It is the largest mosque in Bulgaria.

·        Banya Bashi Mosque –it is the oldest mosque in Bulgaria, it is situated in the capital city-Sofia. The name means ‘ many baths’ because it was built in the place where there was natural spa.
The Mosque in Madan-it is situated in an area densely populated by Muslims –the Rhodopes Mountains

3. ROMAN CATHOLIC MONUMENTS

• the church in the city of Plovdiv- it is situated in the region where lots of Roman Catholics live
• the church in Russe-there is a Catholic religious minority that lives in this beautiful Danube town
• the church in the town of Rakovsky- it is a town mainly populated by Roman Catholics

4. PROTESTANT MONUMENTS

• the church in Varna- Varna is called the sea capital of Bulgaria since it is situated by the Black Sea . There is a Protestantism minority living here.

5. JEWISH MONUMENTS

• the Synagogue in Sofia-it is situated in Sofia and is one of the most beautiful sightseeings for tourists visiting the Bulgarian capital
• the Synagogue in Vidin-in this Danube town there are lots of Jews living in peace with the other religious groups

CONCLUSION: We live on the Balkan peninsula – it is the place where lots of problems between the different ethnic groups exist. But Bulgaria is tolerant to the minorities living in its territory. We have lived together for centuries. And we have learnt that humanity can be tested in the way the majority treats the minority.

Developed and Conducted: Antoaneta Lyudmilova