For Radnevo the year 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of pronouncing it a town. A committee headed by the mayor Noncho Vodenicharov was set to organize the celebrations. A number of Bulgarian intellectuals, members of the Spiritual Development Council, took part in the preparations and the actual celebrations – Anton Donchev, Pavel Matev, Prof. Bozhidar Dimitrov, Valeri Pterov, Prof. Andrei Pantev, Prof. Vassil Prodanov, Lyubomir Levchev, Christina Angelakova, with Ivan Granitski as coordinator.

In front of Radnevo town hall. The municipal governing body – Mr. Noncho Vodenicharov, Mr. Georgi Koev, Mr. Valentin Gerasimov and the management of the Maritza Iztok Mines - the Deputy Executive Directors Georgi Georgiev and Sabimir Stoyanov, meeting Minister Kovachev

Within the various festivities, the May Days of Culture and folk celebrations with dance groups from Thailand, Turkey, Hungary and Italy took place. August marked the premier of the collection of poems by the poet Stoyan Radichev. Neshka Robeva’s show “Are You Ready?” and the play “Talkshow from Hell” by A.G. Fenwick with the participation of Vassil Michailov, Ivailo Christov and Delyana Hadjiyankova were performed on the Radnevo stage.

The celebrations would not have been complete without the traditional Radnevo fair and a folk song contest between local groups. The Minister of Energy and Energy Resources Milko Kovachev arrived to convey his congratulations to Mayor Noncho Vodenicharov personally. A special event was the Sixth International Folklore Festival. And the wrestling tournament Krilat Dimo, one of the local traditions, drew many spectators to the town stadium.

September 7 marked the culmination with the official session and the announcing of the honorary citizens and bearers of the Radnevo award. Among the official guests were the Stara Zagora bishop Galaktion, the Regional Governor Maria Neikova, the Chairman of the State Energy and Energy Regulation Committee Konstantin Shoushoulov, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Waters Manuela Georgieva, Mr. Dimitar Goushterov, MPs for Stara Zagora region, Mr. Shteryo Shterev, Executive Director of Maritza Iztok Mines EAD, Mr. Atanas Dimitrov, Executive Director of Maritza Iztok 2 TPP EAD and mayors from the region. Prof. Ivan Slavov donated a 120-year old Bible, which belonged to his grandfather – the first priest and teacher in Radnevo. The guests planted some trees in the Intellectual’s Lane. There was an opening of the exhibition of the Radnevo painter Georgi Karadjov, who is also a bearer of the Radnevo award. The celebrations ended with a concert of the Planet TV stars.