Mr. Georgi Ivanov – Mayor of Haskovo

Everything in Haskovo amazes. The citizens of this clean, green and calm city enjoy spacious pedestrian zones, rich cultural life and many social acquisitions. The people are proud to be its citizens.

On the Mother of God's Nativity, the Day of Haskovo, we met with the Mayor Mr. Georgi Ivanov to ask him, although in a high, festive atmosphere, how he managed to achieve so much. And we found out that he was led by the maxim: Do what you have to do and God be with it. “I do many things as I think they should be done and see, the results are good.” Yes, we witnessed wonderful festive days that made happy young and old alike. We couldn't but see how much effort, hard work and love had been invested in them. And, as the mayor said: “The Nativity of the Mother of God, the guardian of Haskovo, has always been celebrated here. The first church in the town bears her name, and today the monument Mother of God rises high above the town – to protect it.”

Mr. Ivanov, on such festive days one is tempted to strike a balance. What is the balance for Haskovo? How do you promote the town's development as a mayor?
The citizens have to strike the balance. They decide what has to happen and whether they are contented with the government.

A mayor cannot promote anything. The law gives him no possibilities to enhance the economy, the development. Because we are not entitled to stimulate investors in any way. The law does not permit us to decrease taxes or to exempt from them. We may only provide land. But we have to organize tenders for it, too, because if we give it at a low price, we will be prosecuted.

What a mayor can do, and what is one of his duties, is to improve the infrastructure, the living environment. But you have to ask the citizens about the effect of my efforts. My comment would only defend my position. So, ask them and no matter what their assessment is – positive or negative, write it down. There is always something more to be desired. And the pretensions of the citizens are now bigger. Because they have achieved a satisfactory level, but it is still not enough. There is more to be done.

{mosiamge}We have the impression that the citizens of Haskovo feel well and comfortable in their city.
I think that changing Haskovo's image, we made its citizens love it. The change created self-confidence in the people. I must say that when I took office I found severe ruin – what can we say of a town that had no electric street lighting!

But now it is clean and lighted up…
Until now we concentrated on the central city part, but now the turn of the others has come. The outskirts are developing and expanding, anyway.

Haskovo has established itself as an economic and commercial center in the region. In the last couple of years the population has grown by 4 thousand people. People want to live here and this, I think, is quite indicative.

Your town enjoys significant social benefits. Tell us about them.
One is that we organized the meals at the kindergartens, cr?ches, healthcare institutions and homes for elderly people with a kitchen-mother. This guarantees the quality of food under very strict control. The social patronage has increased from 100 to 180-200 people to whom we bring food every noon. The babies' kitchen has also grown twofold.

Our capacities are limited. But we renovated a home for elderly people, we are also proud of Malina Home for handicapped children, which is perfect. We take great pride in it – it was built with the support of the Ministry and we developed it further. The social sphere depends on subsidies, it is state policy.

But we have a serious problem with the people who have no homes. We have a record of over 500 people in extreme need and for 5-6 years now nothing new has been built, we don't have funds. We are now completing a block of flats, thus starting to solve this issue. We also had to renovate some public buildings – the sports hall and playground, the theater, the municipality building; we have made some repairs in all schools and kindergartens.

A team of 80 people is engaged in the town's gardening. We have a winter greenhouse and a nursery garden. I am proud of the pedestrian zone – few towns have it.

Surely you have other ideas, too.
I never speak about what I am planning to do. It is different if the state has committed itself to do something. Minister Maslarova undertook an engagement for the building of houses for the socially disadvantaged and large families and I can feel confident that this will happen. Currently some of these people live in illegal houses that have to be demolished. We decided to think about where to move them before we demolish the houses. At the meeting with Minister Maslarova were present the Ambassador of Great Britain and the Lord Mayor of Leicester, who will support us too.

The Mother of God Monument is in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest in the world. How did you achieve this?
It was not an end in itself. At the site there was an abandoned monument foundation. When in 1999 I became mayor, this was among the problems to be solved. Traveling around the world, I gathered ideas. The first one – to put a cross, was very trivial. And spontaneously the idea was born to erect a statue of the Mother of God – the protector of our town. The project was presented before the Municipal Council and approved. And it was after its implementation that the idea of applying for the Guinness Book of Records came. It turned out that this was the biggest monument of the Mother of God in the world. A chapel was built at its foot, which imitates an old church and is unique for its stone altar.

The program of the celebrations is amazing with its richness and variety. How did you do so well?
Experience. I dare say that after New Year, already in February-March we start working on this holiday. We make the programs, contract the performers (usually this is the hardest part). The trend and the main requirement in drawing a program is to cover all age groups and all spheres. Around May it is ready, I approve it and we start the preparations: placards, stages, outdoor decoration. This is a process that takes about six months, such things are not done in a couple of days. We take into consideration the hours and the places of the events, the audience. Everything is carried out by a team at the Education and Culture Directorate.

I think these festive days are necessary for the people of the town. It is good that they are in the autumn, when people are back from their holidays, the students prepare themselves for school and we help them adjust to the everyday life, to work.

You have good connections with the city of Leicester, UK. What does the cooperation with this town give you?
This cooperation gives us above all self-confidence. The people from Leicester respect their relationship with us, there is no looking down but a feeling of solidarity. The support we receive from there – firemen's cars, vans, busses, computers, medicines, etc. is necessary both in the material and in the moral aspect. Because a town like ours, which is somewhere on the map, is recognized in its relations with a town in the UK, and not a small one.

We expect financial and organizational support for the reconstruction and the improvement of the homes for elderly people in Haskovo. We are happy with what's going on. The delegation from Leicester for the Haskovo days comprises 15 people and is led by the Mayor, the Vice Mayor, the heads of the fire-station and of the police-station, of the social services. I think that this is a proof of respect. We will also sign a protocol for cooperation in many spheres.

On the emblem of the town it says “dignity and faith”. Is this how you look to the future?
Definitely with optimism!