Great contribution for today’s state of the garden has Dr. Krasimir Kosev, Director of the three botanic gardens of Alma Mater – in Sofia, Varna and Balchik. A high-class expert, who has specialized in England and is a member of the World Botanic Garden Council, Dr. Kosev said that only with great skill, desire, love and Sisyphean labor a neglected garden can be turned into an exotic paradisiacal place. With justified pride, the director of the gem of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast said that if Bulgaria was anticipating its accession to the European Union, the Botanic Garden became a member of the European Botanic Gardens, seated in London, in 1996 and is a part of the big European family. The garden is an open institution and builds up the educational spirit and consciousness that the vegetable kingdom is the link between heaven and earth. Last year the Botanic Garden received 130,000 BGN aid from state institutions and private companies. The money will be used to build new hothouses, for technical equipment and development.

Under the skillful guidance of Dr. Kosev, the garden team has won participation in an international project together with Italy, Austria and the Royal Botanic Gardens of total worth 700,000 euro. The Bulgarian partner will receive 80,000 euro for the instruction in Botany of students from 1st to 8th grade. Here we should mention the selfless assistance of Dr. Krasimir Kosev’s team in the person of Dr. Ognyan Iliev, deputy director, Valya Mashkarova, director of the Botanic Garden in Balchik, the tireless biologists, botanists and workers, who during the season number over 70.

An undisputable success and a good way to mark the 50th jubilee was the opening of the so far only in Bulgaria garden adapted for handicapped visitors. This garden is situated at the site of what used to be a nursery garden and the first sod was turned two years ago by the vice rector of Sofia University Prof. Angel Popov. It complies with the international requirements for inclination and width of the alleys. Charming are the two ponds with water-lilies, the petunia fountains, the collection of annuals, the rosarium with 16 species of beautiful roses. Decorative fishes swim in the fountain in the central part. A rockery is mapped out and is still to be built. The new garden is lighted and water-supplied. Stone benches are placed at suitable spots.

Consecration of the only garden in Bulgaria meeting the international requirements for access of people with disabilities, July 27, 2005

The team of the University Botanic Garden in Balchik received salutatory addresses from President Georgi Parvanov, the Rector of Alma Mater Prof. Boyan Biolchev, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Nina Chilova, the Chairperson of the Bulgarian Botanic Gardens Prof. Dobrina Temniskova, the Deputy Chairman of the Union of Scientists Prof. Angel Popov, and the Director of the Cultural Institute “The Palace”.