Georgi Ivanov’s flight is significant for Bulgaria and the world, which shows that space unites us, said Alexander Borimechkov from Taraklia

The chairman of the Association for the Development of the Bulgarian Community in Moldova (ARBOM), Alexander Borimechkov, who is born and lives in Taraklia, took part live in the presentation of the April 2024 issue of LIK magazine “The Bulgarian Footprint in Space”. The event is organized by the National Press Club of BTA in Sofia, and the edition is dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the flight into Earth orbit of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov and the contribution of Bulgarian science to space research. From the BTA press club in Taraklia, Alexander Borimechkov pointed out that it is very important to remember and honor both Yuri Gagarin and other space heroes, including the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov, who flew into space in 1979. His flight is significant for Bulgaria and the world, which shows that the Cosmos unites us all, Borimechkov said.

He also shared the story of how a park named after the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin appeared in the city of Taraklia – the center of Bulgarians in Moldova – as well as Gagarin Street.

“The renaming of parks and streets in honor of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin began en masse in the Moldavian SSR immediately after his flight into space on April 12, 1961. He became a symbol of Soviet space achievements and his name was widely used to name various objects. In 1961, immediately after his historic space flight, a park in the city of Taraklia was named after Yuri Gagarin, as well as one of the streets. This is part of the all-Union campaign to name objects in honor of the first cosmonaut on the planet,” said the chairman of ARBOM.

Alexander Borimechkov also mentioned Gagarin’s visit to Moldova.

“He came to our country twice. The first time was from October 8 to 10, 1966, and it was this visit that is remembered by many. Because the second time the cosmonaut was just passing through the territory of the country together with Valentina Tereshkova in the summer of 1968, when they traveled to Sofia for the Ninth World Festival of Youth and Students. During his first visit to Moldova, Gagarin attended a Moldovan wedding and was the best man of the newlyweds. He also visited the Cricova Wine Cellars, which are the second largest in Moldova after Milestii Michi (the largest in the world). There is a legend that Gagarin got lost there and joked that it was easier to break away from the Earth than from the wine cellar in Krykova,” shared the publicist.

The seconded Methodist from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science in Taraklia Donka Nikolova, the deputy head of the Department of Education, Culture and Tourism of the Taraklia region Ludmila Shebolenko and the deputy head of the Sports School also came to the presentation of the LIK magazine at the BTA press club in Taraklia. of Taraklia district Galina Muntyan.