Burgas

Turkish schools:

The existence of a mekteb (turkish primary school) in Burgas is attested in 1722-1723. There is evidence for the existence of a Turkish primary school during the Crimean War (1853-56), and later, at the end of the XIX century, of a secondary one.

Greek schools:

An old church-type school ("gramatodidaskaleio") existed in Burgas since the end of the 18th century. In 1845 the Greek community in Burgas, aided by Greek municipalities in the neighboring villages, replaced the old church school with a new modern Lancastrian school. In 1862, a secondary Greek school is established. A primary school for girls was also established, but closed down two years later due to financial problems, to be opened only in 1879.[1] It is noteworthy that in the Greek primary school taught briefly (1866-68) Ulysses Nikolov Popov (born in Burgas in 1840 into a family of settlers in the city) later ordained as Bulgarian (Exarchate) Bishop of Varna and Preslav under the name Simeon.

After Bulgarian autonomy and the unification of Eastern Rumelia to Bulgaria (1885), there exist basically two Greek schools in Burgas (one for boys and one for girls). In 1879-80, the number of pupils in them is 250. In the period which followed, Greek education in the city experiences a moderate growth. In 1879-80, 250 pupils study in the Greek schools, a number which reaches 500 before the anti-Greek disturbances and the closing down of the Greek schools in 1906. In the late 1880s a new building is built for the Greek all-male school and in 1904 the number of teachers rises to 8.[2]

Bulgarian schools: The first Bulgarian school in Burgas was opened in 1865 by teacher Petko, who later became a priest. Classes were held at the home of the teacher. In 1869, when the first Bulgarian church in Burgas "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" was consecrated, the Bulgarian church community opened an elementary school by the church inviting the teacher Boyan Petrov Keremedchiev, a native of Yambol. In 1872 Keremedchiev left and Sava Kirov Katrafilov, a native of the town Elena, who later took part in the national liberation struggles, took his place. In 1875, Stoyan Petkov Shivachev from Malko Tarnovo was hired as teacher, and he managed to revive the school and increase the number of pupils. In 1879-1880, the primary school in Burgas was divided into two – boys‘ and girls. The all-male primary school remained in his old room (in the hall of the church "St. St. Cyril and Methodius"), while for the girls the community hired a private house (the house of Dr. Kutsodimitris, today it houses the Natural History Museum in the city). ^[3].

In 1894 the girls' school moved to a building specially built for its needs by the state - this is the oldest public building, preserved to this day in Burgas, which now houses the Archaeological Museum and Regional Library. In 1880-1881 the school was called Bourgas departmental class school and was kept up both with funds donated by the Burgas citizens and a government subsidy. Gradually girls' school in Burgas growing. In 1887-1888, all teachers in it have secondary education. ^[4].

The All-male School in Burgas also experienced rapid development in the period after the Liberation (1878). In the academic year 1883-1884, it had already a third “junior high school” class. In the academic year 1903-1904 it obtained the rank of a public school. ^[5]

In the first decade of the 20th century vocational education was launched in Burgas: on October 1, 1905 a commercial school was opened, originally housed in the building of a girls' school and later moved to the building of the school "Han Krum" (the former Greek school ). ^[6].

At the beginning of 20th century in Burgas function, with the status of private institutions, Armenian, French and Turkish schools. In January 1891, the Armenian school aquired a new building. The French school in Burgas was organized in 1888 by the Catholic priest named “Zenon”. ^[7]

[1] Κοτζαγεώργη, Ξ., «Η ελληνική εκπαίδευση στη Βουλγαρία, αρχές 19ου αι.-1912», στo: Κοτζαγεώργη, Ξ. (επιμ.), Οι Έλληνες της Βουλγαρίας. Ένα ιστορικό τμήμα του περιφερειακού ελληνισμού, Θεσσαλονίκη 1999, p. 271.

[2] Kotzageorgi, X., “The Greek Community of Burgas. Education and Culture”, Etudes Balkaniques, 30:1 (1994), p.82.

[3] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 131–132, 227.

[4] Христов, А. Бургас. Юбилейна книга. [1878-1938]. Б., 1940, с. 137–144; Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 227.

[5] Христов, А. Бургас. Юбилейна книга. [1878-1938]. Б., 1940, с. 137–144; Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 227.

[6] Христов, А. Бургас. Юбилейна книга. [1878-1938]. Б., 1940, с. 137–144; Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 227–228.

[7] Терзиева, Маргарита. Прогимназиално образование в Бургас – 1914-1934 година. – Годишник на университет „Проф. д-р Асен Златаров ХХХVІ(2), с. 94-98; Дадурян, Б. История на арменците в град Бургас 1549-2003 г. (с някои продължения до ХІІ. 2008 г.). Б., 2009, с. 84; Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 228.