The Beginning

We will remember this March just as we remember the spring of 2019 when we got lost in the village of Golyama Zhelyazna but found a new dream. From then until now, we haven't stopped working to make it come true. And this is just the beginning.

Photos: Ivaylo Donchev

On March 12, 2024, in the schoolyard of the village, we gathered with the now expanded team of "Sharena Zadruga" to wish ourselves good luck. Each of us left words, thoughts, and wishes in the clay pot, which our master potter Rumen specially crafted. We brought a lilac and planted it, hoping that one day, students, teachers, and guests of the school would gather around its beautiful colors.

Photos: Ivaylo Donchev

In a little over two years, the team of "Sharena Zadruga" has grown significantly, receiving support from the residents of the village, local institutions, and numerous volunteers from the very beginning. With gratitude to each and every one of them, as well as to the mayor of Golyama Zhelyazna - Violeta Stoyanova, the mayor of Troyan - Donka Mihaylova, and her team, we all continue to work together to transform the village into a strategic center for culinary arts and traditional crafts.

In the upcoming important months, several emblematic buildings for the village, as well as the school itself, are scheduled to be restored on the campus grounds. The biggest challenge for builders and architects will be to preserve key elements of its architecture and interior, ensuring that the building is restored to its original appearance.

Construction activities will proceed in stages, with the first stage involving the reconstruction of the culinary school.

Photos: Ivaylo Donchev

In this crucial part of our work, we will strive to share everything important that happens and what lies ahead. So, until the fall of 2025, when the first bell will ring, we will gather again. Under the lilac tree.

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In February, we were guests on BTV's program "This Saturday and Sunday" to talk more about the "Sharena Zadruga" initiative, what the beginning was like, and what lies ahead. You can view the entire interview HERE.