What better occasion than 1 November – Day of the National Revivalists – to invite Eng. Lalka Obreykova to tell us first-hand about the founder of our school, Stefan Obreykov – her great-grandfather, a great figure of the Revival, benefactor, patriot and enlightener, a champion of culture and education.
A moving story before a packed hall
Mrs. Obreykova was welcomed by a packed hall of students and teachers, who showed great interest in her moving story. She took us back in time with a fascinating presentation of photographs from that era, revealing the childhood and youth of Stefan Obreykov.
The audience learned how Obreykov, born in rebellious Klisura and a graduate of the Odessa Commercial Academy and the Kyiv Higher Commercial School, devoted his life to the economic and cultural rise of Bulgaria after the Liberation. A visionary, entrepreneur and long-time chairman of the Plovdiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he saw that financial illiteracy led to bankruptcies and took on the mission of creating a modern school to train economic professionals.
From a dream to the imposing building on Bunardzhika
The history of our school came alive before our eyes – founded in 1910, it quickly became a benchmark for economic education. The students learned about the great merits of Stefan Obreykov, who not only used his personal contacts with ministers to obtain permission to found the school, but also initiated a special fund and made large personal donations of land and money for the construction of our present imposing building at the foot of Bunardzhika – an architectural monument of culture.
Nobility, recognition and generous giving
He carried out generous charitable work, including for the fund at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), to which Obreykov bequeathed the considerable sum of 500,000 leva, so that every year the most successful but poor students of the School of Commerce would be rewarded, along with an Award for the most valuable achievement in the field of Bulgarian science and culture. For his great services to society he received numerous state orders and was proclaimed honorary chairman of the Chamber.
At the meeting, the three most active readers of the library were also honoured and awarded, and the one in first place will have the opportunity to be a librarian for a day in the school library.
A covenant to the younger generation
At the end of this memorable meeting, Eng. Lalka Obreykova made an emotional appeal to the students – to remember that through hard work, reading and learning they can achieve anything, and that they must always bear with honour and pride the name of students of the emblematic School of Commerce!
