Georgi M. Grigorov

The name of Nikola Vassilev Rakitin is one of the purest and most humane names in Bulgarian poetry. His poems have not lost their original freshness even today, they breathe in the unadulterated aroma of the Bulgarian land and nature, they exude warm love and sympathy for the people, for their work and their dreams for a better life. They are permeated with a sincere, healthy attachment to the poet's native land and village, which he once left, but did not erase from his heart. Rakitin's songs are simple and heartfelt, cheerful and optimistic, but at the same time hiding a kind of quiet sadness and resignation. "Amidst so much sorrow in the world, I wanted to bring a little serenity and joy with my poems," the poet wrote. And he fulfilled this secret wish of his, leaving Bulgarian poetry songs in which his modesty and kindness, humanity and simplicity, the charm of a sincere and dedicated person and poet are preserved.

The epic narrative in Georgi Karaslavov's multi-volume epic "Ordinary People" has always reminded me of the mighty flow of a wide and deep river - calm and even, but hiding unsuspected depths within itself, spilling out into side branches that whimsically curve and rejoin in the main direction, covering ever larger and larger spaces, imperiously pushing towards its ultimate goal.

When we talk or write about our national character, about the character of the Bulgarian in its various shades and nuances, we tend to think that we can easily exhaust the question - we will say not about his modesty and hard work, about his courage and firmness, about his honesty and hospitality... But when we want to delve into the details, into the depth and essence of this problem, we suddenly encounter complex, difficult-to-solve questions, with a whole labyrinth of unexplored, unsuspected and surprisingly intertwined connections and relationships, with psychological mysteries and contradictory situations. This complexity is equally valid for scientific, historical and journalistic works that concern features of the characterology of the Bulgarian, as well as for works of art that recreate the characters of Bulgarians. We will encounter an amazing variety of interpretations, points of view, views, opinions and judgments.