Spring Season Heats up at BEST Foundation’s Fourth Regional Tournament

From the 22th to the 23rd of February, 2025, BEST Foundation held its second Spring tournament for the academic year at the St. Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher Secondary School of European Languages in Ruse. Despite the winter hardships, we had 172 students who participated in five events: World Schools Style debate, poetry and prose interpretation, duo interpretation, and original oratory. We had the pleasure to welcome 65 volunteer judges and teams from 15 schools from 10 cities across Eastern Bulgaria, including one independent team and another team making its debut in the BEST Foundation community.

This event would not have been possible without the support of the host school. The principal, Mrs. Dobromira Nikolova, was the first person to officially welcome all the participants. Despite the winter challenges, the tournament began on a high note with several distinguished speakers uplifting the attendees: Mrs. Tanya Todorova, Head of the Education Department in the Municipality of Ruse, Mrs. Anelia Georgieva, Senior Foreign Languages Expert at the Regional Directorate of Education, Mr. Paskal Zhelev, the new Board Chair of the BEST Foundation, Mrs. Rada Kaneva, Program Officer for U.S. Grantees at the Bulgarian-American Commission Fulbright. All speakers emphasized the importance of community and reminded students that a tournament is more than just a competition - it is a thriving platform for authentic and democratic self-expression.

The eventful tournament weekend was closed by Prof. Dr. Teodor Iliev, Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs at Ruse University.

This event concluded the series of in-person Spring tournaments organised by BEST Foundation. From the 14th till the 16th of March, 2025, we will hold the international Balkan Voices tournament at the American University in Bulgaria.

Participating Schools/Teams

Burgas, AEG Geo Milev

Dimitrovgrad, Dr. Ivan Bogorov FLHS

Pavlikeni, SU "Bacho Kiro"

Razgrad, Ekzarh Yosif FLHS

Ruse, Baba Tonka

Ruse, Geo Milev ELHS

Ruse, St Cyrilus Philosopher

Shumen, Sava Dobroplodni Secondary School

Silistra, Peyo Yavorov FLHS

Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

Varna, First Language School

Varna, Independent School of Thought

Varna, "4EG "Frederick Jolio-Curie"

Varna, "Yoan Ekzarh" Fifth Foreign Language School

Veliko Tarnovo, American College - Arcus

AWARDS

DUO INTERPRETATION

Top 3 Novice Duos

  1. Victoria Mihneva and Yoana Dimitrova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  2. Stela Marinova and Maria Nikolova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  3. Dimana Shalamanova and Zhiva Pashova - Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

Finalists

  1. Magdalena Ilcheva and Kristiyana Hristozova - Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

  2. Victoria Mihneva and Yoana Dimitrova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  3. Melissa Mehmed and Darina Bosilkova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  4. Stela Marinova and Maria Nikolova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  5. Beloslava Petrova and Adriana Zhelezova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  6. Jasmina Beridze and Nella Fletcher - Varna, Independent School of Thought

ORIGINAL ORATORY

Top 3 Novice Original Oratories

  1. Iva Dimitrova - Varna, First Language School

  1. Monika Zlateva - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

  1. Stefan Balushev - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

Semifinalists

  • Teodor Andreev - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

  • Nella Fletcher - Varna, Independent School of Thought

  • Dimana Nencheva - Varna, First Language School

  • Iva Dimitrova - Varna, First Language School

  • Bozhana Liteva - Varna, First Language School

  • Stela Mineva - Varna, First Language School

  • Simeon Miroslavov Kardashev - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  • Krasimir Milekov - Burgas, Geo Milev GPAE

Finalists

  1. Patrisiya Dimitrova - Ruse, Geo Milev ELS

  2. Magdalena Ilcheva - Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

  3. Yoana Encheva - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  4. Maria Todorova - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Math High School

  5. Denislav Gradev - Varna, First Language School

  6. Neliya Petrova - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

POETRY INTERPRETATION 

Top 3 Novice Poetry Interpretations

  1. Vanina Valentinova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS 

  2. Izabel Nikolova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  3. Tiana Hubenova - Dimitrovgrad, Dr. Ivan Bogorov FLHS

Semifinalists

  • Hilendara Hilendarska - Veliko Tarnovo, American College - Arcus

  • Magdalena Ilcheva - Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

  • Elena Milcheva Petrova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  • Nadezhda Slavova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  • Rada Todorova - Shumen, Sava Dobroplodni Secondary School

  • Kalina Tsoneva - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

Finalists

  1. Zornitsa Ivanova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  2. Jasen Karaivanov - Varna, First Language School

  3. Yana Daskalova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  4. Yoana Encheva - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  5. Radina Staneva - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  6. Vanina Valentinova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

PROSE INTERPRETATION

Top 3 Novice Interpretations

  1. Emirkan Mustafa - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  2. Yoana Dimitrova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  3. Maria Nikolova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

Semifinalists

  • Georgi Georgiev - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  • Stela Marinova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  • Kalin Donev - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  • Alexander Ivanov - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  • Jordan Deqnov Georgiev - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  • Emirkan Mustafa - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

Finalists

  1. Zornitsa Ivanova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  2. Elena Milcheva Petrova - Razgrad, Ekzarh Yossif FLHS

  3. Deyna Georgieva - Stara Zagora, Romain Rolland FLHS

  4. Darina Bosilkova - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  5. Melissa Mehmed - Silistra, Peyo Yavorov

  6. Nikoleta Museva - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE – NOVICE (8th - 9th grade)

Finalists

  1. Stefan Balushev, Kristina Kyuchukova and Monika Zlateva, Nikolay Nikolov - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

  2. Liliya Slavova, Maria Georgieva and Dariya Tsekova - Varna, First Language School

Top Speaker Award

  1. Nikolay Nikolov - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Math School

  2. Dariya Tsekova - Varna, First language school

  3. Kristina Kyuchukova - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Math School

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE – VARSITY (10th - 12th grade)

Finalists

  1. Maria Todorova, Hristina Atanasova and Monika Panova - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

  2. Nella Fletcher, Jasmina Beridze and Tsvetelina Boynova - Varna, Independent School of Thoughts

Top Speaker Award

  1. Maria Todorova - Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

  2. Nella Fletcher - Varna, Independent School of Thoughts

  3. Tsvetelina Boynova - Varna, Independent School of Thoughts

TEAM AWARDS

Large Team Division

Varna, Dr. Petar Beron Maths School

Small Team Division

Varna, Independent School of Thoughts

BEST Foundation