Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
First, I want to express my gratitude to Eli and her entire family for welcoming me as one of their own — for letting me identify with their initiatives and activities, for allowing me to be myself, and most of all, for giving me the opportunity to stand here before you today!
Today, I will speak about an extraordinary work titled “Soul Beneath the Snow.” This is not just a book — no, it isn’t! It is Petko’s living voice. Every letter, every word is written with soul and heart, and through them, each verse connects us to him… to his warmth, his devotion, to his very being.
Petko’s art is fuel for young poets like me — and today, before all of us, stands an entire tanker full of that fuel.
In this poetry collection, Petko has described not only how he sees the world but how he feels — what he truly feels — how he lives through his thoughts. It is inspiring how he portrays the world in a way we have never imagined it: gentle, compassionate, supportive, humble, and full of enthusiasm.
It is with that same enthusiasm that he created his work — and it shows, line after line, throughout this collection.
But beyond enthusiasm, there is something much deeper here — there is a soul that cannot be confined within the pages of a book. In every verse, we glimpse his humanity, that rare purity we seldom find today. Petko did not merely write; he lived through his words. In them, he left a piece of himself — his pain, his joys, and his hopes.
When we read “Soul Beneath the Snow,” we are not simply reading poetry — we are hearing the heartbeat of a man who believed in goodness, in love, in the meaning of life. He knew that even when snow covers everything, beneath it there always breathes a warm soul. And that, precisely, is the message of the book — that we must never allow the snow of time, sorrow, or forgetfulness to bury the light within us.
Today, we may not be able to catch up with him, but we can “stop this run; sit down… and breathe… friends!”
We can pause, reflect, feel — let his words speak within us. Let us say, “Farewell, land of depravity” — not as a rejection of the world, but as a call toward purity, spirituality, and truth.
Let us come together and celebrate the art of our soulful shepherd — Petko Todorov Hinov — who, through his poetry, reminds us that beneath every layer of snow lies a living soul, waiting to be discovered.
Georgi Stoyanov
Take a look at the photos here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uICdU26lGJEcnrwluL1nrUpMQctuP1Bb?usp=drive_link
There was great excitement surrounding the awarding of the young translators who took part in the Third Translation Competition (Chinese – Bulgarian/ Bulgarian – Chinese) bearing the Petko Hinov Award.
The heartfelt words shared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Polina Valentinova Tsoncheva, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Veselin Georgiev Karastoychev from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” touched all those present in the fully packed hall of the Confucius Institute in Veliko Tarnovo. They took us back to the days when Petko was among us, reminding of his exceptional talent, multifaceted and refined personality and soulful nature.
The celebration of talent and the memory of Petko were honoured by our distinguished guests: Mrs. Wang Min, Counselor and Deputy Head of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, and Mr. Yan Tian, Head of the Education Department at the Chinese Embassy.
This competition is set to grow over time and reach an ever-wider audience, providing a stage for young translators to express themselves and strive for mastery in the art of translation.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iskra Mandova, Director of the Confucius Institute in Veliko Tarnovo, affirmed it with her words, “We will work to ensure that the competition bearing Petko Hinov’s name becomes ever more established, so that the great man and translator — my kindred spirit — Petko Hinov is remembered.”
Dear colleagues and friends,
Dear participants,
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 29, at 5:30 PM in Room 108-B of the Confucius Institute, Building 5, Veliko Tarnovo University.
Jury Members:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Polina Valentinova Tsontcheva, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, Veliko Tarnovo University "St. Cyril and St. Methodius"
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Antonia Dimova Tsankova, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Chief Assistant Dr. Veselin Georgiev Karastoychev, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
1st Place: No. 17 – Radina Plamenova Dimitrova, Mexico City, Master's in Classical Chinese Literature; Lecturer in Chinese Language and Chinese-Spanish Translation; National School of Languages, Linguistics, and Translation (ENALLT), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
2nd Place: No. 18 – Georgi Hristov, Adjunct Assistant Professor; Faculty of Applied Informatics and Statistics, University of National and World Economy (UNWE)
3rd Place: No. 5 – Tanya Stilianova Stankova, Aksakovo (Varna), Veliko Tarnovo University "St. Cyril and St. Methodius", 4th year, Applied Linguistics with Two Foreign Languages and International Relations
1st Place: No. 6 – Tanya Stilianova Stankova, Aksakovo (Varna), Veliko Tarnovo University "St. Cyril and St. Methodius", 4th year, Applied Linguistics with Two Foreign Languages and International Relations
2nd Place: No. 14 – Vasil Vasilev Kolchev, Sofia
3rd Place: Not awarded
1st Place: No. 15 – Vasil Vasilev Kolchev, Sofia
2nd Place: No. 11 – Yuan Gao, Sofia, Master's degree, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
3rd Place: Not awarded
1st Place: No. 12 – Yuan Gao, Sofia, Master's degree, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
2nd Place: No. – Cai Yi, Beijing, Beijing Foreign Studies University
3rd Place: No. 9 – Lai Jinting, Veliko Tarnovo University "St. Cyril and St. Methodius" – Confucius Institute
Lou Zhenyu, Beijing, Beijing International Studies University (BISU)
SAVE THE DATES!
Dear friends of the "Petko Hinov" Foundation,
We are pleased to invite you to the third edition of the project “Together for the Children of Bulgaria”!
Our mission is to create a new generation of children – advocates for the welfare of our country!
The camp includes:
• Mountain hiking
• Joint activities for self-discovery
• Various interactive tasks
• Team projects
• Self-awareness
We are planning exciting adventures and experiential learning in the mountains!
Open the form and sign up here:
https://foundation-petkohinov.com/formulyar-za-zapisvane...
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at email: elly.hinova@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and on the website of the "Petko Hinov" Foundation for more details!
Dear friends and followers of Petko Hинов,
We would like to invite you to an official event in honor of Petko Hинов – Honorary Citizen of the town of Sevlievo.
We will present his complete autobiography "My Bulgaria, My China" – translated by Ivelina Dimitrova, with the support of the publishing house "East-West."
The presentation will take place on October 9, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the foyer of the Municipality of Sevlievo.
We eagerly and joyfully await to see you!
Municipality of Sevlievo
Petko Hinov Foundation
The second edition of the project 'Together for the Children of Bulgaria' began with a ceremonial blessing and interactive activities that encouraged teamwork and personal development. The participants engaged in various games, orientation, and hikes in the mountains, each discovering and refining their strengths. The climax was the ascent of Mount Maragidik and the visit to the elderly in the village, where the participants offered assistance and joy. The camp concluded with emotional moments and promises for new meetings, marking a successful adventure and the positive contribution of everyone on the team.
Dear friends and supporters of the Petko Hinov Foundation,
It is with great joy and excitement that we invite you to the Award Ceremony for the distinguished participants of the II Translation Contest in the name of Petko Hinov.
The translation contest named after Petko Hinov is being organized for the second time through the joint efforts of the Confucius Institutes at Veliko Tarnovo University and Sofia, the Department of Classical and Eastern Languages and Cultures at VTU "St. Cyril and Methodius," and the Department of Sinology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," together with the Petko Hinov Foundation.
The ceremony will take place on February 9, 2024, at 5:00 PM in Hall 108 of the Confucius Institute at VTU "St. Cyril and Methodius."
Let us share this special moment and celebrate the success of the young translators. Petko himself was a translator of the highest caliber. He was awarded the Special Award of the Year by the Union of Bulgarian Translators for his exceptionally high achievements in the field of translation, including translations from Old Chinese of the books "The Thirty-Six Stratagems" and "Night Conversations by the Hearth" (2014), the National Award of the Ministry of Culture "Hristo G. Danov" for the translation of "A Dream in Red Mansions" vol. 1 by Cao Xueqin (2015), and the Award for Special Contribution to Chinese Literature (2017).
Let us remember Petko's thoughts on the art of translation:
“However, when we translate from an ancient to a modern language, even within the confines of the same historical language, we resemble divers in the depths, where we cannot bring with us the torch of modern reason. To understand the words of the ancients, we need their thoughts, their feelings, their worldview, and even their way of life. The translator depicts other (иныѩ) things that he himself has not seen in his life, and that is why his work is broader than that of the writer, who draws from the warehouses of his experience and imagination his own words. The work of the translator is much heavier than that of the writer, and that is why in history we have many remarkable young writers, but only a few remarkable young translators.”
Petko Hinov
We eagerly look forward to seeing you!
The Hinov Family and the team of the Petko Hinov Foundation
Confucius Institute at VTU and Sofia,
Department of Sinology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski",
Department of Classical and Eastern Languages and Cultures at VTU "St. Cyril and Methodius",
in partnership with the Petko Hinov Foundation
announce a
Translation Contest
FROM CHINESE TO BULGARIAN AND BACK
IN THE NAME OF Petko Hinov –
translator, publicist, poet, editor, teacher, civic activist, connoisseur of high literature, author of liturgical poetry and services in Church-Slavonic, researcher of Bulgarian root knowledge.**
“If you have a little bit of that magical restlessness for sharing and dedication, it is probably the first spark ready to traverse the arc of your love for China and Bulgaria. Because translators have at least two homelands, and only true translators have an unconquerable love for both.” (P. Hinov)
1. The contest is aimed at translators from Chinese to Bulgarian and/or from Bulgarian to Chinese, as well as anyone studying or interested in the Chinese language and culture.
2. Participants will have the opportunity to choose works selected by the jury for translation in the following three categories:
- Chinese prose from Chinese to Bulgarian (text up to 3 printed pages) – Appendix 1
- Chinese prose from Chinese to Bulgarian (text up to 3 printed pages) – Appendix 2
- Translation of works by Petko Hinov from Bulgarian to Chinese (optional):
- Poem “The Time to Return”
- Story “A Cat's Tale”
3. Deadline for submission of materials: November 30, 2023.
4. Please send materials to the following email address: konkurs.p.hinov@gmail.com.
5. Formatting requirements for the text:
- ORIGINAL TITLE
- Name of the author in the original language
Formatting of the translated text: alignment: justified, font: Times New Roman, font size: 12, line spacing: 1.15, clear indication of the beginning of a new paragraph.
6. Evaluation of translations: Reading and evaluation will be conducted by a jury of 3-5 members for translations of contemporary and classic Chinese prose and a jury of 3 members for evaluating translations from Bulgarian to Chinese. The contest is anonymous. Participants will send two separate files to the specified email address: one file with the translated text and one file containing the participant's personal information, which should include the following information: full name, city, age, affiliation to an educational institution/academic degree or title, contact phone number, and email. The contest coordinator will send the jury members only the files with the translated texts for evaluation.
The contest organizers wish success to all participants!
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
The Time to Return
A Cat's Tale
Dear Reader,
"Before you are the notes I wrote in 2020 – thoughts that were born either from the reality of that troubled year or from the dreams that loomed over my mind and penetrated beyond the horizon of perception; these are insights, revelations, unveilings, and extractions from the power of events through reflection, response, inner confrontation, wanderings through the thoughts of words and the essence of my existence and consciousness, or simply sighs in verse.
I share them, at the request of friends, with the hope that they contain seeds for other sparrows, as hungry as I am for truth and goodness."
P. Hинов
Sevlievo, December 28, 2020.
Dear friends,
We are delighted to invite you to a CHARITY CONCERT titled "LET'S SMILE FOR GOOD" on October 21, 2023, at 5:00 PM in the village of Stokite. The funds raised will be donated to the Old Age Home in Stokite.
The concert is the "diploma project" of the "Creative Family" team, formed during our mountain workshop, part of the "Together for the Children of Bulgaria" project by the Petko Hinov Foundation, which took place this August at the Pleven Lodge.
Additional activities include:
- A charity bazaar featuring handmade items, books, and healthy food
- A cleanup of a designated area near the bed of the Rositsa River
"The Book of Songs" is one of the jewels in the treasury of ancient Chinese literature and culture. It is the oldest collection of Chinese song poetry, containing both folk and authored compositions created, transformed, and gathered during the period from the 11th to the 5th century BCE. During this time, numerous independent territorial holdings—principalties—existed within the area of modern-day China, which possessed actual economic and political independence and recognized, only nominally, the supreme sacred authority of the ruling Zhou dynasty (11th – 3rd century BCE), with its ruler considered the Son of Heaven.
The collection comprises a compilation of songs, odes, and hymns written and performed in various ancient Chinese states over a lengthy period. Legend attributes the creation of the compilation to Confucius, who, according to the esteemed ancient historian Sima Qian (2nd – 1st century BCE), selected the songs included in the canonical collection and likely edited and refined some of them. "The Book of Songs" is an integral part of the Confucian canonical literature, forming part of the so-called classic "Five Classics." It has always held a significant place in the Chinese literary tradition, not only due to its foundational role in the construction of Chinese verse, the artistic and imagistic system of Chinese poetic creation but also for its exceptionally delicate aesthetics, moral values, and philosophical orientations. Without exaggeration, we can say that "The Book of Songs" is one of the masterpieces not only of ancient Chinese literature but also of world classical literature!
Friends of Petko Hinov,
We invite you to the presentation of another work translated by him, completed by Antoaneta Nikolova, and edited by Antonia Tsankova, "The Book of Songs" - one of the pearls in the treasury of ancient Chinese literature and culture. The oldest collection of Chinese song poetry, it comprises folk and authored creations that were developed, transformed, and collected during the period from the 11th to the 5th century BCE. Without exaggeration, we can say that "The Book of Songs" is one of the masterpieces not only of ancient Chinese literature but also of world classical literature!
We look forward to seeing you on June 16, 2023, at 6:00 PM at the Chinese Cultural Center located at 77 Georgi S. Rakovski Street, 1000 Sofia Center.
Dear Friends and Followers of Petko Hinov,
We would like to invite you to an official celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Petko Hinov. During this event, we will present his autobiography, "My Bulgaria, My China," translated and published in Bulgarian for the first time with the support of East-West Publishing House.
???? Date: October 13, 2022
???? Time: 5:30 PM
???? Venue: The lobby of Sevlievo Municipality
We eagerly and joyfully await your presence!
Sevlievo Municipality
Petko Hinov Foundation
Friends of Petko Hinov,
On September 4th, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of his birth.
We invite you to the presentation of another book translated by him (and edited by Assoc. Prof. Antonia Tsankova and Hristina Dumbanova):
"Six Lectures on Confucianism"
by Liang Qichao.
???? Date: September 4, 2022
???? Time: 2:00 PM
???? Venue: The main hall of the Confucius Institute – Sofia
Address: 82 "Alexander Stamboliyski" Blvd.
(Entrance from "Opalchenska" Street)
We look forward to seeing you!
"Confucius Institute in Veliko Tarnovo University and Sofia,
Department of Sinology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,”
Department of Classical and Eastern Languages and Cultures at Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and Methodius,”
in collaboration with the Petko Hинов Foundation
announce
a translation competition
FROM CHINESE TO BULGARIAN AND VICE VERSA
IN THE NAME of Petko Hинов – translator, publicist, poet, editor, educator, public figure, connoisseur of high literature, author of liturgical poetry and services in Church Slavonic, researcher of Bulgarian root knowledge.
“If you have a little bit of that magical restlessness for sharing and dedication, perhaps that is the first spark ready to flow along the arc of your love for China and Bulgaria. Because translators have at least two homelands, and only true translators have an unconquerable love for both.” (R. Ninov)"