Chicago Days are co-organized by the Friends of Chicago Foundation, Sofia City Hall and the Embassy of the United States. Media partners are Darik Radio, Bulgaria SEGA Weekly – Chicago, BG7 Radio – Chicago and EuroChicago.com. Held just before the 4th of July for the third consecutive year, Chicago Days benefit from people-to-people diplomacy to promote Bulgarian-American friendship and cooperation and to provide public support for establishing a sister cities relationship between Bulgaria’s capital Sofia and Chicago.
PROGRAM
Friday, June 28, 2013, 11 a.m.
Open Air Gallery in the City Garden by the National Theater “Ivan Vazov”
Free and open to the public
OFFICIAL OPENING OF 2013 CHICAGO DAYS IN SOFIA, BULGARIA
Photo exhibition
CHICAGO: A PEOPLE-FRIENDLY CITY
Chicago has been known as the city of skyscrapers. In 1885, the first skyscraper in the world was built here. Many Americans and foreign visitors come to Chicago to see the tallest buildings in the United States – Willis Tower and Trump Tower. Although Chicago is a city built of steel, concrete and glass, its motto is „Urbs in Horto“, Latin for „City in a Garden”. And Chicagoans really love their city, as it is an unparalleled people-friendly city. An amazing photo exposition will tell the story of the Windy City, and Sofia citizens and visitors will have the opportunity to make acquaintance with the wonders of Chicago.
Monday, July 1, 2013, 11:00 a.m.
Union of Bulgarian Journalists
(Sofia, 4 Graf Ignatiev St., 3rd floor)
Free and open to the public
Ivan Sotirov
President of the Friends of Chicago Foundation
Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago (2005-2009)
CHICAGO: A CITY OF WONDERS
Although Chicago is home ot the largest Bulgarian community in the United States and almost every Bulgarian has read Aleko Konstantinov’s famous book “To Chicago and Back”, contemporary Chicago is not well known in this country. From the times the first skyscraper in the world was built in this city in 1885, Chicago keeps stunning the world by its creativity and pragmatic approach. Among the numerous wonders of Chicago, however, the untamable spirit of Chicagoans is the most impressive wonder.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
American Corner at the Sofia City Library (Sofia, 4A Slaveykov Square, 1st floor)
Free and open to the public
The awarding ceremony for the winners in
SHEL SILVERSTEIN POEM TRANSLATION COMPETITION
The Friends of Chicago Foundation and the American Corner at the Sofia City Library organized for the third consecutive year Shel Silverstein Poem Translation Competition. Shel Silverstein was born in Chicago. His first collection of poems, “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, was published in 1974 and became an instant classic. But Shel Silverstein was known not only as an author of children’s books. He was an American writer, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
Union of Bulgarian Architects (Sofia, 11, Krakra St., 2nd floor)
Free and open to the public
Prof. Dimitar L. Andreychin, Architect
CHICAGO OR NEW YORK: WHICH CITY IS AMERICA’S ARCHITECTURAL CAPITAL?
Although New York has been famous for its skyscrapers, Chicago has always been the America’s Architectural Capital. The great architects’ buildings in Chicago have changed drastically not only its skyline; they have formed the image of the contemporary cities all over the world. Prof. Andreychin has been teaching at the University of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy in Sofia since 1975. He has specialized Urban Studies at the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies in Baltimore and has been a Fulbright Grantee and a Visiting Professor at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona (Los Angeles).
Thursday, July 4, 2013, 10:00 p.m.
Studio 5 Music Club
National Palace of Culture, Entrance A3 (Sofia, 1, Bulgaria Square)
Free and open to the public
CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY
SOFIA-CHICAGO BLUES MARATHON
DELTA ROOSTERS BLUES BAND
Rediscovering the authentic sounds of the old masters of the blues, Delta Roosters convey the sincerity and the feeling of the delta blues music. The incredible harmonica of the Finnish maestro Eero Turkka, the gentle guitar of Peter Georgiev – Pesheto, the passionate voice of the lead vocalist Anton Serkedjiev and the beautiful sound of the dobro-guitar of Mihail Shishkov recreate uniquely the Delta Blues atmosphere music nowadays.
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SOFIA – CHICAGO
· Mayor of Chicago is the only mayor in the world who proclaims in a special Proclamation National Day of Bulgaria to be Bulgarian Day in Chicago and encourages all Chicagoans to recognize the contributions of Bulgarian community to the city.
· Chicago is the only foreign city in the world where an official Bulgarian-American ceremony of rasing Bulgarian Flag to celebrate Bulgarian National Day is held every year.
· Chicago is the only foreign city in the world where Bulgarian language has been recognized as one of the official languages for providing useful information for taxpayers by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office.
· Chicago is home of the largest Bulgarian community in the United States as well as of the best self-organized Bulgarian community in the world.
· In 1893, Chicago invited Bulgaria to make an independent exhibit at the World’s Fair; thus, Chicago was the first in the world to recognize Bulgaria as an independent state after the end of Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878).
· An official proposal for establishing a sister cities relationship was made at the meeting of the Mayor of Sofia, Mr. Boyko Borissov, with the Mayor of Chicago, Mr. Richard Daley, held in Chicago on February 3, 2009.
Friends of Chicago Foundation, founded in April 2010 in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a nongovernmental organization committed to developing Bulgaria-United States citizen partnerships and providing public support for establishing a sister cities relationship between Bulgaria’s capital Sofia and Chicago.
Email: [email protected]
www.friendsofchicago.org
www.facebook.com/friendsofchicago
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