Vagabond, Bulgaria's English Magazine

15/11/2024

This month Vagabond has focused on Bulgaria’s IT leaders with a series of dedicated interviews.

Companies seeking a winning combination of products will find exquisitely designed and innovative solutions in the SWISS portfolio. For fifteen years, the company has boldly explored new ways to deliver impeccable experiences in online casino software, including the integration of cryptocurrencies. SOFTSWISS solutions can be used as standalone products or combined to create a complete iGaming business. Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS, shares more.

❓What inspired you to found SOFTSWISS?

❗️Fifteen years ago, I saw the transformative power of technology and founded SOFTSWISS as a custom software development company focused on outsourcing services and IT projects for various industries. However, outsourcing alone didn't provide the fulfilment I was aiming for. So, I decided to create something innovative and in high demand, entirely in-house. This led to the development of our first product for the iGaming industry. In 2013, we first introduced it at the ICE Totally Gaming show in London.

By the same year, SOFTSWISS had launched the world's first Bitcoin-optimised solution for B2B in iGaming. It earned the company recognition within the industry and paved the way for its continued success.

Link to the full interview in the first comment

14/11/2024

❔Did you know there's a place in Bulgaria where you can see as many dolmens as you can take in before getting bored?

Dolmens are a type of megalith, a derivative of the Greek for "big stone." Dolmens are low and heavy structures often used as tombs. 🪨

About a dozen of these ancient structures survive in the low, wind-swept hills surrounding the villages of Hlyabovo and Sakartsi, in the Sakar mountain, in Bulgaria's southeast. The biggest, most interesting and most photogenic of Hlyabovo's dolmens is also the easiest to reach. You will find it in a ravine in the Nachevi Chairi, an area southeast of the road between the villages of Hlyabovo and Balgarska Polyana.

Find out more about the Hlyabovo dolmen at https://ancientbulgaria.bg/listings/hlyabovo-dolmen

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

13/11/2024

❔Where in Bulgaria is this place?

A bridge spanning over a turbulent whitewater river, which was constructed in such an incredible location that it was quick to gain notoriety for being otherworldly, a structure no human hand was able to accomplish without assistance from supernatural forces. Predictably, legends and myths about the bridge proliferated through the centuries, and some remain to this day. So does the bridge. Where in Bulgaria is this bridge, pictured here?

✅ Answer the question to win a prize!
✅ To participate email your answer to [email protected]

Join Vagabond’s competition for a chance to win a copy our book Wall to Wall. Poetry Europe.

Discover more hints about this place at: https://www.vagabond.bg/where-bulgaria-are-you-4350

📷 by Anthony Georgieff

13/11/2024

This month Vagabond has focused on Bulgaria’s IT leaders with a series of dedicated interviews.

Visionary, professional and passionate, AKAT Technologies is your best solution if you want to protect your company and assets from current and future cyberthreats. The Bulgarian company is an innovator capable of offering tailored solutions to any type of clients. Alexander Nenkov, Sales Director, elaborates.❓What makes AKAT Technologies a leader in cybersecurity solutions?❗️Our motto is: "Your security is as good as your configurations are."❗️We offer a holistic approach beyond just implementation of security technologies. We always put the end result in the context of the client's digital ecosystem.❗️Our company is a leader because it offers an approach and a strategy that have been tested in hundreds of cybersecurity projects in the past 13 years. The technologies we offer are visionary and flexible enough.

Link to the interview in the first comment

12/11/2024

🎤 On the cover of Vagabond Issue 217: Alexander Ignatov

Excellent organization, flawless work processes, timely reaction and visible results: these are just some of the reasons why Sky Prime is one of the hot names in the Bulgarian market right now.

The company was established by Alexander Ignatov – a strategist, a leader, a problem-solver, an innovator and an enthusiastic explorer of the countless opportunities for growth that digital marketing presents to brave spirits and business. Mr Ignatov and the Sky Prime team focus on highly tailored services designed to help clever businesses thrive and prosper in the dynamic environment of modern economy: SEO services, development of programmed websites, advertisement in Meta and Google.

During our conversation with Mr Ignatov, we were inevitably impressed by his relentless energy, creativity and decisiveness to approach each case individually. Learn more about the person on the cover of the November issue of Vagabond at: https://www.vagabond.bg/alexander-ignatov-making-most-digital-revolution-4357

Alexander Ignatov created the digital agency Sky Prime to build strategies for sustainable growth, providing companies with solutions that yield long-term results in the digital space

11/11/2024

This month Vagabond has focused on Bulgaria’s IT leaders with a series of dedicated interviews.

Artificial intelligence is one of the most exciting fields in modern technologies, and the Bulgarian company Soft2RUN is one of its early adopters in the local IT market. Today, it has a promising portfolio of AI and ML solutions and tools tailored for the specific needs of various companies, and is constantly working on finding new horizons for developing in this field. The moving power behind Soft2RUN's team dedicated to AI is Deyan Lazarov, PhD, Head of Data Science and AI.
AI is evolving at an incredible speed.

❓What are the main trends in the field today?

❗️AI develops so quickly that it sometimes feels like we live in a sci-fi movie. One of the main trends is generative AI, which allows machines to create texts, images, and music nearly indistinguishable from human creations. This opens up new possibilities in creative industries and marketing. Another important trend is the integration of AI into everyday devices and services, from smart assistants in our homes to applications that predict our needs before we even realize them. We see significant progress in the field of autonomous vehicles and robotics. But with that comes challenges. AI ethics and transparency are becoming increasingly important as society expects technology to be responsible and fair. Many companies now invest in making AI more explainable and accessible. This makes the social debate quite fascinating.

Link to the full interview in the first comment

10/11/2024

🍂 With the beautiful colours of Autumn now all around us Bulgaria has so many beautiful places to offer to a curious eye. The November issue of Vagabond brings you in print and online at https://vagabond.bg/ ideas for where to go next and insightful conversations with inspiring professionals. Go to our pages to discover:

🌟 A major article overviewing an area of Bulgaria that often falls out of the tourist brochures. The Northwest! Belogradchik, the Magura rock art, and the city of Vidin all get mentioned in the text.

🌟 Small island, big stories! Discover how kings, patriarchs, pirates clash on St Ivan near Sozopol.

🌟 How old is Bulgaria's oldest tree, the Baykush fir? If you think you know Bulgaria and the Bulgarians we challenge you to take our quiz.

A lot more awaits you at https://vagabond.bg/. Hop on our website to get inspired!

06/11/2024

This month Vagabond has focused on Bulgaria’s IT leaders with a series of dedicated interviews.

For 30 years, Coherent Solutions has been a leader in offering advanced, tailored software and engineering solutions to an ever-growing number of companies across the globe. Today, its teams create advanced solutions that apply AI, data and analytics, product design and user experience, DevOps and cloud, digital product engineering, quality assurance, mobile development and more. Six years ago, the US corporation opened an office in Bulgaria, recognizing the potential of local IT talents in providing the consistently excellent quality of work Coherent Solutions' is famed for among a broad range of clients. Coherent Solutions - Bulgaria quickly became one of the most respected names on the local market and became vital for the operations of the entire corporation. Putting IT talents first is one of the core drivers of its success. How does Coherent Solutions Bulgaria deal with the latest trends in the global and local IT market? Its General Manager, Boyan Antonov, elaborates.

❓What are the main trends and challenges shaping the global IT sector at the moment?

❗️One of the main trends in the global IT sector is the prevailing uncertainty. Changing priorities and the slowing down of strategic projects and developments, mainly due to geopolitical issues and military conflicts, are creating additional pressure on companies. Many technology companies are faced with the need to review their strategies to adapt to the new realities, including economic instability and resource shortages. In addition, both large and small companies are feeling the effects of reductions in technical teams, making it even more difficult to maintain innovation and growth.

Link to the interview in the first comment

06/11/2024

👥Being neighbours with the Romans was not easy. The Thracians saw some precarious interactions, like the campaign of 72 BC, when M. Terrentius Varro Lucullus, governor of the province of Macedonia, marched against the Greek cities on the Black Sea coast to punish them for helping Rome's then archenemy, Mithridates VI, the king of the Pontic kingdom. The Balkans saw another Roman military intervention in 26 AD, set by the revolt of some Thracians against King Rhoemetalces II, a Roman pawn. 🤼‍♂️

The mostly peaceful coexistence with Rome at the border was short-lived. The Romans sought control over the Lower Danube and the lands north of the Stara Planina and the Thracian plain on its south. The inevitable conquest followed different patterns in the north and south, but both regions had become parts of the empire by the mid-1st Century AD.

Learn more about the history from this period at: https://ancientbulgaria.bg/index.php/roman/rome-in-Bulgaria

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

01/11/2024

📌 Gate of Trajan

Today, while driving along the Trakiya and Maritsa motorways, which link Sofia and Istanbul, you are inadvertently using an old Roman route: Via Militaris. It used to run diagonally through the Balkans from northwest to southeast, connecting Central Europe with Asia Minor via the Bosphorus.

The road through the pass was the first to appear, and soon after the Romans established their power in the region. Probably in the 3rd Century, when the threat of Barbarian attacks became more immediate, a fortress was built in the pass to protect it. It was called Soneium, a name later changed to Stipon.

Foreign travellers are the people to thank not only for their accounts of the picturesque dilapidation of the fortress. In the 16th Century one of them was the first to call the ruins the Gate of Trajan. The pass and the site are still known by this name, Trayanovi Vrata in Bulgarian.

Learn about even more exciting Roman heritage sites across Bulgaria at: https://ancientbulgaria.bg/listings/gate-trajan

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

30/10/2024

📌Rozhen Monastery

Up the road from Melnik, a popular tourist destination, is one of Bulgaria's most fascinating monasteries. Rozhen Monastery is located among eroding sandy pyramids, with the Pirin filling the horizon. With uncertain but probable medieval origins, the monastic abode is a fortress-like compound with the shape of an irregular hexagon.

Inside, it is a delightful and peaceful place, with cobble-stone pavement, a small church painted with medieval murals, and living quarters adorned with wooden porches, vines climbing on them. An old water fountain is running, filling the air with its murmur.

When and how was the monastery created? Head over to our website to learn more: https://www.vagabond.bg/bulgarias-lesser-known-monasteries-4315

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

28/10/2024

📌Glozhene Monastery

Seen from afar, Glozhene Monastery challenges both the laws of physics and common sense: it is perched on a needle-like rock, just like the famous Greek monasteries in Meteora.

In the 19th century Glozhene Monastery was a safehouse for revolutionaries seeking to end Ottoman rule, including Vasil Levski. The room where he hid can be visited.

Read the full story of the Glozhene Monastery at: https://www.vagabond.bg/bulgarias-lesser-known-monasteries-4315

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

27/10/2024

🏠How did the Thracians live?

No matter where the Thracians lived, their houses looked pretty much the same. They were either huts or half-dug-out shelters, small, with one or two rooms. Lightweight materials like beams, twigs and clay were mainly used for building, and few houses had stone foundations. As a result, the remains of Thracian settlements are now hard to find. Archaeologists feel lucky if they come across a burned-down settlement as the fire turned the twigs and the mud walls into more durable clay, providing a humble yet readable trace testifying that people used to live in this place.

The interior of the early Thracian houses was as humble as their exterior. There was a clay hearth, a set of millstones for grinding grain, some pottery. Sometimes, flat stones were used as tables.

⏳This frugal lifestyle began to change in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, when the first true Thracian states emerged, trade intensified, the standard of living of the elite improved, and Greek craftsmen and fashions permeated into Thrace.

Learn more about the habits and history of Thracians at: https://ancientbulgaria.bg/index.php/thracian/where-did-the-thracians-live

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

23/10/2024

❔Who was Dan Koloff?

Born Doncho Kolev Danev, the future champion had an unpromising start in life. He lost his father early and, like many from this poverty-stricken part of Bulgaria, was forced to seek work abroad. As a teenager, he became a gardener in Hungary, and at the age of 17 went further west, ending up in the United States.

Once there, the young Bulgarian grabbed any chance to earn a living and worked on railway construction sites, as a porter and a miner. His strength did not go unnoticed. At that time, catch wrestling was a favourite pastime for the working classes and provided a chance to make some cash. Doncho Danev proved he had a talent for it and in 1914 turned professional, becoming a carnival catch wrestler in a circus. By 1920, he was already famous enough to consider his career more seriously, and he adopted the name of Dan Koloff.

Explore further Dan Koloff’s story at: https://www.vagabond.bg/who-was-dan-koloff-4307

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

Poor Bulgarian emigrant in America returns as national hero

21/10/2024

🚂 The narrow gauge railway is not the fastest, yet it is arguably the most memorable way to discover western Rhodope.

The idea for the narrow gauge railway to go through the western Rhodope and all the way along the Mesta river to Nevrokop (now Gotse Delchev) dates back to the post-Balkan wars period. In 1912-1913 Bulgaria incorporated the region in its kingdom. There were no modern roads in the Rhodope at the time and the Bulgarian state needed infrastructure badly.

In 1915 the government started exploring the options to construct a railway along the Yadenitsa, Chepinska and Vacha rivers. A year later the route had already been agreed upon: from Saranbey (today's Septemvri) to Nevrokop.

Explore further the history of the narrow gauge in our latest article: https://www.vagabond.bg/slow-train-going-4309

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

20/10/2024

📌 Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis, Plovdiv

During the 4th century Philippopolis was an active centre of Christianity. There are several monuments of that period in today's Plovdiv. By far the most spectacular is the Bishop's Basilica. ⛪ Erected in the 4th century in what was the centre of the town it is 90 metres long and 36 metres wide, the grandest Late Antiquity basilica in the modern Bulgarian lands. What makes it so special is not the size, however. It is the two layers of floor mosaics, a total of 2,000 square metres.

Learn more about the Bishop’s Basilica at: https://ancientbulgaria.bg/listings/bishops-basilica-philippopolis

by Anthony Georgieff

17/10/2024

📌Cherepish Monastery

Deep in the stunning Iskar Gorge, Cherepish Monastery was supposedly founded in the 14th century and destroyed by the invading Ottomans, reviving itself in 1660. The compound you see today is a fine example of Revival Period architecture with an 1844 church with a fine woodcarved iconostasis. 🌟

📜 As is the custom with many holy places in Bulgaria, the Cherepish Monastery holds a number of macabre stories. Folk etymology indicates that its name is derived from cherep, or skull. The monastery is surrounded by white cliffs that do look like skulls with their black eyeballs.

See the full list of recommended monasteries across Bulgaria at: https://www.vagabond.bg/bulgarias-lesser-known-monasteries-4315

📸 by Anthony Georgieff

15/10/2024

Heroic monuments, usually to Communist guerrilla fighters, are rather a common sight in towns and villages across Bulgaria. The heroic monument in the centre of Sennik, a village in the hills near Sevlievo, depicts neither a partizanin, nor a 19th century revolutionary. The wide-chested man of bronze who stands defiantly on his trunk-like legs was a... wrestler. 💪

The statue depicts the most famous son of Sennik, catch wrestler and European champion Dan Koloff (1892-1940). 🌟 His victories are only one aspect of his lasting popularity. Another is his amazing personality. Soft-spoken and quiet, he was a sincere philanthropist and spent most of his money on charities, helping fellow Bulgarians.

Learn about Dan Koloff and his legacy at: https://www.vagabond.bg/who-was-dan-koloff-4307

📸 by Anthony Georgieff