Maxima Aula Was Crowded for the Premiere of Film about Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dobrev - the Patriarch of Accounting in Bulgaria Organized by the Accountancy and Analysis Department

The eldest department of accounting in Bulgaria - the Accountancy and Analysis Department at UNWE organized the premiere of the film about Prof. Dimitar Dobrev - the patriarch of accounting in Bulgaria and the second Rector of UNWE. The event is a joint project of UNWE and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants /ICPA/ and it is implemented by the Bulgarian National Television /BNT/. It also an occasion the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, the Chairman of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Bulgaria Mr. Boyko Kostov and the previous Head of the Department Prof. Dr. Snezhana Basheva to be honored with the award of the Department - Honorary Plaque Prof. Dimitar Dobrev.

Prof. D.Sc. Pencho Penchev, Mr. Boyko Kostov, Prof. Dr. Daniela Feschiyan, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and Mr. Ilian Chabukliysky /from the right to the left/

Prof.Dr. Daniela Feschiyan, Doctor in Economics, Head of the Accountancy and Analysis Department at UNWE and President of the Association of Economic Schools in Bulgaria, opened the event and welcomed more than 700 representatives of the country's academic and accounting elite, supporters, friends, and followers, including: Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE, Mr. Boyko Kostov, Chairman of ICPA and ideologist of the book and film about Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. D.Sc. Pencho Penchev, reviewer of the book The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Bulgaria and its Chairmen /1931 – 1948/, which became the basis for making the film, Mr. Ilian Chabukliysky, Chairman of the Student Council at UNWE, the executive producer of the film Mr. Nikolay Markov and the screenwriter Mr. Kiril Orlov, the Vice-Rectors of UNWE - Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Vodenicharova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, members of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of ICPA, Mr. Boyko Atanasov, Chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission, Prof. Ognyan Simeonov, Chairman of the Commission for Public Oversight of Statutory Auditors, the Deans of Faculties at UNWE - Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarsky,  Prof. Dr. Georgy Zabunov, Prof. Dr. Venelin Boshnakov, members of the Academic Coincil of UNWE and Heads of Departments, the Dean of the Economic Accounting Faculty of Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics - Svishtov Prof. Dr. Atanas Atanasov and the Head of the Accounting Department of Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics - Svishtov Assoc. Prof. Dr. Galina Ciprianova, the Dean of the Finance and Accountancy Faculty of University of Economics - Varna Assoc. Prof. Dr. Daniela Georgieva and the Head of the Accountancy Department of University of Economics - Varna Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadezhda Popova-Yosifova, the Dean of the Economic and Social Sciences Faculty of Paisii Hilendarsky University of Plovdiv Assoc. Prof. Margarita Ruseva, and the Vice Dean for Academic Activity of the Economic and Social Sciences Faculty of Paisii Hilendarsky University of Plovdiv Assoc. Prof. Dany Lyubetska. The doyen of the Accounting and Analysis Department, holder of the title Honorary Head of the Department Prof. Dr. Stoyan Stoyanov, the Head of the Accounting and Analysis Department in the previous two terms /2016 - 2023/ Prof. Dr. Snezhana Basheva, the lecturers and officials of the Accounting and Analysis Department were also in the hall.

Prof. Feschiyan expressed special thankfulness to the business partners who attended the event - Mrs. Silvia Peneva, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Deloitte Bulgaria,  Mrs. Nadia Mihova, Human Resources Manager of Ernst&Young Bulgaria /EY Bulgaria/, Mr. Kalin Hadzhidimov, Managing Partner of KPMG Bulgaria. Prof. Daniela Feschian also welcomed the co-founder of the Association of Economic Schools in Bulgaria /AESB/ Mrs. Emilia Ivanova, Director of the National Trade and Banking High School /NTBHS/ and Deputy Chairman of AESB, the Director of the National High School in Finance and Business /NHSFB/  and the most active member of the AESB Control Council - Mrs. Maya Gesheva, deputy directors and teachers from the two high schools, more than 400 students from the two schools from the accounting classes as well as hundreds of students from the UNWE from the specialties Accounting, Accounting and Control and Finance, Accounting and Control taught in English.

Prof. Daniela Feschiyan

In her speech Prof. Dr. Daniela Feschiyan pointed out that the Accountancy and Analysis Department at UNWE is the eoldest and the most prestigious accounting department in Bulgaria - department with a 104 years of history. It was founded by Prof. Dobrev in 1920 along with the establishment of the Free University of Political and Economic Sciences as Prof. Dobrev was not only its founder, he was also its first Head from 1920 to 1946: "My dear friends, you can imagine how great are my excitement and pride because we are the inheritants of this great scientist! Great men are not born great, they become great by their deeds, by their ideas, by their self-giving! Prof. Dobrev is exactly such a person!"

Prof. Daniela Feschian reminded facts from the life path, administrative experience and creative achievements of Prof. Dimitar Dobrev highlighting his mission. "However, it is very important that this mission is reflected in the minds of the followers and generations of the society and the nation. Then we talk about the timelessness of the work, then we pay the greatest tribute", added Prorf. Feschiyan pointing out the names of the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Chairman of ICPA Mr. Boyko Kostov outlining their contribution to the realization of the film keeping alive the memory of the patriarch of accounting Prof. Dobrev and preserving the history of the emerge of accounting in Bulgaria as a science and practical activity.

Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov

The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov welcomed the guests in the crowded Maxima Aula: "Prof. Dobrev deserves this honour and I think that our university keeps alive the memory of the people who came before us. You see that there is continuity and this continuity is alive and must remain alive. I hope that in 100 years there will be a new film dedicated to someone in this room. I am happy that the hall is so full because 2024 is also the year in which we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the announcement of Prof. Dobrev as Professor of the Free University of Political and Economic Sciences whose successor is the UNWE".

Prof. Dimitrov expressed thankfulness to the ICPA and Mr. Boyko Kostov, the initiator of the film about Prof. Dimitrov. Dobrev as well as to the BNT for its implementation. He expressed his special thankfulness to the Head of the eldest Department of UNWE Prof. Daniela Feschiyan for the energy she puts into every endeavour and especially for today's event that pays tribute to Prof. Dimitar Dobrev - "an outstanding scientist and practitioner, founder of accounting science in Bulgaria".

Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov and Prof. Daniela Fesciyan

Boyko Kostov, Chairman of ICPA

In his speech Mr. Boyko Kostov, Chairman of ICPA, emphasized that the realization of this film clearly shows how a big figure related to both institutions – the UNWE and the ICPA, could unite them to do good deeds, to preserve the memory. "Keeping the memory is not self-purposeful. In this case the young people attending in this hall will have another opportunity to draw inspiration for their future development." He expresssed thankfulnes to the BNT team for their high level of professionalism but also for the "heart and soul" they had put into the film.

Prof. D. Sc. Pencho Penchev

Prof. D.Sc. Pencho Penchev shared with the audience the extraordinary pleasure he had working on the book and the film about Prof. Dobrev: "We are about to enter from this strong emotion that is now radiating from the hall into a world of a very thoughtful person, a person who has dedicated his life to two things – the first one is the accounting, as a science and teaching, the seconf one is to be a visionary and organizer of institutions that are very sustainable. Besides the professional knowledge and qualities of Prof. Dobrev we must say that his life, his professional activity are united by very clear values such as moderation, accuracy, integrity, honesty. Due to them Prof. Dobrev managed to develop the university and accounting science in some of the most difficult years of Bulgaria's history and these values are embedded, in my opinion, in the DNA of the organizations that are in some way the successors of Prof. Dobrev - the Accountancy Department, the University of National and World Economy and ICPA".

Ilian Chabukliyski, Chairman of the Student Council

The Chairman of the Student Council Mr. Ilian Chabukliysky joined the emotional atmosphere in the hall: "I am happy to be a part of a university that remembers its history and takes steps to promote it among the wide public".

Nikolay Markov, Executive Producer of the film

Mr. Nikolay Markov, Executive Producer of the film, talked about the creative process and pointed out that the film is not only a portrayal of an exceptional personality: "The film also shows the importance that the work of Prof. Dobrev has for the education and academic activity in our country. It shows Prof. Dobrev as an extremely influential figure in the Bulgarian academic environment, telling about his hard work, devotion and importance in the development of the country's economy." He expressed thankfulness to the UNWE, ICPA, and the Management Body of BNT for their incredible support and assistance during the creation of the film as well as to the team – the Director Daniel Ahmakov and the Screenwriter Kiril Orlov.

"Help me to raise you up!" Teaching is the art to give wings and rise the spirit uplifting by providing strong roots of knowledge", emphasized Prof. Daniela Feschiyan adding that "to strengthen the roots of our followers and to honour Prof. Dobrev in the most worthy way for a teacher, we, from the AESB, organized a contest for the best essay on the Imprint of Prof. Dobrev in the History of Accounting among the high school pupils of both schools, successors of the Trading High School where Prof. Dobrev not only taught, but was also a class teacher – the NTBHS and the NHSFB. This competition proved that accountants are excellent writers, poets, artists, philosophers, creative and imaginative personalities".

Prof. Daniela Feschiyan awarded the Honorary Diploma for the best essay on the Imprint of Prof. Dobrev on the History of Accounting to Bilyana Ivanova Georgieva from 11A class of the National Trade and Banking High School and to Marie Tsvetanova Mihaylova, pupil from 11D class of the National Finance and Economics High School who won first place in the competition.

When asked how they see their future both girls confirmed that their answers will not surprise anyone, because they want to study accounting and to continue their education at the eldest and most prestigious economic university in Bulgaria - the University of National and World Economy.

Bilyana Georgieva, Prof. Daniela Feschiyan and Marie Mihailova /from the right to the left/

All the attendees in Maxima Aula enjoyed the film Prof. Dimitar Dobrev - the Patriarch of Accounting in Bulgaria created by a team of BNT - Nikolay Markov /Executive Producer/, Daniel Ahmakov /Director/ and Kiril Orlov /Screenwriter/.

After the final subtitles came the culmination of the celebration.

"Thank you for co-experienceing this great story and for making us feel proud together of the fact that we are standing on Titan's shoulders allowing us to see far. Several of our colleagues have made enormous efforts to make this happen and now is the time for these efforts to be appreciated", addressed to the guest Prof. Feschiyan and explained that in the 104-year history of the Accountancy and Analysis Department the highest award and recognition is the Honorary Plaque of Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dobrev - It is our Nobel!".

In the history of the Department only four people have been awarded this plaque, determined by Prof. Daniela Feschiyan as Titans of Accountancy – the Professors Kosta Pergelov, Ivan Dushanov, Stoyan Stoyanov and Mihail Dinev.

At its meeting on 20 February 2024 the Accountancy and Analysis Department decided by consensus to award the Honorary Plaque of Prof. Dimitar Dobrev to the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, to the Chairman of ICPA Mr. Boyko Kostov and to Prof. Dr. Snezhana Basheva, Head of the Accountancy and Analysis Department in the previous two terms /2016 - 2023/.

The high distinction is honoured to them for preserving and disseminating the history of accounting science, education and practice and for their overall contribution in establishing the authority of the Accountancy and Analysis Department.

Awarding the distinctions Prof. Daniela Feschiyan outlined that Prof. Dimitrov is the first Professor who is not an accountant and the first Rector to receive this highest award of the Department, the Chairman of ICPA Mr. Boyko Kostov is the first accountant winner of this high distinction who is not a Professor and Prof. Snezhana Basheva is the first woman to be awarded this great distinction.

Prof. Dimitrov with the Honorary Plaque of Prof. Dimitar Dobrev for preserving and disseminating the history of accounting science, education and practice and for his overall contribution to establishing the authority of the Accountancy and Analysis Department

Mr. Boyko Kostov with the Honorary plaque of Prof. Dimitar Dobrev for preserving and disseminating the history of accounting science, education and practice and for his overall contribution to establishing the authority of the Accountancy and Analysis Department

Prof. Snezhana Basheva with the Honorary plaque Prof. Dimitar Dobrev for preserving and disseminating the history of accounting science, education and practice and for his overall contribution to establishing the authority of the Accountancy and Analysis Department

The Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov was awarded the ICPA plaque by Mr. Boyko Kostov, President of the organization

A statuette of Prof. Stefan Bobchev and a Diploma for contribution to the development of cooperation between the UNWE and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Bulgaria and raising the authority of accounting knowledge were awarded to Mr. Boyko Kostov, Chairman of ICPA

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Todorov and Prof. Daniela Feschiyan

For finishing the extremely emotional event Prof. Daniela Feschiyan reminded also one of the most exciting thoughts of Prof. Dobrev: “Accounting is not a craft but a flag to be carried with honour and dignity!"

Prof. Daniela Feschiyan expressed her confidence that somewhere high above among the brightest stars our Patriarch watches us and is proud of us: "The loudest applause today is for Prof. Dobrev! A deep bow to your work, teacher!".

The academic staff of the 104-year-old Department of Accountancy and Analysis at UNWE