Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki

The Sts. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Men’s High School of Thessaloniki was the first Bulgarian high school in Macedonia. It was an important center of Bulgarian education in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The school was founded in 1880 in Thessaloniki, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire (today in Greece). It worked until 1913.

 History 
The first Bulgarian school in Thessaloniki was opened in 1871 near the church of Agios Athanasios. Because of political tensions in the region, some Bulgarian schools were closed. However, the local Bulgarian community wanted better education for young people.

In 1880, with the support of the Bulgarian Exarchate, the high school was officially opened. It was named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, who are important figures in Slavic history and culture.

By 1910, the school had several teachers and about 133 students.

After the Balkan Wars in 1913, the school was moved to Gorna Dzhumaya (today called Blagoevgrad) in Bulgaria. It later became the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Humanitarian High School there.

 Notable people 
Some important teachers and students of the school include:

 Kuzman Shapkarev
 Vasil Kanchov
 Gotse Delchev
 Dame Gruev

 Legacy 
The Solun Glacier in Antarctica was named in honor of the school.

In 2014, a memorial plaque was placed at the site of the former school building in Thessaloniki.

 References