Името на големия български поет Никола Вапцаров бе премахнато от интернет страницата на Британската библиотека, посветена на Македония, установи „ДНЕС+”. Това стана възможно най-вече след намесата на варненския евродепутат в групата на Алианса на либералите и демократите за Европа Биляна Раева.

Спорът с присъствието на Никола Вапцаров сред „строителите” на книжовния македонски език започна преди около година, когато българска гражданка, пожелала да назове само фамилията си – Чолакова – забелязва това недоразумение и започва кореспонденция с модератора на секцията за Югоизточна Европа Милан Гръба.

След многократни напомняния за неуместната употреба на името на българския поет, г-жа Чолакова се обърна за подкрепа на по-високо ниво в лицето на Биляна Раева.

Българският евродепутат от своя страна се оказа най-подходящата фигура и заради контактите си с Британската библиотека, след като в края на миналата година нейният екип организира в Европейския парламент семинар, посветен на Лондонското четвероевангелие.

В началото на март от кабинета на г-жа Раева заявиха, че са подготвили писмо до директора на Националната библиотека на Великобритания с искане информацията да бъде коригирана. Преди това въпросът е бил обсъден със специалисти и с племенницата на поета Мая Вапцарова, бореща се за същата кауза.

To:
Mrs. Dame Lynne J. Brindley, DBE
Chief Executive
The British Library
London, United Kingdom

CC:

H. E. Mr. Georgi Parvanov, President of Republic of Bulgaria
H. E. Mr. Sergey Stanishev, Prime Minnister of Republic of Bulgaria
H. E. Mr. Ivaylo Kalfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Bulgaria
H. E. Mr. Stephan Danailov, Minister of Culture of Republic of Bulgaria
H. E. Steve Williams, Ambassador of UK to Republic of Bulgaria
Professor Boryana Hristova, Director of St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library, Sofia, Bulgaria
Mrs. Maya Vaptsarova, president VYARA foundation


From:
Mrs. Bilyana Raeva,
Member of the European Parliament
Brussels


Date:
09.03.2009

Dear Mrs. Brindley,

Having recently completed a successful joint project on presenting the latest research on the 14th c. Bulgarian Gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander (BL Add Ms 39627) at The European parliament, I would like to use the occasion and thank you again for the good cooperation we have with the British Library.
In this line I would also like to draw your attention on a matter I was informed about by one of my voters – a misrepresentation of a Bulgarian poet on your site (please see the enclosed letters from 17.04.2008 until 06.06.2008 on the case). Mrs. Ivelina Cholakova reports that she wrote to the Curator of Southeastern European Collections of the British Library last winter, but to no result.
I am especially concerned about the misguiding information, because it relates to one of Bulgaria’s national poets and prominent figure in the Bulgarian cultural heritage – the poet Nicola Yonkov Vaptsarov.
He is not only one of the classics of Bulgarian literature, but is also internationally translated and renowned. He was awarded the International Peace Prize in 1952 from World Peace Council, as a Bulgarian poet and antifascist activist! I have spoken to Vaptsarov’s niece, Mrs.Maya Vaptsarova, who takes care for the family heritage. She was very upset and insisted that the poet’s memory and life-long work should be honored as it is, especially in such a renowed establishment as British library.
The news of the inconsistency of the information on the British library website with the the real facts brought to a wave of public dscontent in our country. I strongly believe that as an impartial guardian of the historic and cultural heritage, your institute will take the appropriate measures to display the information about the bulgarian poet, Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov accordingly.
I am presently working on the idea of organizing an exhibition to mark the 100 years anniversary from Vaptsarov birth at the EU Parliament, for which Mrs. Vaptsarova has kindly promised to provide materials from her private archive and museums in Bulgaria.
Following the year of inter-cultural dialogue, it would be valuable to continue the good practices and make the works of this exceptional poet known, especially, to the young European public.
Provided your exhibitions diary permits, we could think of showing the exhibition at the British library, which could also include Vaptsarov’s books from the British Library collection. I think it will be of public interest to explore an opportunity to relate a Bulgarian Peace Prize winner to the British Library audience.
I look forward to hearing from you and working with you again.
Yours sincerely,

Bilyana Raeva,
Member of the
European Parliament