The Stories of Three Foreigners and Their Lives in Bulgaria

They are from Ukraine and Belarus. They have been living and working on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast for years. Here is what Larisa, Alona and Evgenia say about their second home Bulgaria:

There is a shortage of qualified staff on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast - this has been claimed for years. Why then do we not bring people from Ukraine, Belarus or Moldova, some ask. In fact, there are already some. Larissa, Evgenia and Alona, ​​for example, work at the reception in a small tourist complex on the northern Black Sea coast. What do they say?

The Ukrainian Larisa is from Khmelnytsky and has been living in Bulgaria for 23 years. Every year she returns to Ukraine, where she spends several months. "We live in two countries," she says. She is married to a Bulgarian, they have one daughter. Do I earn more in Bulgaria than in Ukraine? "I wouldn't say," Larissa replies cautiously.

Larissa: "Bulgaria is neglected"

Her compatriot Evgenia Vasileva - also married with two children - believes, as well, that pay is not a decisive factor. "If the job is good, you can earn well both in Bulgaria and in Ukraine" she said. "I really like the work, the bad thing is that it is not year-round, but only for the summer," adds Evgenia.

And does Bulgaria have the potential to attract more Ukrainians who would like to work and live here? "It depends on which part of Ukraine. Maybe yes," Eugenia replied hesitantly.

Larissa likes Bulgaria because of the good weather and the sea. She also likes the fact that Bulgarians "value their history". And Evgenia says: "In Bulgaria I like the nature and people the most. I can't talk about politics because I don't understand. It's not my politics." In the small town where she...