Elissaveta Radulova’s 1001 nights fairytale

Elissaveta Radulova, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, has been at FASoS for 19 years already. “I came here in 2002 for the master’s in European Public Affairs, back then the only master’s programme in European Studies that FASoS offered. When I graduated, I stayed on as tutor in the Bachelor ES, worked on my PhD (defended in 2011), lectured, tutored, chaired the Board of Examiners (for 6 years), and since 2019 I am the programme director of the BA European Studies.

So, I think it’s safe to say that most of my colleagues got to know a lot about me over the years. For example, that I adore (dark) chocolate and that travelling is my best relaxation pill. I guess, though, there is one journey I have not shared much about as it was so long ago. It influenced me greatly, and it is often on my mind, because this country has become such a troubled land lately…,” Elissaveta tells me, and naturally I am curious to learn more.

“When I was 19, back in 1997, my parents were offered a job in Syria. I had just finished my first year at Sofia University and absolutely loved my life. I made so many friends and was fully accustomed to university life. Then my parents told me they were moving to Syria… and I had to go with them! I was upset and didn’t want to leave my university friends behind, but my parents advised me to take a gap year and said that I would love living in Syria.”

And so Elissaveta moved to Damascus with her parents. “I remember crying a lot during the first eight weeks. I felt like I was detained and sent to an isolated island.” But after a while, she was introduced to the expat community in Damascus and she started travelling the country and its surroundings with friends. “We’ve been to truly astounding sites: Palmyra before it was bombed by ISIS, the Aleppo Citadel before the destruction, Petra in Jordan, Baalbek in Lebanon, and many more places. I was extremely lucky to see this region and this world heritage at the end of the 1990s – back then these were peaceful lands… But we should stay positive, right? Let me tell you one unforgettable story!”, Elissaveta offers and I am all ears.

“When I turned 20, my friends threw me a surprise party. In Syria, a house is built around an inner courtyard – typically a garden with a fountain, the garden being the heart of the house. My friends had filled the entire garden of orange and lemon trees with candles! I felt like I was living in a 1001 nights fairytale – it was truly magical.”

“After a year, I didn’t want to leave anymore; I had built a nice social circle, I was travelling to beautiful places, and I was studying French which I had always wanted to. But my university allowed me to take time off for one year only, otherwise I had to re-do the entry exams, so I had to go back to Bulgaria. And here I was – crying again – but this time because I had to leave Damascus…”, Elissaveta laughs. “That’s how my Syrian adventure ended, but I will always keep very fond memories of that time, and of that region.”

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