OMO Ilinden – Pirin, one of the key associations of Macedonians in Bulgaria, announced that it will open a new cultural center near the city of Plovdiv. The organization recently opened a club in Blagoevgrad, which followed the opening of several controversially named Bulgarian clubs in Macedonia.

OMO member Borislav Bozinov will use his own property in the village of Krumovo near Plovdiv to open the club, which he said will be named either “Macedonia” or “Jane Sandanski”.

There are many refugees from Aegean Macedonia in Plovid, there is an entire neighborhood of us, up to 100,000 if we include the villages. I will open the club to help restore our Macedonian consciousness, Bozinov said.

Bulgarian authorities are fighting back by renewed attempts to shut down the OMO Ilinden – Pirin organization, and Bozinov says that he is being followed by the authorities.