Introducing the RTIK Essay Contest Winner

"The year is 2040. The Rousse Chamber of Commerce and Industry is preparing for the celebration of its 150th anniversary. But Rousse is not the same - in two decades many things have changed...":

15, 30 h. – 19.07, 2040

I, Arzu Mehmed, am already 36 years old…. I am the general director of the Bulgarian-German corporation "Schiffe der Zukunft" ("Ships of the Future") from the Bulgarian side. Tonight I am invited to the award ceremony "Most successful young industrialist of Ruse" on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the chamber. I am nominated for this high award by the Board of Directors of the "Ships of the Future" corporation at the suggestion of the executive director from the German side, my colleague Hans Schmidt.

I'm thinking... I have to prepare my speech, my outfit - all important things for tonight's event, which, as always, I've left for the last minute... I can see from my window the tall cranes of the shipyard. In two weeks we are finishing a cruise ship for children, the first sailing of which will be with excellent students from all the cities along the Danube. They will travel on excursions to the Danube capitals and exchange experiences... And the rest of the time, the ship will be a children's traveling camp for all children who want to. Not for socially weak children - there are none in my city and region. In the last two decades, with the active support of the chamber and the municipality, many new small and large enterprises have been opened. Thus, unemployment and poverty were eliminated. Highly qualified specialists returned to Ruse, among them my classmates, and started reviving our beloved Danube city...

Here, I can see through the window the top floor of our new children's cruise ship, which looks like the chocolate house from the story of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm... A green lawn with benches, sports fields... The builders are putting in the last meters of natural turf and bushes of the huge closing cruise area… It looks fabulous, fantastic. The design project is by my classmate arch. Simona Martinova, who, after completing architectural design in Dresden, returned to work here... There is an increased traffic of ships on the river under Bulgarian and European influence. A large part of them are our work...

I don't know what to say tonight, if by chance the Chamber decides to give the award to me... I thought about it... How did I get here, how was the deal of the 21st century concluded - for the restoration of the Ruse shipyard with the huge investment of Germany... In the 5-year negotiations together with our German partners, our Bulgarian MEP from our city also took an active part - also my classmate Mrs. Preslava Petrova. In fact, with her participation, other international companies appeared on the territory of Ruse... Yes, many of my classmates from the German grammar school SUPNE «Fr. Schiller" have returned... Among them is the current rector of RU - Evgeni Pavlov. Although he graduated from the humanitarian specialty «Cultural Anthropology» in Berlin, which is strange for some, Assoc. Ph.D. Evgeni Pavlov together with his scientific team continues the work of his predecessors for the scientific and technological development of Ruse business. Currently, 10 leading IT companies produce innovative high-tech products, created in cooperation with the research institute of RU and serve the production not only of Ruse enterprises, but also of those throughout Europe and the world... Many of the graduates of Deutsche Shule and MG 'Baba Tonka » graduated engineering majors at RU "Angel Kanchev" during these 20 years and remained working in their hometown...

And I graduated in International Economic Relations in Cambridge, and then defended my doctorate in international law in Stuttgart... I have been working here for 10 years now - from the director of the commercial department to my current high position, which I took after a tough competition... Well, maybe I should say in my words of gratitude to the wise and brave people from the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who two decades ago took the fate of Ruse into their own hands - "little Vienna", whose past glory was tending to oblivion... They created that business atmosphere of activity and creativity, which saved my city from final economic ruin and demographic collapse….

I startle my cell phone ringing…. The courier of «Ekont» brings me the formal dress ordered by phone for tonight - from «ARDA_Fashion_Folk»... You see, I just don't have time for shops and samples... And my measurements are in the absolute standard... I stop writing and impatiently open the silver box... Awww... It is more beautiful than it looks even in their catalog... Dark blue velvet with embroidered silver embroidery from the Rousseau edge of the bustier.... «ARDA_Fashion_Folk» became a global brand in the last five years, when her fashion clothes with elements of folk embroidery won awards at world fashion exhibitions... My classmate Yolina Kovacheva was a mannequin of the company for several years and still is....

5 p.m. – 19.07. 2040

I look at the clock on the wall - I don't have any time, I have to get dressed, fix my make-up, my hair - natural... (I never have time for all the details...) Ah, yes... it's already 5 pm - I also have to pick up the child from kindergarten …

I take out my mobile phone and call my new solar-powered electric car - ROSA-2040, the work of Mr. Rosen Daskalov's car company... The company is a leader in the field of automotive eco-engineering, and not only for Eastern Europe... My colleague from the German side Hans Schmidt bought the same car, only in green color, and mine is bright red... I have no driver, no driver's license. My electric car is a robot…

"Rosa - 2040" flies past the old building of the Rousse Chamber of Commerce and Industry, today the Regional Library "L. Karavelov", renovated and technologically updated according to a large international project... In recent years, in general, the secession charm of small Vienna shines with bright colors among the modern glass-aluminum construction...

"Rosa - 2040" stops in front of our kindergarten, one of the 10 solar gardens that the Municipality of Ruse built in the last 5 years due to the constantly increasing number of small children...

However, my child was taken (again we did not agree with my husband) and was taken to my mother....

17, 30 h. – 19.07. 2040

I'm going back home in a few minutes... My husband will accompany me to the ceremony... He is already dressed in a suit from "Ariston Fashion" - a leader in official men's fashion...

Finally, we stop in front of the new building of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in the center of the city - a crystal Danube wave - a bird in flight - the work of a large team of Ruse architects... On the platform in front of the central entrance, the Ruse Philharmonic welcomes guests with "The Beautiful Son Danube".... .

…..

18.15 – 19.07. 2040

So: Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Your Excellency,

sehr geehrte Herr Botschafter von Bundesrepublik Deutschland, (Mr. Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany)

Dear Mr. Chairman of the Municipal Council - Ruse,

Dear ladies and gentlemen from the Rousse Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

I, Arzu Mehmed, in my capacity as General Director of the Bulgarian-German corporation «Schiffe der Zukunft» (Ships of the Future) I stand before you to ……………………………………………………..

Arzu Mehmed, 16, SUPNE "Friedrich Schiller"