From the High School to the Twin Towers in New York - the family of Dimitar Agura

Many people of Bulgarian origin from Bessarabia leave lasting traces in the cultural and historical development of Bulgaria. Observations show that they all have a huge love for Bulgaria - selfless, dedicated, deep as the Black Sea and vibrant as the Rhodopean song. They are fully committed to the work they do and work with a purpose that is inherent only in the strong in spirit. Dimitar Agura possesses the above mentioned qualities, develops them over the years and becomes an example of imitation of his children and grandchildren.

Where did Dimitar Agura's family chronicle begin? From the 30 years of the XIX century, when, with the retreating soldiers of General Ivan Dibic, 200 000 Bulgarians leave, frightened by the revenge of the Turkish enslaved. These were people from Silistra, Razgrad and Shoumen who settled in the village of Cesme Varoit, Bolgrad Region, northeast of the Danube Delta. The family of the distinguished Bulgarian originates according to some researchers from the Ukrainian word "Ogurny", which means "stubborn", and according to others - on behalf of the Agurka River.

Dimitar Dimitrov Agura was born on 26 on October 1849 in Chushmelia, Bolgrad district, Odessa region. He studied at the Bolgrad High School, known as Prince Nikola Konaki School - Bogoridi. He later completed seminary and history in Iasi, Romania.

After the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Turkish yoke, he left for his native land and started working as a chief of the Ministry of the Interior. During 1883 he was temporarily Minister of National Education in the office of Leonid Sobolev. Later he was the director of men's high schools in Sofia and Plovdiv. Since 1889 he has been a history teacher at the Sofia University (today Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"). He became a professor of universal history. He is three times Rector of the University (1889 - 1890, 1892 - 1995, 1907 - 1908), twice Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, member of the Bulgarian Literary Society (today BAS) and Chairman of the Bulgarian a historical society until his death. He died of a heart attack on 11 on October 1911, in Iaşi, Romania, on 62 years. He was a Member of Parliament in the Third Ordinary National Assembly (1882 - 1883). He founded and edited Bulgarian Review. He is the author of a number of scientific works on history.

Dimitar Agura started two interesting generic traditions: one is the first-born son to be baptized with the name Dimitar, and the other - to receive a good education at the First Men's High School in Sofia. Agoura marries Anastasia, whose family also emigrated from Bulgaria. Their daughter Nedyalka Agura is one of the first Bulgarian pianists, and the second daughter Elena is a teacher by profession. Their son, Eng. Dimitar Agura, graduated from the Vienna Polytechnic, and in the meantime participated in the three wars from 1912 to 1918. He became known for introducing reinforced concrete structures into Bulgarian architecture. He has built the building of the Ministry of Public Health, the Teachers' Fund (today the Kultura cinema), the Sliven municipality, many residential buildings in the center of Sofia and factory chimneys of reinforced concrete. He is the first chairman of the Chamber of Engineers and Architects in Bulgaria, and from 1926 to 1938 he is the head of the Bulgarian Engineering and Architectural Society (BIAD). He died in 1942 at the age of 1977.

Since his marriage to Velika Atanasova Nacheva, Eng. Dimitar Agura has three children: Dimitar, Atanas and Konstantin. Dimitar's firstborn son was born in 1922. He studied architecture in Germany, married Karen, the daughter of a Bulgarian and a German, and in 1951 both immigrated to the United States. From 1953 for more than 30 years he has worked as an architect in New York City. Becomes the head of a department that deals with the construction of all stations - river, sea, air, rail. His wife Karen is a fashion designer.

In the early 70 years, the New York City community began to constructs the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The project is from Japanese Minoro Yamasaki. The whole department of arch. Dimitar Agura was sent to realize the construction. Architect Agur, the grandson of historian Dimitar Agura, died in June 2001 of leukemia, three months before al-Qaeda blew up the cause of his life. His son Edward is a radiation doctor and has long worked at Seattle University Clinic. During the Chernobyl accident, many of the injured workers were treated by him, but ironically he could not save his ailing father.

Dimitar's brother, Arch. Atanas Agura is one of the most famous Bulgarian architects. He was born in 1926, graduated from VIAS and as a student participated in various architectural competitions. However, his democratic views irritate power after 9 September 1944, and for two years he was interned at a communist camp near Tutrakan. "It was my belief that if I started from the bottom of the social strata anyway, I needed to find the creative strength to emerge and develop my talent. Architecture is not a profession to me but fate. I worked tirelessly just to become an architect, not for rewards and benefits, ”says Atanas Agura.

With arch. Nikola Nikolov is working on the design of the Sunny Beach resort. He won a competition for the construction of the center of Veliko Tarnovo, and in 1969 was elected Chief Architect of Sofia. His greatest achievements are with arch. Alexander Barov - The National Palace of Culture (1977) and the center of Blagoevgrad. Together with his brother, Konstantin Agura, they compete in rally racing. They start out as amateurs in the 1962 year with the Octavia Damage. They're jokingly winning several Republican titles in their class. Constantine refuses, but Atanas continues. In 1968 he became European Champion.

The youngest son Konstantin Agura graduated in Engineering and Pedagogy. He is the founder of the Wilhelm Peak Technical School in Sofia. He was a teacher, deputy director, principal. He is the author of textbooks and books in his specialty.

The tree of life of Academician Dimitar Agura has laid deep roots in the native Bulgarian land, and numerous branches have rushed like birds high in the sky. His worthy heirs do not forget their father's vows to this day and believe that the roots give strength and resilience and the branches give wings.

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