Olya Avramova at a school celebration

On this photo, taken in Sofia in the 1960s, my younger daughter Olya Avramova, nee Albuhaire is given a 'chavdarche' tie. Chavdarche was a children's organization in the elementary school in socialist times, named after Chavdar Voivoda, a hero from the Bulgarian National Revival in the 19th century. Children were given blue ties in order to mark their affiliation with the organization. There was another organization in the junior high school, called 'Pioneer' - where children received red ties. This was the pre-Komsomol organization.