We are meeting with Kristian Vaklinov to hear more about the cause he strongly believes in, which he started more than 10 years ago. Kristian devotes much of his free time to volunteering, and his cause is the Trans-Rhodope narrow-gauge railway. This is the old train, hand-built in 1921-1945 with government loans and volunteer labour, which today is still transporting locals and tourists across three mountains, three rivers, and the highest-altitude railway station in the country.

Kristian, how does a young man decide to take time out of his day and dedicate it to a socially important cause like saving the Trans-Rhodope narrow-gauge railway?

When I got the idea of trying to help restore the suspended evening train on the narrow-gauge railway exactly 10 years ago, I was far from thinking that this would become the cause of my life, that something would happen, and that it would be so noteworthy and further advanced. I just felt the need to try to fight and stand up for truth and justice in this private social case.

How did you come up with the idea to start this initiative?

I was travelling as a tourist on the narrow-gauge railway in 2010-2012, and it was then that I witnessed how the government put an end to the most important train for the local population – the evening train from Dobrinishte to Septemvri. Many people became unemployed because they lost the chance to go home. In addition, even then, the narrow-gauge railway was full of foreign tourists who had read about it and came to see its amazing beauty in action.  It was painful to me that the world found it attractive and appealing as a destination, yet little was known in this country about such a smart piece of engineering as the Trans-Rhodope narrow-gauge railway. Therefore, I decided that we had to fight, to defend first the interest of the locals and second, to promote this railway so that our people would appreciate it with dignity.

Tell us more about the House-Museum of the Septemvri-Dobrinishte Narrow-Gauge Railway Project.

This is another crazy idea and dream of mine, which, thanks to dozens of supporters, was implemented in the period 2015-2017. I had stopped at the Tsepina railway stop to take a picture of the train, and I was saddened by the miserable state of the building. It was built a hundred years ago and has been authentically preserved, while the location, in the heart of the Chepino Gorge, is simply breathtaking as a sight and scenery. So it occurred to me that I should do something to make the railway stop look better. The right people appeared at the right time as if they had been sent to me by God. I spent every free moment there during the next two years. The railway strop was shattered; it was in terrible condition. We repaired with volunteer labor almost everything outside and inside on both floors. And then came the other idea - the challenge of making the narrow-gauge railway a home for photos, objects, and documents from its century-long history. And it happened, and I'm extremely happy about that because I believe it will stay and was worth it.

You receive a nomination for Awakener of the Year 2021. Do you feel that your efforts and the efforts of your supporters are appreciated by the public?

Oh, surely the answer is Yes! And not because of the recognition and nomination, but because I see with my eyes every day how many smiles fill the narrow-gauge railway and how thousands of people from all over the country come every day to experience the magic of those 125 kilometers. It has never been important to me to have a good result associated with my name – all that matters is that it is a fact. Who has done it is not that important, what is more important is that the railway is alive and will only grow! 

You founded the "For the Narrow-Gauge Railway" association with your followers, which currently has 60 members from all over the country. What are the future projects of the association for which you wish to gain public attention and get additional support?

The most important thing is that the government should step into its proper role, listen to some of our views and take clear and targeted actions to develop this railway. Because it transports a lot of tourists today, but it only remains a social transport for the region – almost nothing is being invested in turning it into the tourist attraction and destination that the public has already accepted it for the last 2-3 years. There is no activity. We continue to do the events promoting the railway, which for 6-7 years have become a tradition welcomed by locals and tourists. These are the annual rides on the occasion of 3 March, our national holiday, the folk festival held at the highest-altitude railway station, the maintenance of the museum, the celebrations of important anniversaries, the Christmas ride, etc. Through these, we maintain a rich, in my opinion, cultural calendar on the line. But the great dream is that the government, together with us, will take action and do the big things that will add value to the railway tomorrow.

How has the cause you started years ago changed your life for the better?
 

This cause has made my life meaningful for 10 years and helped me meet my best friends. The cause has acquainted me with and given me the opportunity to come into contact with certain people with abundant life experiences and natural intelligence that would not have happened otherwise. The narrow-gauge railway has also defined my professional path indirectly. I am extremely happy and grateful, and most of all, probably, because the result of my struggle has convinced me that there is hope and a future in Bulgaria, even if good things are hard to achieve. Otherwise, I would probably be looking for myself somewhere else in the world. Let's keep moving forward

Read also the story of Simona Stiliyanova and her Osnova for a more sustainable future.