Our History

The Roots of the Community

The residents of the village of Osoitsa are descendants of settlers from the Pirin region who arrived after the Kresna–Razlog Uprising (1877–1878) and the Ilinden Uprising (1903). In times when families were large, often with five to eight children, classrooms were housed in the homes of wealthier villagers. The first teachers also came from the newly settled population—Razlogov, Bukarov, and Granchakov.

In 1926, Mayor Dimitar Komitov took out a loan from the Bulgarian National Bank to construct a new school building. An Italian architect designed the project, and construction began with the help of Italian craftsmen and local volunteers. Around ten Bulgarian lumberjacks also took part in the construction. After four years of effort, the building was completed in 1930, featuring massive 70-centimeter-thick walls clad in local stone and brick, and two distinctive towers. In the larger tower, a clock mechanism with a bell was installed, marking the time every half hour.

In 1930, Asen Zlatarov School officially opened. The first floor housed classrooms for grades 1–4, as well as the main hall and library. The second floor accommodated classrooms for grades 5–7; rooms with southern exposure were equipped as specialized laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Classes typically consisted of 30 to 35 students, coming not only from Osoitsa but also from the neighboring village of Sarantsi.

And so it continues to this day

Between 1955 and 1957, the school was recognized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education as the best school in the country, in terms of educational process, facilities, and discipline. The school is remembered for its outstanding teachers, including Ivan Solarski, Geshо Terziyski (Mathematics), Iliya Stoitsev (Biology), the artist Bozhanchev (Art and Music)—whose hobby was repairing clocks—as well as school principals Nikola Iliev and Georgi Haralampiev, who in 1975 built the school fence and the fountain in the school courtyard.

Adjacent to the main school building was another structure used as a kitchen and café, and later also as a kindergarten. The school operated until 1989, when it was permanently closed due to a lack of students.

Decades later, Cosmos International School was reborn through a joint project between Cosmos Kids Kindergarten, the residents of Osoitsa (Gorna Malina Municipality), and investor Ivan Nikolchev. Continuing the philosophy of Cosmos Kids English Nursery & Kindergarten, we have now supported the imagination and learning of more than 400 children for over 14 years.