85991 | 26 Oct. 2025 | 12:16

Behind his success stands the powerful business corporation "Minstroy", in which 4000 people are employed, with high European salaries, providing the full amount of salary, good working conditions and prospects for development

Това е основният съвет, който бих дал на всеки бизнесмен”, споделя Вълканов.

 "I feel successful because I have achieved my dreams!"

 This is admitted by industrialist Prof. Nikolai Vulkanov, one of the most influential and respected businessmen in our country, who today gathers his family, friends and like-minded people to celebrate his personal holiday - his 75th birthday.

   Prof. Nikolai Vulkanov has successfully gone through all the steps to this success - improvement, investing profits and a honest attitude towards his team. "You should not spend the money you earn, but invest and reinvest it.   This is what I do – everything I make, I reinvest it into new projects and new facilities."

 At the core of his success is the powerful business corporation "Minstroy Holding", of which he is the "heart and soul", and where 4,000 people work with high European salaries, complete salary security, good working conditions, and prospects for development.

 Under his leadership, "Minstroy Holding" has been involved in the construction of key infrastructure projects in Bulgaria: highways, metro, oil pipelines, and power plants, and Prof. Valkanov has made a personal contribution to the realization of numerous scientific projects and patents, as well as the revival of bankrupt mines.

 Nikolay Vulkanov, a graduate of the Technical School for Precision Mechanics and Optics in Sofia, has developed an impressive business career.

 He has been the chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology since 2017. He holds a doctorate in Technical Sciences and has graduated from the Mining and Geology University in Sofia, where he is an honorary professor, as well as the International Scientific Academy, MANEB, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 He is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Mining Congress since 1992 and also a member of the Executive Committee of the International Surveyor's Organization. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Scientific and Technical Union for Mining, Geology and Metallurgy, chairman of the Bulgarian Surveyors' Union and deputy chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria. He was the director of the Scientific Research and Technology Institute for Mining Construction from 1985 to 1990. He is currently the chairman of the Board of Directors of "Minstroy Holding" AD.

 Professor Vulkanov is convinced of one thing: good tax policy and a good banking system are the two conditions that we have and make business development possible. According to him, businesses are satisfied when the legislative and executive authorities create stability, when there is a stable tax system that is not constantly changing.
 "The man of honor and defender of national interests, Prof. Vulkanov gets angry when someone says that there are no foreign investments in our country. "That is not true - the entire cement industry is a foreign investment, the entire glass industry is foreign, mining - 50/50 is foreign, the same goes for metallurgy, banks, insurance companies and mobile operators. But, I don't divide them into foreign and Bulgarian, but into successful and unsuccessful," Vulkanov points out.

  And insists that above all, the state needs to stand behind honest businesses and crush the grey sector.

 "In Bulgaria, there are excellent conditions for doing business because we have good legislation and only 10% corporate tax. We have an excellent banking system, we have a lot of internal resources, as well as a lot of resources from European funds.   Serious investments are being made in innovation, especially in well-performing companies. These favorable conditions apply to all who want to work in the light", says Prof. Vulkanov.

 The professor is convinced that successful business and a well-organized state rely entirely on capable and educated people.

 According to him, it is high time for businesses to open up to education and become leading figures in this field. Because the business environment in Bulgaria is excellent for any company that chooses to operate in the light, but the big problem is the shortage of well-prepared staff, which can be solved with high salaries, full insurance and good working conditions.

 "Education is a favorite topic of mine and I do a lot for it. In "Minstroy" we provided 20 scholarships for the Mining-Geological University and offer internships." 25 students work at "Gorubso-Madan" and study at the Mining and Geological University, while in the technical school in Madan there are 100 children studying mining," he tells us.

 His influence in the economic and educational circles is emphasized by his leadership positions. He is a deputy chairman of the Chamber of Mining and a chairman of the Bulgarian Mining and Geology Chamber. The list of higher education institutions whose patronage he holds is long. In support of the academic community, Prof. Valkanov opened the NV Tower - one of the most modern buildings in Sofia - to host the "Academic Oscars". This place brings together the entire higher education community in our country, from rectors and education ministers to top-performing students.

That's why the cause for his anniversary today is to renovate and modernize the laboratory block at the Mining-Geological University "St. Ivan Rilski".

 What is not widely known about Nikolay Valkanov is his passion for art. He has a large collection of over 400-500 Bulgarian artists. He has his favorite artists. "Zlatyu Boyadzhiev is one of them, he is present everywhere - in my home, in my office," the businessman says. Years ago, together with Vezhdi Rashidov, they started a campaign to support Bulgarian artists. "The idea was to do an action. Then we bought 100-200 paintings at once. This marked the beginning of my collections," Vulkanov remembers.

 In addition to artists, he also supports the ensemble "Bulgarians". He has been the general sponsor of the ensemble for several years now. He does this to remember Bulgarian culture and language. “In order for young people to learn and have a sense of Bulgarianness by watching their inspiring performances, Prof. Vulkanov believes in the unifying power of sports and not only protects "golden" Carlos Nasar from attacks. When the sports star Carlos Nasar "explodes", Nikolai Vulkanov is his like-minded person, fan, and not just a sponsor. Nasar is an Olympic weightlifting champion whom Vulkanov supports during his recovery from a serious injury. He promised him to have a training hall with the exact equipment that he specified. He did it in Devin, so Carlos can discover and inspire future stars.

 Flowers are another passion of Prof. Vulkanov. "I love being there in the spring when the garden is being arranged." "I choose which flowers to be planted - not only in the office, but also at home and in the hotels - everywhere I want to see a beautiful flower garden," admits the businessman.

 Eight years ago, Professor D.Sc.Eng. Nikolay Vulkanov proposed to his longtime girlfriend Rumyana Georgieva, on the eve of the bright holiday of Christmas. "I chose to propose to her on this day because of its symbolism and the significance it holds for the Christian family. For me, family is the most important thing," said Vulkanov.

 Their civil marriage was confirmed by the mayor of Burgas. And they have been inseparable since then.

 Rumyana Georgieva is among the largest electricity traders in the country, an experienced and respected energy expert. She inspires him, creates a cozy home and helps propel the massive business projects of "Minstroy" alongside him.

 Epicenter. BG: Congratulations on the holiday of Prof. Nikolay Vulkanov and wishes him health and longevity.