Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

104-year-old Yummyush Adilova from Bulgarian village of Madrevo and her secrets of longevity

The oldest resident in the municipality of Kubrat Yummyush Adil from the village of Madrevo, has marked her 104th birthday.

"Our mother was born back in 1916, during the Balkan War, in a poor family that subsisted on agriculture. She has experienced wars, famine, poverty and difficulties.Together with my father she was sent to do apprentice work and also worked as a shepherd. After my mother became a widow before she turned 50, she had to raise her four children on her own. She decided to give me for adoption, but the family I grew up with did not separate me from my brothers for a moment and I am very grateful to them,”her son Muharrem told Radio Bulgaria.

After losing two of her sons, today Grandma Yummyush enjoys the attention of her other two sons, daughters-in-law, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

The centenarian is in good health and never misses elections. Perhaps one of the secrets of her longevity lies in hard work. She spent her entire life working in agriculture. Proximity to the earth, a positive attitude towards life and the difficulties she overcame along her path seem to be the key to the high spirits of Yummyush Adil. Otherpeople in the villagesay she is a good neighbor and advisor and speak of her with much respect.

"She receives a very low pension, but my brother Ramadan takes very good care of her," Muharrem told us, adding: “For her birthday she received flowers and greetings from the mayors of Kubrat and our village and we offered her our presents and wishes for good health. She was extremely happy with these gestures of attention."

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: private library

More from category

Traditional seasonal grazing in the Bulgarian mountains - part of UNESCO's heritage

Bulgaria has joined a multinational nomination for accession to the element "Pasture traditions", inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.   The event was marked on March 28 with the official signing of the nomination by the..

published on 3/28/25 4:55 PM

Architectural Building Week begins in Sofia

The international business exhibition Architectural Building Week 2025 starts today at the Inter Expo Centre in Sofia and runs until 29 March. It is being held alongside the Green Energy and Building Information Modelling (BIM) forums. This year's..

published on 3/26/25 7:30 AM

The Bulgarian Sunday School "Asen and Ilia Peykovi" in Rome organizes an online seminar on children's books

The Bulgarian Sunday School "Asen and Ilia Peykovi" in Rome is inviting participants to an online seminar themed "Biserche Valshebno". The event, taking place on March 22 and 23, is a continuation of the discussions that emerged during the Second..

published on 3/22/25 9:00 AM