Building a communication and cultural bridge between Dubai and Ukraine
Bulgarian entrepreneur and publisher Petar Mandjoukov will dedicate Ukrainian radio Kraina FM to Expo 2020 Dubai
Kraina FM, Ukraine's most-widely covered network and the first Europe-oriented radio, will start an exclusive radio programme on July 1, 2021, dedicated to mega event Expo 2020 Dubai taking place from October 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022, for the Ukrainian public.
It was designed and developed as a result of the partnership between Mandjoukov, Archduke Karl von Habsburg, the head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and Christo Grozev, award-winning investigative journalist.
Along with the current news on the preparation of the expo, the radio will be presenting the most interesting and curious facts about the UAE's traditions, culture, entertainment, cuisine, modern architecture and the latest advancements in the hi-tech industry. The goal is to secure the position of the UAE as one of the most popular tourism and business destinations for Ukrainian citizens. The idea of this unconventional media bridge is to promote the vast opportunities for investment in Dubai.
Kraina FM has been described as one of the boldest international projects of the Bulgarian entrepreneur. Five years ago, via his subsidiary Euro Media BG, he became a shareholder and investor in the Dutch company Ad Venture Radio BV. His partner then was the world-renowned investigative journalist from the Bellingcat network, Grozev, whose reference materials are cited by the most influential media outlets around the world. On June 2, 2021, he was awarded the European Press Prize for his investigation titled 'Unmasking the Salisbury Poisoning Suspects'.
The two media partners were later joined by the Austro-Hungarian nobleman Karl von Habsburg - grandson of the last Austrian emperor Karl I and son of the last heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary, the late Otto von Habsburg. One of Habsburg's socially significant missions is devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage from armed conflicts and natural disasters through the Blue Shield International organization that he runs. In 2020, he came to the aid of Beirut, Lebanon, and provided help for the restoration of the cultural and historical heritage ruined by the devastating explosion of August 4, 2020.
In 2016, the three investors founded Kraina FM Radio and today they are proud that their project is living up to the expectations and has become the voice of Europe in Ukraine, introducing the values and philosophy of the Old Continent.
In the context of Expo 2020 Dubai, it can be noted that innovations have been a key priority not only in the business undertakings of Mandjoukov, but also in his philanthropic projects.
Guided by the idea that private donations are an important factor for the progress of science, in 2020 he created the Molecular Genetics Research Centre at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Sofia. The centre was designed to help in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic as well as any potential viral pandemics, which humankind may be facing in the future. It has already become the home of some highly specialised research on viral genomes and, in particular, the Covid-19 genome, where the Bulgarian scientists are on the threshold of very important discoveries that will be published in leading scientific journals around the world.
Today, thanks to Mandjoukov and his partners, Kraina FM Radio is shifting its focus toward the Middle East. The concept of the Ukrainian booth is in line with the mission of Expo 2020, which is to identify and encourage international partnerships in the area of innovation.