THE BULGARIAN NORTHWEST IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND LITERATURE, compil. by Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia: IK Tendril, 2025, 218 p. ISBN 978-619-7812-00-8.

The collection "The Bulgarian Northwest in Scientific Research and Literature" is the sixth publication in a row of proceedings from the annual conferences organized by the IBSCT-BAS Branch in the city of Montana (Bulgaria) focusing on Northwest Bulgaria. The volume dedicated to scholarly research and literature includes ten articles by researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Regional History Museum in Montana, the State Archives - Montana, the New Bulgarian University and the University of Forestry. For another year, scholarly works by doctoral students and academics, research presenting unpublished archival material and analyses of the cultural achievements of significant figures from the Northwest have been collected in one place.

The collection "The Bulgarian Northwest in Scientific Research and Literature" follows the tradition of popularizing the history of Northwest Bulgaria by not only introducing unknown or little-known archival materials into scholarly parlance, but also revealing the cultural wealth of the region. The presented collection of publications includes texts written by four academics, which is a clear sign for the importance that the series on the Bulgarian Northwest has acquired in recent years. This sixth volume also clearly shows the growth of young researchers who have been given the opportunity to publish their scholarly works in the last years.

On July 4, 2025, as part of the "Historical Chameleons" project, a discussion on the concept of "city" was held in a hybrid form. Researchers from different historical periods made brief presentations of the meanings and perceptions of the term. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Slavchev from the Regional History Museum - Varna and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tosho Spiridonov presented on prehistoric cities, formulating the main characteristics that a settlement must meet to be classified as such. Prof. Svetlana Yanakieva reviewed the terms used to designate cities in written evidence, clearly distinguished the etymological differences between cities and villages, and presented the development of some of the concepts in chronological order. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivo Topalilov from IBCT-BAS gave a presentation on the Roman city, mainly in the period of the Principate and the early empire. He emphasized the different status of cities and the essential characteristics that distinguish them. The changes that the Roman city underwent during Late Antiquity were described by Prof. Dr. Ventsislav Dinchev, NAIM-BAS, a highlight being the unification of cities and their inclusion within the church structure.

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On July 2, 2025, a public lecture-discussion on the topic “Greece's culture is far more than the Acropolis” took place in the Acad. Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It was held in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Greece in Bulgaria and is part of the series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in the Balkans, organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (DKI). The initiative is implemented under the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The public lecture-discussion was opened by the Project Manager Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBSCT-BAS. The attendees were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova, Director of the IBSCT-BAS, and Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, Director of DKI.

The speaker at the event was H.E. Alexios Marios Liberopoulos, Ambassador of the Republic of Greece to Bulgaria. He introduced the attendees to the main aspects of Greek culture beyond the well-known symbols, briefly presented the contemporary cultural policy and diplomacy of Greece, as well as the country's participation in international cultural exchange, including within the framework of UNESCO. The lively discussion that followed touched on various topics related to scientific and university cooperation, tourism, the relationship between culture and security, and many others.

Special guest was H.E. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Bulgaria. The event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Ivanov, Scientific Secretary of Division 8 "Cultural-Historical Heritage and National Identity", Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariana Tian, Scientific Secretary of Division 9 "Man and Society", Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albena Taneva, Head of the Department of Public Administration at the Faculty of Philosophy of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", journalists from the Bulgarian National Radio, representatives of the cultural sector, scholars, university professors, doctoral candidates, and students.

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On June 27th, 2025, the Bulgarian-Romanian Historical Commission held its regular session. Professor Daniel Citirigă, Professor Daniel Cain, and Professor Roumiana Preshlenova welcomed the participants and the audience. In their addresses, they emphasized the importance of continuing a long academic tradition established by Romanian and Bulgarian scholars and outlined prospects for future cooperation.

This year, the theme of the conference was Monarchy in the Balkans Through the Centuries. Scholars from the Institute for South-East European Studies at the Romanian Academy, the Institute of Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology, Institute of Historical Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and the Faculty of History and Political Science at Ovidius University of Constanța presented their contributions — outcomes of comparative and interdisciplinary research. They discussed the role of monarchs and monarchy as an institution from the Middle Ages to the present day.

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On June 6, 2025, the conference "The Bulgarian Northwest in the European Southeast through the Ages" was held in the city of Montana, organized by the branch of the IBSCT-BAS and the Regional Academic Center in Montana (RAC - Montana) in partnership with the Municipality of Montana and the Regional Historical Museum (RHM).

The forum was opened by Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil. (IBSCT-BAS), Corresponding Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Participants were welcomed by the Mayor of the city, Mr. Zlatko Zhivkov, followed by greetings from the coordinator of the RAC - Montana, Eng. Valeri Georgiev, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vanya Ivanova, Director of RHM - Montana.

The conference, which is held every year, is the seventh in a row. It brought together researchers from institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and historians from the region. One of the topics discussed was related to the migration processes in the Bulgarian Northwest in the past and today. For example, the paper by Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil. and Assist. Prof. Dr. Margarita Dobreva (IBSCT-BAS) introduced the audience to the Hungarian emigration to Vidin according to documents stored in the Ottoman archives in Istanbul (1849-1850). The presentation by Vladimir Paunovski (IBSCT-BAS) was dedicated to “The Jews from Vidin as migrants in the 16th–18th centuries”. Nelly Stoyanova (RHM - Vratsa) spoke about the migration waves in the Bulgarian Northwest during the Revival period.

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We are pleased to invite you to join a discussion about the concept of the city, which will be held on July 4, 2025, at 13:00.The event will be hosted live in the "Acad. Ivan Evstratiev Geshov" Hall at the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 Novembre Str.), and remotely via ZOOM (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81339988213).

The event is organized as part of the activities of the "Historical Chameleons" project, implemented by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the scientific infrastructure CLADA.BG. More about the event and the project can be found at https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com/en/concept-of-city/ and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/715192998107388

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is pleased to invite you to the public lecture-discussion on the topic “Greece's culture is far more than the Acropolis”. It will be held on July 2, 2025 (Wednesday) at 10:00 in the Ivan Geshov Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 November Street, 1000 Sofia). Special guest and lecturer will be H.E. Alexios Marios Liberopoulos, Ambassador of the Republic of Greece to Bulgaria.

The event is organized in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is part of a series of public lecture-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

We look forward to welcoming you!

This initiative is implemented as part of the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria, contract No. КП-06-Н80/4 dated 07.12.2023.

On May 16-18, 2025, the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centrе of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences organized an international conference together with the Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace in Komotini and the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Vienna. The academic forum entitled "History, Monuments, and Art in Southeastern Europe: From Early Modernity to the Present" brought together historians, linguists, and experts in cultural heritage from Southeastern Europe in Komotini. Over three days, they presented the results of their research on the history, monuments, and narratives that have shaped the development of this dynamic region from early modernity to the present. Their presentations and discussions shed light on the complex interplay between history, art, and cultural identity in Southeast Europe.

PROGRAMME

The year 2025 marks the 610th anniversary of the death of the Czech reformer and national hero Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake during the Council of Constance (1414–1418). Hus's death, as well as the long-standing tension between Catholics and reform-minded Czechs, reached its peak in the summer of 1419, when a long and bloody conflict broke out. The role of the Balkan states in the hostilities that lasted until 1434 was more than marginal. However, even then, the first information about what was happening in Central Europe found its place in the works of Balkan chroniclers.

Although somewhat forgotten in the following centuries, the topic of Hus, his teachings and the Hussite Wars was rediscovered by Bulgarians in the late 1860s, and to this day has a presence in contemporary historiography and book publishing in Bulgaria. In the lecture "We envy you, Czech brothers, for these brilliant names!" The Image of Jan Hus and the Hussites in Bulgarian Culture and Literature" Assistant Milen Petrov (IBCT-BAS) examines various aspects of the image of the Czech reformer among the Bulgarians from the period of the National Revival to the present day. Key to the study is the period after 1944, when this episode of Czech Medieval history became an integral part of Pan-Slavic ideas which the state promoted in its propaganda.

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On May 19, 2025, a public lecture-discussion on the topic “The Polish public and cultural policy: А conversation about strategic approach, tools and backstage” was held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This was the fifth in a series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, organized under the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. The initiative is implemented by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) in partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (DKI).

The public lecture-discussion was opened by the Project Manager Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, the Director of the IBSCT-BAS Prof. Dr. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova and the Director of DKI Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova.

Special guests and lecturers were Mrs. Małgorzata Hejduk-Gromek, Minister-counsellor, Head of Consular and Polish Diaspora Section, Embassy of Poland in Bulgaria and Mrs. Iwona Jakuszko-Dudka, Director of the Polish Institute in Sofia. They presented in detail the numerous initiatives related to the Polish language, culture, literature, music and cuisine, held in various cities of Bulgaria in cooperation with local institutions and organizations. They also talked about the upcoming events until the end of the year. Their inspiring presentation was complemented by impressive videos, posters and various information materials. The lecture ended with a lively discussion and suggestions for future joint initiatives.

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On May 15, 2025, the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centrе оf Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences organized a public lecture of Professor Peter Schreiner, a visiting foreign scholar in Bulgarian studies. Professor Schreiner is a world-renowned expert in the field of Byzantine and European medieval studies, doctor honoris causa of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and of Veliko Tarnovo University St. St. Cyril and Methodius. For his exceptional merits in the study of medieval Bulgarian history and the past of Samuil's Bulgaria, on October 3, 2024, he was awarded an honorary badge by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Professor Schreiner is author of many books and over 1,000 studies, articles and reviews. With his numerous publications, he convincingly demonstrates the exceptional role of Medieval Bulgaria and the Bulgarians in the history and culture of the European Southeast. For many years, he has been the president of the International Association for Byzantine Studies and editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Byzantinische Zeitschrift.

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We are pleased to invite you to the official opening of the exhibition "Tracking the Dog Echoes from Ancient Thrace" on May 17, 2025 (Saturday) at 16:30 at the Paleontological Museum "Dimitar Kovachev" - Asenovgrad (A branch of the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). The event is part of the museum's program in the "European Night of Museums 2025" and will present the relationship between the dog and man in Ancient Thrace, exploring data from written sources, iconographic monuments and archaeozoological remains. Visitors will be able to view finds of dogs from Antiquity, discovered during archaeological research in different parts of the country.

The exhibition is organized in implementation of the project of the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences "Corpus Animalium Thracicorum: a digital corpus of the Thracian land’s fauna (1000 BC - AD 500)", funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria under contract No. KП-06-M90/2 of 10.12.2024.