The aim of this scientific forum is to discuss different approaches to the study of the concepts of emotion and intellect as represented in the languages and cultures of the Balkans and neighbouring regions.

Both the emotional and the rational levels are enduring parts of the inner human being and have been a constant object of interest throughout the history of different civilisations. Our understanding of this non-material world is mainly based on the way it is represented in human language in its oral or written forms. Moreover, written culture has a particular interest in these matters, whether they are perceived in a religious (i.e. theological) perspective or as part of the perennial poetic narratives. 

The temporal scope of the conference ranges from Classical and Late Antiquity, through the Mediaeval period, to Early Modernity and the Contemporary epoch. Although the main focus is on Balkan languages, proposals concerning the materiality of texts and their transmission and reception are also welcome.

The papers are going to be published in peer-reviewed journals – Linguistique Balkanique (Scopus), Starobălgarska Literatura (Scopus), and Philological Forum (Journal in the Humanitites for young scholars). 

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Assoc. Prof. Boris Popivanov, PhD (Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski") Youth in Southeast Europe: Political Attitudes and Political Divisions.

The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) at 16:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Vasil Karadzhov, PhD (IBSCT-BAS) Controversial memory and cultural heritage: Buzludzha monument.

The event is organised under the initiativeEvery Second Tuesday and will be held on December 10, 2024 (Tuesday) at 17:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

A delegation of the Turkish Historical Society, headed by the President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye and the Chair Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen, paid an official visit to the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS). The distinguished guests presented the history and activities of the oldest and prestigious society for the Humanities in the Republic of Türkiye, founded by Kemal Atatürk. Possibilities for scholarly exchange between the two institutions and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

The Institute for Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the second iteration of the round table “Obscured Balkans” – “The Allure of Radicalism". The event will be held on the 28th–29th of November 2024 in the Seminar Hall of IBSCT–BAS. This initiative is part of Activity B “Obscured Balkans”, project “Creation and development of “Heritage BG” Centre of Excellence“.

The round table will be officially opened by Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on the 28th of November 2024 (Thursday) in 10:00 AM.

The event will be held in hybrid form - live in the Seminar Hall of IBSCT–BAS, 45 Moskovska Street, 3rd floor, and remotely via ZOOM (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87451500263).

Program and abstracts (https://www.obscuredbalkans.com/round-table-2).

On November 21, 2024 (Thursday) at 10:00 in the building of the IBSCT-BAS (Moskovska Street No. 13) a round table "Peace and War on the Lower Danube in the Middle Ages" will be held. The scholarly forum is organized by the Medieval Balkans Department on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Vasilka Tapkova-Zaimova.

Prof. Dr. Ivayla Popova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albena Milanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladislav Ivanov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Dimov, Dr. Simeon Hinkovski, Dr. Angel Velinov, doctoral students of the Medieval Balkans Department Milen Petrov, Nikolay Zhelev and others will participate in the presentation of Prof. Tapkova-Zaimova's activities, memories of meetings with her and papers on the topic.

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Paola Grasso affiliated with Ca' Foscari University of Venice (visiting young foreign scholar in Bulgarian studies under the National Scholarly Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad") The Old Bulgarian version of Gregory the Theologian's Oratio XXXVIII (On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ): History and translation technique.

The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on November 12, 2024 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

The team of the project "Obscured Balkans" is launching a new initiative - "On the historical novel". A series of discussions are planned, which aim to direct public attention towards the historical novel and its influence on modern society. The first book to be discussed is Irina Vagalinska's MYSTERIES IN HERACLEA SYNTHICA. The event will take place on November 1, 2024 at the Finesse Gallery at 17, Hristo Belchev Street at 5:00 p.m.

The event is part of the activities of IBSCT-BAS and the "Obscured Balkans" project, realized within the framework of the “Heritage BG” Centre of Excellence”, and with special support of the Finesse Gallery.

On October 23, 2024, the international conference "Cultural diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and challenges in the present time" was held in the Panoramic Hall of the National Gallery - Kvadrat 500. It was organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with the support of the Ministry of Culture and in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and the National Gallery. The event was realized under the project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, led by Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova and funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science, Official media partner of the event was the Bulgarian News Agency.

The Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov opened the international conference and emphasized the importance of the topic in the present times, in which diplomacy is clearly experiencing severe difficulties. He emphasized that the best way to overcome the many conflicts is by raising our own culture.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nevyana Miteva, greeted the organizers and guests of the event on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Kondov. In her speech, she pointed out that cultural diplomacy is among the most effective, but also underused tools of foreign policy.

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with the support of the Ministry of Culture and in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Gallery organizes an international conference “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and challenges in the present time”. The event will take place on October 23, 2024 in the Panoramic Hall of the National Gallery / Kvadrat 500 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event will be held 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. Official media partner is the Bulgarian News Agency.

Among the distinguished speakers at the conference, experts on the topic, will be the Director of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), the Secretary General of the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet), the Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization – CBAAC to the Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as representatives of academia and the cultural sector from four continents.

The official opening of the conference will take place on October 23, 2024 (Wednesday) at 10:00 in the Panoramic Hall of the National Gallery / Kvadrat 500. 

The event will be held in English and Bulgarian. A simultaneous translation will be provided.

PROGRAM

On October 9, 2024, in the central cathedral of Szeged, Hungary, the photo exhibition of the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) "The heart of Bulgaria. Masterpieces from the Rila Monastery" was presented. The exposition marked the feast of St. John of Rila Miracle Worker (October 19), which is also celebrated as the day of Bulgarian-Hungarian friendship. The exhibition is part of the Bulgarian cultural week in Szeged, organized by the Bulgarian self-government in the city, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, under the leadership of Mrs. Monika Farkash Barati.

Greetings on the occasion were made by H.E. Hristo Polendakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria in Hungary and Mr. Plamen Peykov, Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Budapest.

The presentation of this exhibition in Hungary is a result of the fruitful partnership between IBSCT-BAS, the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Budapest in cooperation with the Society for Friendship with Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Republican Self-Government in Szeged. The exposition highlights the importance of cultural exchange and maintaining dialogue in relations, as well as of the strong friendship and understanding between the Bulgarian and Hungarian people, reminding us of the timeless values ​​that unite us.

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eleonora Naxidou (visiting foreign scholar in Bulgarian studies under the National Scholarly Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad", Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece) From Ohrid to Thessaloniki and Athens: Margaritis Dimitsas and the formation of national ideology.

The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on October 15, 2024 (Tuesday) at 14:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!