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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.

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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 “The Polish public and cultural policy: А conversation about strategic approach, tools and backstage”. It will be held on May 19, 2025 (Monday) at 15:00 in the Ivan Geshov Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 November Street, 1000 Sofia). Special guests and lecturers will be 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.

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.

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 Prof. PhD Dr. Honoris Causa Peter Schreiner from the University of Cologne, titled "John Skylitzes and Bulgaria". The event will take place on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 18:00 at the University Club "Yaytseto".

The lecture is in implementation of the National Scientific Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad" and is organized in co-operation with the Faculty of History of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.

We look forward to welcoming you.

The Institute for Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT–BAS) is pleased to invite you to the NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THRACOLOGY. The event will be held on the 14th–15th of May 2025 in Hall 19 of Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IEFSEM–BAS) Prof. Roumiana Preshlenova, PhD, Director of IBSCT–BAS and Assoc. Prof. Mila Maeva, PhD, Director of IEFSEM–BAS will officially open the event on the 14th of May 2025 (Wednesday) at 9:15.

The conference will be attended by both established and young scholars, as well as doctoral students from various scientific institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Universities and Museums in the country and abroad.The event will be held in hybrid format - live at Hall No. 19 of IEFSEM–BAS (6A, Moskovska Str., Sofia), and remotely via ZOOM (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/ 89688254113, password: 906453).

Programme

We are pleased to invite you to participate in the Third Round Table of "The Obscured Balkans" project – "IN THE BEGINNING WAS WATER", which will be held on November 27-28, 2025 in hybrid form at the building of IBSCT-BAS at 45 Moskovska Street and via Zoom.

Until September 15, 2025, you can send participation requests. The round tables are inextricably linked to the electronic series "The Obscured Balkans", in which the extended papers of the participants are published. The deadline for submitting articles is March 2026.

The round tables and the electronic series are part of "The Obscured Balkans", a project of the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) under the "Creation and development of "Heritage BG" Centre of Excellence".

More information about the participation and thematic circles is available here.

We are pleased to invite you to the public lecture at the University of Groningen, Kingdom of the Netherlands by PhD student Stella Nikolova, member of the project team of the Institute of Balkan Studies with the Center for 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.

The scientific event is dedicated to the “Animal Economy in Late Iron Age Bulgaria: New Data from the Thracian Site of Pistiros” and will be held on May 6, 2025 (Tuesday) at 16:00 at the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA), University of Groningen.

The talk will present the latest data on faunal remains from Iron Age sites in Bulgaria. It will start with a recap on the period, introducing some historical data on the ancient Thracian tribes, who inhabited these lands and their interaction with the Ancient Greek merchants and colonies of the Black Sea and Aegean coast. The main case study of the presentation will be the site of Pistiros. Located in the Thracian valley of central Bulgaria, Pistiros is a unique site which was established by ancient Greek merchants from several places (including  island of Thasos, the polis of Apolonia and Maronia all in modern-day Northern Greece). It served as a trading port (or emporium) for exchanging goods with the local Thracian population and was active in the course of the 5th – 3rd centuries BC. The site’s excavations started in 1989 and have since uncovered over 50 000 fragments of faunal remains of mammals, birds, fish and molluscs, making it the largest deposit for this time period. This enormous deposit allows us to tackle human-animal interactions from several aspects: animal husbandry, importing new species, hunting, fishing, butchery practices, and a contextual analysis of deposit formation.

We are pleased to invite you to join a discussion about the concept of marriage, which will be held on June 9, 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/marriage-discussion/

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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 presentation of the monograph of Assist. Prof. Dr. Elmira Vasileva (IBSCT-BAS) "Protestant missions in the European provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The activities of the American Board of Commissioners of Missions Abroad (19th century - until the First World War)". The event will be held on May 13, 2025 (Tuesday) at 15:30 in the IBSCTC-BAS (45 Moskovska Street, 1000 Sofia).

The monograph presents Protestant missions in the European provinces of the Ottoman Empire in the period from the 1820s to the First World War. It is dedicated to the activities of the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners of Missions Abroad, an organization of the Congregationalist (Congregational) Church, and provides a comprehensive view of their work, referring to broader sources and reflecting the local specificities. This study aims to clarify the essence of the Protestant missions missionary initiatives and the reasons for their flourishing in the period under consideration.

We look forward to welcoming you!