We are pleased to invite you to the public lecture-discussion on the topic "Bridging Cultures: The Albanian View on Cultural Diplomacy". It will be held on March 11, 2025 (Tuesday) 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 guest and lecturer will be H.E. Inid Milo, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania 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 20thand 21stcenturies: 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.

We are pleased to invite you to join the discussion of the concept of feudalism, which will be held on March 6, 2025, at 13:00 in the "Acad. Ivan Evstratiev Geshov" Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 Novembre Str.). The concept of feudalism and its contemporary interpretations will be presented by Prof. Rumen Daskalov, Assoc. Prof. Georgi Dimov, Assoc. Prof. Nikola Dyulgerov, Assist. Prof. Dr. Petar Dobrev, and PhD students Milen Petrov and Todor Todorov. Moderator of the event will be Assist. Prof. Dr. Eli Filipova.

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

On February 25, 2025, the second of a series of public lectures-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans was held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It was organized 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 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.

The event was opened by the Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Prof. D.Sc. Emmanuel Moutafov and by the Project Manager Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova affiliated with the IBCTS-BAS. A greeting on behalf of the Director of the DKI Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, was delivered by Mr. Iliyan Lolugov, Head of the Cultural Policy Department. The event was also attended by H.E. Inid Milo, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Bulgaria and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Ivanov, Scientific Secretary of the Cultural and Historical Heritage and National Identity Department.

Special guest and lecturer was H.E. Jasna Ognjanovac, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bulgaria. She made a presentation on the topic “The Soft Power of Cultural Diplomacy”, which was met with great interest by the audience and sparked a lively discussion.

During the event, special attention was paid to the exhibition Croats and Bulgarians through the Ages. Cultural Diplomacy and Interacademic Cooperation/Hrvati i Bugari kroz stoljeća. Kulturna diplomacija i međuakademska suradnja, prepared under the above-mentioned project. Last year, it was presented in the central foyer of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria on the occasion of the Day of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Service. In May 2025, the exhibition will be inaugurated at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb and in other cities in Croatia.

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The Historical Chameleons Team from the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, proceeds with discussions of problematic historical concepts. We have selected socially significant concepts like “marriage” and “state” as well as the fundamental historical concepts “feudalism” and “barbarism”.

More information can be found on our website https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com/

Historical Chameleons is a project of the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, under the National Interdisciplinary Research E-Infrastructure for Bulgarian Language and Cultural Heritage Resources and Technologies CLaDA-BG.

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria is organizing a series of public lecture-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

The second of the series of events is on the topic "The Soft Power of Cultural Diplomacy" and will be held on February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) 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 guest and lecturer will be H.E. Jasna Ognjanovac, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bulgaria.

The event will be held in English.

We look forward to welcoming you!



This initiative is implemented as part of the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20thand 21stcenturies: 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 February 7, 2025, a public lecture-discussion entitled “Cultivating influence: Cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria” was held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It was organized 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). This is the first in a series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, which are being 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. 

The Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member Prof. Dr. B.Sc. Evdokia Pasheva opened the forum and greeted participants and guests – representatives of the diplomatic corps and the cultural sector, established and young scholars, doctoral candidates and students. The Director of IBSCT-BAS Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova also addressed the attendees. The initiator and moderator of the event was Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBSCT-BAS and Head of the project.

The Director of the DKI Mrs. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova emphasized the fruitful cooperation between the institute she leads and IBSCT-BAS in recent years, prime example of which was the international conference “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and Challenges in the Present Time”, held on October 23, 2024 at the National Gallery.

Special guests and speakers of the event were H.E. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Lévy, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action and Director of the French Institute in Sofia. They presented the evolution of the French concept of cultural diplomacy, pointed out specific initiatives and individuals who have contributed most to the promotion of the French language and culture in Bulgaria and of Bulgarian culture in France, and noted the challenges facing cultural diplomacy in the contemporary world.

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria is organizing a series of public lecture-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

The first of the series of events is on the topic "Cultivating influence: Cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria" and will be held on February 7, 2025 (Friday) 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 guests and lecturers will be H.E. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Lévy, Director of the French Institute in Sofia.

The event will be held in English.

We look forward to welcoming you!




This initiative is implemented as part of the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20thand 21stcenturies: 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 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).