The “New Art” module of the international academic conference “Art Readings 2026,” held at the Institute of Art Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from April 23 to 25, ended. Young and established scholars from Bulgaria and abroad presented their research in the fields of cinema, theater, music, and visual arts focusing on various aspects of this year’s theme, “Chronos and Topos.” The forum’s rich program was structured into 14 thematic panels which also included scholarly interpretations related to photography, animation, social media, dance, artificial intelligence, fashion, and architecture. In the presentations and accompanying discussions, time was examined as linear, spiral, and cyclical; mythological, cosmological, and historical, while the concept of topos was interpreted both in its meaning as a specific space (sacred [...]

A commemorative academic session marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprisin, featuring scholars from the Institute for Historical Studies at BAS was held today at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” Representatives of the historical community joined forces to organize an academic discussion in two sessions dedicated to this landmark anniversary. “Initiated jointly by some of the oldest institutions in modern Bulgaria, this session undoubtedly demonstrates the enduring memory and deep reverence for the immortal feat of the Bulgarians who, sharing the modern European spiritual and social values of the 19th century, selflessly declared their aspiration to build their own Bulgarian state,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadya Filipova, Director of the Institute for Historical Studies of BAS. “Distinguished Bulgarians, including members of the Bulgarian Learned [...]

Prof. Kamelia Nikolova, DSc, was awarded the IKAR’2026 award for her book “Българският театър 1856-2026. Репертоарни политики. Постановъчни практики” (Bulgarian Theater 1856–2026: Repertoire Policies. Staging Practices). The publication is by the Institute of Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the “Intermission” Association, and the nomination came from the Guild of Repertory Theatre Directors, Dramatists, and Critics at the Union of Bulgarian Actors (UBA). The book traces the history of theater in Bulgaria from its inception in 1856 to the present day in 2026, when it marks its 170th anniversary. The study examines all significant facts, figures, and processes in the various periods of its development, combining a conceptual, chronological narrative with an analysis of emblematic case studies. The primary focus is on [...]

  The Institute of Balkan Studies with the Center for Thracology at BAS presented the “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: achievements and challenges in the present time” publication (ed. Alexandra Milanova, “Prof. Marin Drinov” Publishing House of BAS, 2025) on March 19 in the Aula of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. It is the result of the “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Achievements, Problems, and Challenges for the Future” project funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science. The book was presented by diplomat and public figure Stefan Tafrov, and the event was moderated by Irina Nedeva, a journalist at the Bulgarian National Radio. The event was attended by representatives of institutions involved [...]