site.btaBTA, BNT, BNR, BAS Hold Press Conference on 14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe Initiative

A press conference part of the joint initiative "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe" of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) was held here on Wednesday.

During the presentation, Bulgarian historians, archaeologists and public figures presented an appeal for a celebration of the 1,400th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian State in 2032. The appeal, which was read out by Prof. Plamen Pavlov of the Veliko Tarnovo University, was addressed to President Rumen Radev, National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, and the ministers of culture, tourism, foreign affairs, and education and science. 

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev opened the conference by noting that at least two notable anniversaries will be marked in 2026 in Bulgaria, namely the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising from 1876 that ultimately led to Bulgaria's independence from the Ottoman Empire, and the 1,080th anniversary of the death of Saint John of Rila, who is the heavenly patron of the Bulgarian people. 

Bulgarian public media have the task of preserving the cultural and historical memory of Bulgaria and its people, said Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Director General Milen Mitev. "History is the solid foundation that everyone needs to push themselves forward. For this reason, almost everyone tries to find in history and the past some evidence and justifications for what they are doing now and what they intend to do in the future", Mitev emphasized, pointing out that it is a great honor for him to stand here with his colleagues from the public media, as well as with such notable scientists.

Bulgarian National Television (BNT) Director General Emil Koshlukov emphasized that memory is not identical with history. "It has always been interesting for me to distinguish historical memory from the culture of memory," he noted, giving the example of the image of Krali Marko, who in Bulgarian cultural memory frees three chains of slaves, but in reality this was not the case. Koshlukov pointed to the Republic of North Macedonia as an example of a community, which is building a brand new cultural memory to justify its nation. "Sometimes we call this the rewriting of history," he stressed, adding there is no way to rewrite Gotse Delchev's notebook or the map of the Bulgarian Exarchate. "Every community in its cultural memory answers a very important question, namely not only what the people remember and what its historical figures are, but what we should not forget", Koshlukov emphasized

There is nothing more natural than the fact that the first institution to support the national initiative "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe" is the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, because from a historical point of view it is the oldest national organization, established before the Liberation of Bulgaria, said former BAS President Julian Revalski. "I fully agree that the future of a country, of a people depends on whether people remember the past," Revalski said. He specified that it is not about developing nationalism, but about building self-confidence in the young generations who will build Bulgaria in the coming years to remember the historical roots of the country. "This creates a sense of equality with much greater nations for a country like Bulgaria, which is small," he emphasized.

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences continues to stand behind the initiative "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe," initially supported by former BAS President Julian Revalski, BAS President Evelina Slavcheva said. She emphasized the importance of continuity, and announced that the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will support the initiative with its scientific expertise through scientists from the various institutes of the Academy. "The restoration of national dignity and the memory of how old the Bulgarian State is and how resilient the Bulgarian people are is something that deserves our support and we will work in this direction as well," she said, noting that the initiative is wonderful.

Sofia University Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev stressed that the "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe" initiative must find a key to the souls of young people. He emphasized that this is a initiative filled with edification, with a thought for the future. "The initiative must really find a key to the souls, the hearts of young people in Bulgaria, so that they can convince themselves that they have a future in this country," he emphasized. ""We are all witnesses to the memory deficit in modern society. With this initiative, we plead together with the important major Bulgarian media to undertake a campaign to popularize our past," the Rector stated, pointing out that this is not a past that gives birth to the ghost of extreme nationalism, but a past that connects with tradition and inhabited territories.