EXHIBITION ON THE OCCASION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BULGARIAN EXARCHY WAS OPENED AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
On April 19 at 11.00 at the renovated exhibition space on the 7th floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was opened a representative documentary exhibition "150 years of the Bulgarian Exarchate", realized by a team at the Institute of Historical Research at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Among the guests of the official event, which took place in a limited composition due to the epidemic situation, were the authors of the exhibition Prof. Alexander Grebenarov and Assoc. Prof. Buryana Buzhashka, Mrs. Maya Buzhashka, artist of the exhibition, Mrs. Vanya Stoyanova, Mrs. Natalia Mihalevska , Director of the Bulgarian Schools Abroad Directorate - Ministry of Education and Science, Mr. Emil Velinov, Director of the Religions Directorate - Council of Ministers, Protodeacon Ivan Petkov, Assoc. Prof. Ventsislav Velev, Adviser at the Ministry of Culture, scientists, diplomats, and experts.
The exhibition was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva, who in her speech emphasized: "The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Christian faith have a very important place in our centuries-old history." She added: "Even in times when the Bulgarian state did not exist on the map of the world, the church was the unifying force that preserved the faith, culture and even our language."
With the opening of the exhibition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Institute for Culture join the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Exarchate, established in February 1871 at the First Church People's Assembly in Constantinople, said in his speech the director of the institute Mrs. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova. Prof. Grebenarov also made a speech during the event, presenting the team that worked on the project, the main highlights of the exhibition and the special bilingual catalog.
During the exhibition, Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva was presented with a plaque "150 years of the Bulgarian Exarchate" in honor of her efforts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria abroad. An honorary plaque was awarded to the authors of the exhibition: Prof. Grebenarov and Assoc. Prof. Buzhashka.
The panels in the exhibition trace historical processes and related events from the church-educational movement. They outline the importance of the Exarchate for the formation and maintenance of the Bulgarian national consciousness and culture. The materials used in the exhibition are selected by the State Agency "Archives", National Library "St. Cyril and Methodius ”- Bulgarian Historical Archive, Macedonian Scientific Institute, Thracian Scientific Institute, Church Historical and Archival Institute, Foundation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Istanbul and others.
The exhibition was prepared by the Institute for Historical Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in partnership with the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and will be available until May 21 after pre-registration on 0889005082.