The Academic Council of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski has unanimously endorsed an open letter advocating for the continuation of the Czech Centre in Sofia, following the institution’s announcement of its closure in the Bulgarian capital. The Czech Centre issued a statement on Monday informing the public that, by decision of the Director General of the Czech Centres network, the Sofia branch would cease its operations, thereby concluding its cultural and educational activities in Bulgaria.
Planned events are scheduled to continue through the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia holds a significant historical position, being the oldest Czech institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-operating foreign cultural organizations. The centre marked its 77th anniversary on May 5.
Historically, the institution traces its roots to May 5, 1949, when an art and craft shop named Ceskoslovenska tvorba Orbis opened at 100 Rakovski Street in Sofia, established under an intergovernmental cultural agreement between Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. Following the establishment of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in 1993, the Czech Centres were established as successors to the former Czechoslovak cultural centers abroad. Given this background, the Academic Council of Sofia University voiced strong concern regarding the planned closure.
The council urged a reconsideration of the decision, emphasizing the centre’s deep historical and cultural importance and its ongoing role in sustaining enduring Czech-Bulgarian cultural relations.
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