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 confirming that, by directive from the Czech Centres network’s Director General, the Sofia branch would cease operations, thereby ending its cultural and educational activities in Bulgaria.
The Centre indicated that scheduled events would proceed until the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia holds historical significance as the oldest Czech cultural 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 facility traces its origins 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 dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the establishment of the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic in 1993, the Czech Republic established the Czech Centres as successors to the former Czechoslovak cultural centers abroad. Against this backdrop, the Academic Council of Sofia University voiced considerable concern regarding the planned closure.
The Council urged a reconsideration of the decision, emphasizing the profound historical and cultural value of the Sofia centre and its continued role in sustaining established Czech-Bulgarian cultural ties.
Topics: #czech #sofia #centre
It’s concerning to read about the potential closure of the Czech Centre in Sofia.