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. The Czech Centre stated on Monday that, by decision of the Czech Centres network Director General, its operations in the Bulgarian capital will cease.
The announcement indicated that scheduled activities would proceed until the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia, which holds the distinction of being the oldest Czech cultural institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-operating foreign cultural organizations, is marking its 77th anniversary on May 5. The center’s history dates back to May 5, 1949, when an art and craft shop named Ceskoslovenska tvorba Orbis opened at 100 Rakovski Street in Sofia, established through an intergovernmental cultural agreement between Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria.
Following the establishment of the independent Czech Republic and Slovak Republic in 1993, the Czech Republic established the Czech Centres as successors to the former Czechoslovak cultural centers. Given this background, the Academic Council of Sofia University voiced significant concern regarding the planned closure. The Council urged reconsideration of the decision, emphasizing the center’s deep historical and cultural significance and its ongoing role in sustaining established Czech-Bulgarian cultural relations within Sofia.
Topics: #czech #sofia #centre
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 announce