The Czech Centre in Sofia has announced the cessation of its operations. According to the institution, the closure is due to a decision made by the Director General of the Czech Centres network, marking the end of its cultural and educational activities in Bulgaria. The Centre stated that its planned events will continue through the end of May.
The announcement also noted that May 5th marks the 77th anniversary of the Czech Centre in Sofia. The facility, described as the oldest Czech institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-running foreign cultural organizations, traces its origins back to May 5, 1949. On this date, an art and craft shop named Ceskoslovenska tvorba Orbis opened at 100 Rakovski Street in Sofia, alongside a corresponding establishment in Prague, established under an intergovernmental cultural agreement between Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria in 1947.
Following the emergence of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic as independent states in January 1993, the Czech Republic subsequently established Czech Centres to succeed the former Czechoslovak Centres operating abroad. The continued operations of the Sofia centre have served as a cultural touchpoint between the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
Topics: #czech #centre #sofia
It’s a shame to hear the center is closing; I hope they can continue their activities in some form.