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 impending closure. The Czech Centre issued a statement on Monday confirming that, by directive from the Director General of the Czech Centres network, its operations in the Bulgarian capital will cease.
According to the announcement, scheduled activities are set to continue through the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia holds historical significance as the oldest Czech institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-operating foreign cultural organizations. The center observes its 77th anniversary on May 5.
Historically, the facility 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 as independent states in January 1993, the Czech Centres were established as successors to the former Czechoslovak cultural centers abroad. In light of this history, the Academic Council of Sofia University voiced significant concern regarding the planned closure.
The council urged a reconsideration of the decision, emphasizing the cultural importance of the center and its established role in sustaining long-standing Czech-Bulgarian cultural relations within Sofia.
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