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 announcement of its impending closure. The institution stated that, by directive from the Czech Centres network Director General, the Czech Centre in Sofia would cease its operations in the Bulgarian capital.
The announcement indicated that scheduled activities would proceed until the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia holds historical significance, being the oldest Czech institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-running foreign cultural organizations. The center commemorates its 77th anniversary on May 5.
Its origins trace back 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 emergence of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in January 1993, the Czech Republic established the Czech Centres 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 that the decision be reconsidered, emphasizing the center’s profound historical and cultural importance and its crucial role in sustaining long-standing cultural ties between the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
Topics: #czech #sofia #centre
It’s concerning to hear that the Czech Centre in Sofia might close, especially after the university’s strong recommendation to keep it open.