The Academic Council of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski has unanimously backed an open letter advocating for the continuation of the Czech Centre in Sofia, following the announcement of its impending closure. The institution stated on Monday that the Czech Centre in Sofia would cease operations in the Bulgarian capital, as per a decision by the Czech Centres network Director General.
Planned cultural and educational activities are scheduled to continue until the end of May. The Czech Centre in Sofia holds a significant historical position, being the oldest Czech institution of its kind abroad and one of Bulgaria’s longest-running foreign cultural organizations. The centre is marking its 77th anniversary on May 5.
Its origins date 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 establishment of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic as independent states in January 1993, the Czech Republic established the Czech Centres to succeed the former Czechoslovak cultural centres abroad. In light of this background, the Academic Council of Sofia University voiced deep concern regarding the planned closure.
They urged that the decision be re-evaluated, emphasizing the centre’s enduring cultural importance and its crucial role in sustaining long-standing Czech-Bulgarian cultural relations within Sofia.
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