Yesterday, in “Stefan Gechev” Hall in the Embassy of Greece in Sofia, took place a presentation of the book of Vasilis Maragos “Paisii Hilendarski and Sofronii Vrachanski. From Orthodox ideology to the shaping of Bulgarian identity”.
The initiative was supported by the HBCB, in the framework of its effort to promote cultural events, interrelated the two countries. More than 80 guests, HBCB members, diplomats and academics from the University of Sofia and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, attended the presentation. The event was honored by the presence of their Excellencies the Ambassador of Greece in Sofia, Mr. Thrasyvoulos Stamatopoulos and the Ambassador of Cyprus in Sofia, Mr. Stavros Amvrosiou.
After the introductory speech of the President of the HBCB Mr. Stamatis Theodoropoulos, Mr. Iannis Liolios, Director of Alma Libre, shared a few words about the personality of the author. “The restless historian Vasilis Maragos didn’t confine himself tо the academic bibliography. I recognize well the tens of hours he spent in numerous state libraries and the hundreds of hours of intense research… All these hours maybe would have been pointless, if it wasn’t for the second element that builds the modern historian which is the utter absence of superiority.” stated Mr. Liolios.
During his speech, Amb. Prof. Kiril Topalov, Secretary of Culture and National Identity, Professor of Balkan Literature and Culture and translator of the book, stressed the importance of this objective and profound research which contributes to the understanding of the common cultural and historical European values??.
Mr. Dimitar Radichkov, Director of the University Printing House “St. Kliment Ohridski” congratulated the author and the HBCB, pointing out that in today’s difficult times -when it happens that authors are paying for issuing their books, such an initiative is worthy of admiration.
Mr. Maragos revised in short the keystones of the book, the common history of the Bulgarian and Greek people and highlighted the importance of the scientific studies of Balkan history: “Through the serious scientific dialogue which already exists between the scientists of Greece and Bulgaria, I believe that we contribute to the modernization of our Balkan morals and fortify the stability and cooperation in the region we live in.” According to him “Bulgarian and Greek people had confrontations in the past, especially in the period of the ethnic movements but there were also periods of cooperation. These periods of cooperation remain in the education and the identity of both nations and can be a base for their understanding in the future. We have to make bigger efforts to get to know each other and to extend the cultural economic and merely human exchanges in order to face the challenges we come up with.”
The event was followed by a short cocktail.
HBCB greatly appreciates the kind support of Globul, Alpha Bank, Germanos and UBB.
