Holy Mount Athos and Bulgarian Culture

 

HOLY MOUNT ATHOS AND BULGARIAN CULTURE is a research project of the Higher School of Insurance and Finance (Sofia, Bulgaria). Headed by Prof. Miroslav Dachev, its interdisciplinary team consists of prominent experts in the fields of medieval studies, art studies, theology, literary and cultural history, cultural heritage, economic relations, as well as artists and restorers. The team members are united by the idea of investigating, promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of Mount Athos and the enduring relations that have linked the holy monasteries of Mount Athos and Bulgarian Culture in crucial moments in Bulgarian and Orthodox Christian history.

Project aims for the annual research expeditions to Mount Athos:

Investigation of the cultural heritage of Mount Athos (photographic documentation and description of murals, icon collections, wonder-working icons, manuscripts, chronicles, charters, data on 19th century Bulgarian New martyrs, architectural patterns; documents and data on church donors; accounts by monks of the history and everyday life of the Athonite monasteries).

Investigation of the socio-economic development of Mount Athos since the establishment of the Monastic State (data collection on the monetary relations history of Mount Athos, on the history of church donorship, and on the investments in Mount Athos cultural heritage).

Short-term aims for the period 2009-2010:

  • Presentation of results from each research expedition to Mount Athos at a research forum held at a different partner institution.
  • A talk with the students at the Sofia Seminary upon a chosen expedition to Mount Athos.
  • Exhibitions devoted to Mount Athos – paintings, drawings, photographs, documents. Permanent exhibitions in some of the partner institutions.
  • Multimedia product “Mount Athos: Spirituality and Culture”.
  • Scholarly publication of the project results in the Annual of the Higher School of Insurance and Finance.
  • Update of the Christianity and Culture academic course at the Burgas Free University.

Long-term aims for the period 2009-2013:

  • Activities on the Mount Athos cultural heritage preservation in the framework of EU programmes.
  • Development of an electronic library about Mount Athos for study and research purposes.
  • Development of multimedia products and films about Mount Athos for study, research and promotional purposes.
  • Scholarly publications on Mount Athos – jointly with the partner institutions.

HOLY MOUNT ATHOS AND BULGARIAN CULTURE has a few years old history. It started in 2004 when Prof. Miroslav Dachev and Assoc. Prof. Mihail Nedelchev joined efforts in the name of a research and pilgrimage cause: cultural heritage preservation of Mount Athos. The project started and until 2006 was implemented under the auspices of the NewBulgarianUniversity. Its initial title was “Mount Athos in Bulgarian Culture and Letters” and it was headed by Prof. Miroslav Dachev. From its very beginning the project has been assisted by the Center for Slavic and Byzantine research “Prof. Ivan Duichev” at Sofia University and the Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers and financially supported by the Higher School of Insurance and Finance. In 2006 the project was supported financially also by the American Foundation for Bulgaria and Buildinvest and spiritually supported by the Holy Metropolitan Bishopric of Sofia. The project received the blessing of archimandrite Ambrosius – the Father Superior of the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos. 

The year 2006 was marked by the first important project activities. In October the Sofia City Art Gallery hosted an exhibition by the artist Andrey Yanev entitled “Silent Light”, which attracted over 6000 visitors in 20 days. The exhibition was inaugurated on October 10, 2006 with speeches by Prof. Miroslav Dachev and Prof. Aksinia Djurova in the presence of ecclesiastics, scholars, academics, students, artists, diplomats, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Science. A month later, on the Day of the Christian Family, the Sofia Seminary opened its doors especially to show “Silent Light”. His Grace Sionius, Rector of the Seminary, and His Grace Dometian, Metropolitan Bishop of Vidin, spoke at the exhibition opening and Prof. Miroslav Dachev gave an academic lecture on “Mount Athos: Semiotics of Space”. Andrey Yanev’s art works presented at the two exhibitions found a strong response in the media, the scholarly and artistic circles. The exhibition at the Sofia City Art Gallery and the Sofia Seminary was accompanied by a presentation of a multimedia product, through which the project team shared with Bulgarian audience 400 photographs of all Mount Athos monasteries and the major sketae and cells. The multimedia product was prepared by Prof. Miroslav Dachev. Its circulation of 200 copies was distributed free of charge. Simultaneously the Department of New Bulgarian Studies at the New Bulgarian University organized a series of readings at the Sofia City Art Gallery on the topic of Mount Athos. Papers and presentations were delivered by Prof. Miroslav Dachev, Assoc. Prof. Mihail Nedelchev, Maria Ogoyska, Emilia Dvoryanova, Lora Shumkova. In December Prof. Miroslav Dachev and Andrey Yanev presented the project at the International Mountain Film Festival in Bansko, showing selected photographs from the visits to Mount Athos. At the end of the same year Prof. Miroslav Dachev presented a photographic exhibition about Mount Athos at the New Bulgarian University and received the copyright of AEGIS FILM, Audio and Video Production, to use their audio and video products about Mount Athos in the project activities.

Since the end of 2006 Prof. Dachev has continued the project under the title “Holy Mount Athos and Bulgarian Culture”. The project has been implemented by the Higher School of Insurance and Finance, again in cooperation with the Center for Slavic and Byzantine research “Prof. Ivan Duichev” at Sofia University. The interdisciplinary nature of the project has been strengthened by the participation of new partners: the Sofia Seminary St. Joan Rilski, the Institute for Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Musical, Dance and Fine Arts – Plovdiv, Burgas Free University. All of them hosted project activities in 2007. Buildinvest, Balknstoy, Arimex and Wolf offered their financial support. On March 28, 2007 the project was presented at the Academy of Musical, Dance and Fine Arts – Plovdiv through an art exhibition by Andrey Yanev and an academic lecture by Prof. Miroslav Dachev as part of the Academy’s Easter Festival. The presentations were attended by the Metropolitan Bishop of Plovdiv Nicholas, ecclesiastics, academics and students, citizens. On April 2, 2007 the project was presented at the Burgas Free University. In May the project team members took part in the official delegation of the Holy Synod of Bulgarian Orthodox Church at the Patron Saint’s Day of the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos. Later the same month the project’s annual research expedition to Mount Athos was held.  In July 2007 Prof. Miroslav Dachev presented his second photography exhibition entitled “A Prayer for Mount Athos” at the International Festival “Artists, Balchik, Love” in Balchik. The new activities of the “Mount Athos and Bulgarian Culture” project were presented at the festival, together with talks and presentations. Part of the project team visited the Zograf Monastery in November 2007 and donated photographic albums, calendars, multimedia and literature, containing materials on Mount Athos prepared by the Higher School of Insurance and Finance. In 2008 the project team visited Mount Athos three times – twice in May and once in October – and donated a computer configuration, software and books for the library of the Zograf Monastery.

Research consultants of the project Holy Mount Athos and Bulgarian Culture are:

  • Corresponding Member Prof. Elka Bakalova, DSc(Institute of Folklore – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; New Bulgarian University);
  • Prof. Aksinia Djurova, DSc (Director of the Center for Slavic and Byzantine research “Prof. Ivan Duichev” at Sofia University);
  • Senior research fellow Anisava Miltenova, DSc (Head of department “Old Bulgarian Literature” at the Institute for Literature – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences);
  • Bishop Sionius (Rector of Seminary St. Joan Rilski);
  • Yuri Stoyanov, PhD (Director of Kenyon Institute, Jerusalem);
  • Prof. Evgeniy Sachev, DSc (State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies).

 The members of the team, visiting Mount Athos on the separate research expeditions, vary each year. The project leader Prof. Miroslav Dachev has taken part in all eleven expeditions to Mount Athos so far. Other team members who have taken part in the expeditions are: Andrey Yanev, artist (ten expeditions to Mount Athos); Hristo Mitov, Mitov Travel (eight expeditions to Mount Athos); Radostin Vazov, Higher School of Insurance and Finance(four expeditions to Mount Athos); Hristo Chepishev, Buildinvest (three expeditions to Mount Athos); Milen Nikolov, PhD, Center for Slavic and Byzantine research “Prof. Ivan Duichev” at Sofia University (one expedition to Mount Athos); Nikolay Kaloyanov, Balkanstroy (one expedition to Mount Athos); Prof. Grigorii Vazov, Higher School of Insurance and Finance (one expedition to Mount Athos); Veselin Kalanovski (one expedition to Mount Athos); Troyan Petrov (one expedition to Mount Athos).

What have we achieved so far?

  • Five one-man painting exhibitions devoted to Mount Athos by Andrey Yanev (Sofia 2006, Plovdiv 2008, Stara Zagora 2009, Burgas 2009) and a Catalogue to the exhibitions.
  • Two individual photographic exhibitions devoted to Mount Athos by Miroslav Dachev (Sofia 2006, Balchik 2007).
  • Presentation of the project at the International Mountain Film Festival in Bansko (2006).
  • Presentation of the project at the international festival Artists, Balchik, Love in Balchik (2007).
  • Presentation of the project in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas and Stara Zagora (2006-2009).
  • Three multimedia products devoted to Mount Athos (2007-2008).
  • Publications on Mount Athos in scholarly journals and the Internnet (2006-2008).
  • Electronic library containing over 200 bibliographic entries and over 6 000 pages on Mount Athos.
  • Unique photographic archive of over 10 000 pictures.

 

What follows?

  • Multimedia product devoted to Mount Athos (2009).
  • A Gallery of thematic photographic albums about Mount Athos (2009).
  • Study films about the icon collections, murals, monastery complexes and the manuscript heritage of Mount Athos (2009).
  • New data bases in the electronic library and the photographic archive (2009-2013).
  • Linking the project to the cultural heritage EU programmes (2010-2013).
  • Linking the project to international projects for the Holy places (2010-2013).
  • Presentation of the project outcomes at international scholarly forums (2009-2013).

 Cordial thanks to everyone who supported our efforts in research and preservation of Mount Athos cultural heritage:

  • Higher School of Insurance and Finance, Buildinvest, Balkanstroy, Areksim, Wolf, Americal Foundation for Bulgaria, New Bulgarian University, GaloDesign, “Wisdom” Association, Gasstroymontaj, Miroslav Spasov, Veselin Kalanovski (for the financial support).
  • The Holy Metropolitan Bishopric of Sofia, the Holy Metropolitan Bishopric of Plovdiv, the Holy Metropolitan Bishopric of Vidin, the Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers, the Sofia Seminary St. Joan Rilski and its Rector Bishop Sionius of Velitsa personally (for the spiritual support and assistance).
  • Our efforts were blessed by the Father Superior of the Zograf Monastery – archimandrite Ambrosius and met the understanding of the brothers in a number of Athonite monasteries for which we are grateful.

prof. M. Dachev, Sofia, 2008