A solemn assembly on the occasion of May 24 was held today at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The Vice-President of BAS Prof. Emmanuel Moutafov opened the celebration in the “Prof. Marin Drinov” Hall with an excerpt in Old Bulgarian from “On the Letters” by Chernorizets Hrabar.
The President of the Academy Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva greeted the scientists and guests on the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and of the Slavic literature. “Today we can proudly say that the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences continues the work of its founders who adored letters as well as of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and their followers in their mission to literate, educate and enlighten the nation. With their research, the scholars of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, together with their colleagues from universities, keep the Bulgarian language pure and correct, write and publish the objective truth about Bulgarian history and culture defending the national priorities of our identity. In their work over the years, Bulgarian scholars have spread the knowledge of the heritage of our men of letters but they have also made significant efforts to promote it in Europe and the world,” the President of BAS said in her speech.
The leadership of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has taken the initiative academic sermons to be delivered in the hall of BAS, Corr. Memb. Slavcheva said and pointed out that the first invitation was to His Holiness Patriarch Daniel.
Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil delivered an academic address for the celebration and recalled that the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences had been deeply connected with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church since the years of its establishment. “These ties of close interaction and complementarity between faith and knowledge, church and science do not cease to bear their worthy fruits,” the Patriarch said and also spoke about faith, spirituality, science and timeless values.
The celebration was attended by the Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev, the Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova, university rectors, representatives of the academic community and the media. Students from the “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” National Music Academy greeted the scientists and guests at the celebration at BAS. The scientists of BAS will take part in the traditional procession tomorrow for May 24.
