National heritage and modern science came together at the largest astronomical complex in South-East Europe
“The April Uprising of 1876 and its Impact on the Lives of Members of the Bulgarian Learned Society” exhibition opened on 6 August at the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory. The event took place under the patronage of the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member Evelina Slavcheva, who opened the exhibition. In her address, the President of BAS emphasised the connection between the Bulgarian Learned Society, founded in 1869, and the historical path of Bulgarian society towards freedom, knowledge and statehood. The exhibition was presented by Dr. Denitsa Mizinska from the Scientific Archives of BAS.
The thematic panels trace the lives of members of the Bulgarian Learned Society and, through documents, testimonies and publications, illustrate the human and international dimensions of the April Uprising. The exhibition was created with the participation of specialists from the Institute for Historical Studies, the Central Library and the Scientific Archives of BAS.
The regional host of the event was Georgi Pepelanov, regional governor of the Smolyan region. The organisation and institutional coordination were carried out under the leadership of the Regional Academic Centre of BAS (RAC) for the Smolyan region, coordinated by Dr. Eng. Momchil Karaivanov.
During the ceremony, the “Rozhen” NAO received a certificate and a plaquette as the first “Star Site – No. 1” of the “Star Routes of the Rhodopes” under the regional brand “Rhodopes – a mountain closer to the stars”. The award highlights the observatory’s contribution to science, education and the promotion of the Rhodopes. The award was accepted by Assoc. Prof. Nikola Petrov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Astronomy with National Astronomical Observatory at BAS.
As part of the event, a discussion took place on renewing the partnership between BAS and the Smolyan Regional Administration through the Regional Academic Centre – BAS for the Smolyan region.
