Monument to Academician Blagovest Sendov was officially unveiled in the park space in front of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The President of BAS Prof. Julian Revalski, Member of the Academy, the Rector of Sofia University Prof. Georgi Valchev and the grandson of Acad. Senov – Blagovest Sendov unveiled the monument.
The authors are the sculptor Krasimir Angelov and the architect Stanislav Konstantinov.
Vice President Iliana Iotova emphasized in her speech that Acad. Sandov was a great and world-renowned scientist who had over 200 scientific publications, over 30 textbooks, hundreds of works dedicated to computer technology back in the times when almost no one talked about it and no one knew what the future of high technology would be.
The Rector of Sofia University Prof. Georgi Valchev thanked all the donors who took part in the joint initiative of the University and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and said that personalities like Acad. Sendov should remain in the Bulgarian national, cultural and scientific memory.
The President of BAS Prof. Julian Revalski pointed out that the place where the monument was being unveiled was significant because it was in the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics that Acad. Sendov introduced his first fundamental ideas. Prof. Revalski emphasized the active participation of Acad. Sendov in the development of computational mathematics in Bulgaria which was the basis of informatics and pointed out the system he introduced in 1971 – Bachelor, Master and PhD which Europe 30 years later also adopted. It was of utmost importance for Bulgarian mathematics and Bulgarian mathematicians and computer scientists who made the country famous, he added, and thanked all donors who supported the initiative for the monument.
Acad. Petar Kenderov stressed that the monument paid tribute to Acad. Sendov whom he described as a multifaceted personality who was not easy to describe – an outstanding visionary, scientist, reformer and patriot. He spoke of his mathematical achievements, recalling “Sendov’s conjecture” and the “research approach to education” he introduced.
The opening ceremony was attended by MPs, President Georgi Parvanov (2002-2012), former Presidents of the National Assembly, diplomats, representatives of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of SU and the Institutes of Mathematics and Informatics, and Information and Communication Technologies of BAS, representatives of the business, academic community and students.
An initiative committee for the construction of a monument to Acad. Blagovest Sendov was created in 2022 at the idea of the academic community of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Sofia University. The co-chairs of the committee were the Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (2015-2023) Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov and the President of BAS Prof. Julian Revalski. The initiative also included the Mayor of Sofia (2009-2024) Yordanka Fandakova, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Science Krasimir Valchev, the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski (2017-2023) Assoc. Prof. Parvan Parvanov, the Director of the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of BAS Prof. Petar Boyvalenkov, the President of the Union of Mathematicians in Bulgaria Prof. Nikolai Nikolov, the manager of Geotechmin Ltd. Prof. Tsolo Vutov, Prof. Ognyan Gerdzhikov from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Prof. Raytcho Lazarov from Texas A&M University and Prof. Pencho Petrushev from the University of South Carolina.
Acad. Blagovest Sendov (1932 – 2020) was a world-famous Bulgarian mathematician, prominent statesman and public figure – Rector of Sofia University, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and Ambassador of Bulgaria to Japan. You can get acquainted with the biography and achievements of Academician Sendov in the Virtual Museum of Mathematics and Informatics in Bulgaria.
