The Bulgarian Learned Society (BLS) was founded in the end of September 1869, in the house of Varvara Hadzhi Veleva in Brăila, Romania. On 29th September the first Statutes of BLS was adopted; the first Board of BLS was also elected, by secret ballot. It consisted of a Board of Trustees and full members.

Board of Trustees:
Nikolai Tsenov – President
Vasilaki Mihailidi
Petraki Simov
Kostaki Popovich
Stefan Beron

Actual members:
Marin Drinov (1838-1906) – President,
Vasil Drumev (1840-1901) – Member,
Vasil D. Stoyanov (1839-1910) – Secretary.

On 30th September, Nikolai Tsenov received all the documents of BLS. All those who attended the Constituent Meeting took an oath.

In 1870, the first issue of “Periodical Journal of the Bulgarian Learned Society”, an organ of BLS, was published, with Editorial Board: V.D. Stoyanov, T. Peev, A. Teodorov-Balan, D. Mollov and others.

That was the first Bulgarian scientific and literary-critical journal. It was published in Braila in 1870-76 and in Sofia in 1882-1910; since 1911, it has been renamed “Journal of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences”.

In the same year, many patriotic Bulgarians donated funds for the development of BLS.

In 1871, the first honorary member of BLS was elected: Gavril Krastevich, a Bulgarian scholar and a public figure.

In the picture: donation receipt issued to Vasil Levski

1872 – The Czech Konstantin Jirecek was the first foreigner to become a corresponding member of BLS, after publishing the first bibliography of the new Bulgarian literature.

1873 – First classification of the book fund in the library of BLS, done by Vasil Drumev.

1873 – Vasil D. Stoyanov was replaced by Todor Peev as BLS secretary.

In the picture: Konstantin Jirecek

1876 – The orthography of BLS (the so-called Drinov spelling), which would be imposed as an official norm for Bulgaria after the Liberation, was fully formed.

1876 (middle) – (beginning) 1878 – Due to unfavorable financial and political conditions, BLS in Braila minimized its activity. Only the library continued to function.

In the picture: Marin Drinov