Head of Section: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.
Secretary: Assist. Prof. Margarita Dobreva, PhD

Associates:

• Assoc. Prof. Elmira Vasileva, PhD
• Assist. Prof. Maria Shousharova, PhD

The "Balkans in the 15th through the 19th century" section aims to research the ideological and political processes during 18th-19th centuries, the rise and imposition of the understanding of national identity, the problem of the "historicity of the nation" and the mentality of the individual groups in the region. Researchers working in the section focus also on topics such as: the process of actual and unrealized modernization, set by the ideas of the Enlightenment, the image of the other, the intercultural dialogues in the Balkans, the fate of the Jews, the cultural development of Balkan peoples and their religious life, the Ottoman administrative and legal institutions, the social and economic life of the region during 15th-19th centuries, genealogy and generic memory, relations of Balkan population with institutions and individuals from Western Europe. Their research activities are mainly based upon actual source materials in various languages, stored in Bulgarian and foreign archives and repositories.

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Projects related to the activity of the section

Dynamique régionale, transformations urbaines dans les Balkans ottomans – joint project between the IBSCT–BAS and the Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Romanian Academy
Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.

Between tradition and modernity: interdisciplinary dialogues in the study of the Balkans
Project Manager: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has been accredited by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency for education of PhD students, post doctoral researchers, interns and trainees in six programs in three professional fields:

1. Professional field 2.2. History and Archaeology
 - Ancient History and Thracology
 - Medieval History
 - Early Modern and Modern History
 - Archives and Document Studies, Paleography (including Historiography and Sources) 

2. Professional field 2.1. Philology
 - Balkan Literature and Culture

3. Professional field 3.1. Sociology, Anthropology and Cultural Sciences
 - Theory and History of Culture

  

DOCUMENTS FOR PhD STUDENTS

Procedure for PhD Students at the IBSCT-BAS

Foreign language exam for PhD candidates in the 2024-2025 academic year competition

Quality Assurance System for PhD Students at the IBSCT-BAS

Curriculum of the PhD Programme Modern and Contemporary History

Qualification of the PhD Programme Modern and Contemporary History

Curriculum of the PhD Programme Ancient History and Thracology

Qualification of the PhD Programme Ancient History and Thracology

General curriculum of the PhD program Balkan Literatures and Cultures

Qualification of the PhD Programme Balkan Literatures and Cultures

Curriculum of the PhD Programme in Theory and History of Culture

REGULATIONS for the activity of the Training Center (TC) and the Academic Council (AC) within the BAS

Attestation certificate

Academic credit system - general rules

Annex 2.1 - Evaluation of PhD students ' education at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences according to the Academic credit system

 

DOCUMENTS CONCERNING PRACTICE AND SPECIALIZATIONS

Regulations for conducting scientific practices and specializations at the Institute of Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology

 

PROJECTS IN COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN ACADEMIES

Cultural Interactions between Armenians and Bulgarians in History and Present

Partner institution: Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

Duration: 2026-2027

Project Coordinator for Bulgaria: Prof. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, PhD

 

Byzantium and its neighbors: Rivalry and dialogue

Partner institution: Institute for Byzantine Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Duration: 2026–2028

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Assoc. Prof. Vladislav Ivanov, PhD

 

Languages ​​and cultures in Southeast Europe and their dialogue with other European cultures from a philological and anthropological perspective

Partner institution: Institute for South-East European Studies, Romanian Academy

Duration: 2026–2028

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Lora Taseva, PhD

 

Social and religious interactions on both sides of the Danube, 15th–19th centuries

Partner institution: Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Romanian Academy

Duration: 2026–2028

Project Leader for Bulgaria: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.

 

The intertwined histories of Bulgaria and Romania (19th–21st centuries)

Partner institution: Institute for South-East European Studies, Romanian Academy

Duration: 2026–2028

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

Romania and Bulgaria in the Age of Totalitarianism(s)

Partner institution: National Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism, Romanian Academy

Duration: 2024-2026

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

Serbo/Yugoslav - Bulgarian relations and the Great Powers in the 19th and 20th centuries

Partner institution: Balkanology Institute, Serbian Academy of Science and Arts

Duration: 2024-2026

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE BULGARIAN SCIENCE FUND, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

Genealogy and Politics of Memory: Digital Future of Family Chronicles for Generational Transition (GENEA)

Host organization: Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

Duration: 2026-2029

Coordinator for the IBSCT-BAS: Assist. Prof. Alexandra Milanova, PhD

 

The Balkans and global challenges after 24 February 2022

Duration: 2022-2025

Project Manager: Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

Growing but not getting old: semantic and 3D technologies for the history of streets and buildings in Sofia

Duration: 2024-2027

Project Manager: Assist. Prof. Ivailo Nachen, PhD

https://historicalsofia.eu/en/ and Facebook page

 

Corpus Animalium Thracicorum (CAT): A digital corpus of the Thracian land’s fauna (1000 BC - AD 500)

Duration: 2024-2026

Project Manager: Asst. Prof. Eli Filipova, PhD

 

Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward

Duration: 2023-2027

Project Manager: Assist. Prof. Alexandra Milanova, PhD

 

Ages in history – Integration of genetic methods in historical research

Duration: 2023-2026

Project Manager: Todor Chobanov, PhD

https://www.balkanstudies.bg/epohi/index-en.html

 

PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE BULGARIAN SCIENCE FUND, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE UNDER THE "RILA" PROGRAM FOR BILATERAL COOPERATION BULGARIA – FRANCE

Populism and migrations: An interdisciplinary study of the problem in Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries

Partner institution: Sorbonne Nouvelle University – Paris 3

Duration: 2024-2026

Project Manager for Bulgaria: Assist. Prof. Alexandra Milanova, PhD

 

PROJECTS AND NATIONAL PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

National Science Program "Cutting-edge Research and People for the Development of European Science 2024" (VIHREN–2024)

Project: Balkan Consuls: Extraterritorial Agents and the Making of the Modern State in Southeast Europe

Duration:  2025–2030

Project Manager:  Assoc. Prof. Simeon Simeonov, PhD

 

National Scholarly Programme "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad"

Duration: 2022-2026

Coordinator for the IBSCT-BAS: Prof. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, PhD

https://bulgaristica.bas.bg/

 

National Interdisciplinary Research E-Infrastructure for Resources and Technologies for the Bulgarian Language and Cultural Heritage, integrated within the European Infrastructures CLARIN-ERIC and DARIAH (CLADA-BG)

Duration: 2018-2028

Coordinator for the IBSCT-BAS: Assoc. Prof. Yura Konstantinova, Dr. habil.

Website: https://clada-bg.eu/en/

 

INFRAMAT Distributed infrastructure of centers for synthesis and characterization of new materials and conservation of archeological and ethnographic artefacts

Duration: 2018-2028

Coordinator for the IBSCT-BAS: Prof. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, PhD

https://inframat.bg/en/

 

PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION NextGenerationEU
Investment C2.I2 "Increasing of the Innovation Capacity of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the Field of Green and Digital Technologies"
Procedure BG-RRP-2.015 "Strengthening Research Potential through the Attraction and Retention of Talented Researchers"

Project: Digitizing the Schism: establishing a thematic virtual fund and interactive corner with augmented reality (BG-RRP-2.015-0011)

Duration: 2024-2026

Scholarly Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Zlatomira Gerdzhikova, PhD

Postdoctoral researcher: Kristiyan Kovachev, PhD

 

Project: Digital historical paths in Bulgaria and Greece (BG-RRP-2.015-0008-C01)

Duration: 2024-2026

Scholarly Advisor: Prof. Yura Konstantinova, Dr. habil.

Postdoctoral researcher: Stamatia Fotiadou, PhD

 

Project: Rediscovery, Preservation, and Promotion of Cultural and Historical Heritage in Eastern Macedonia (BG-RRP-2.015-0010-C01)

Duration: 2024-2026

Scholarly Advisor: Prof. Yura Konstantinova, Dr. habil.

Postdoctoral researcher: Angel Zlatkov, PhD

 

PROJECTS FUNDED BY INTERNAL SOURCES

The Middle Ages in Transition

Duration: 2026–2028

Project Manager: Assoc. Prof. Zlatomira Gerdzhikova

 

The Balkans and Black Sea Region security after the Cold War

Duration: 2026-2028

Project Manager: Prof. Nadya Boyadzhieva, LL.D.

 

Political ideologies and practices in the Balkans in the 20th-21st centuries

Duration: 2026-2028

Project Manager: Assoc. Prof. Irina Ognyanova, PhD

 

Tradition and Modernity: Balkan and European Dialogues

Duration: 2025-2027

Project Manager: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil., Asst. Prof. Elmira Vasileva, PhD

 

Leadership in the Balkans – Personalities, Policies, Strategies

Duration: 2025-2027

Project Manager: Prof. Bisser Petrov, Dr. habil.

 

Sources on the Balkan Peoples: Publications, Manipulations, Adaptations

Duration: 2025-2027 

Project Manager: Prof. Yura Konstantinova, Dr. habil.

 

Conversations about literature and the peninsula - II

Duration: 2025-2027

Project Manager: Assoc. Prof. Lyudmila Mindova, PhD

 

Socializing the cultural heritage of the Balkans - II

Duration: 2025-2027

Project Manager: Prof. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, PhD

 

Lecture series Every Second Tuesday - II

Duration: 2024-2027

Project Manager: Assist. Prof. Alexandra Milanova  

Head of Section: Prof. Roumiana Preshlenova, PhD
Secretary: Assist. Prof. Evlogi Stanchev, PhD

Associates:

• Prof. Bisser Petrov, Dr. habil.
• Prof. Yura Konstantinova, Dr. habil.
• Prof. Dobrinka Parusheva, PhD
• Assoc. Prof. Simeon Simeonov, PhD
• Assist. Prof. Ivaylo Nachev, PhD 
• Assist. Prof. Kalina Peeva, PhD
• Stamatia Fotiadou, PhD, researcher

Activities of the department Modern History Balkans are mainly focused on research of the political, social, economic, ethnic and religious development of Southeast Europe from the Berlin Congress until the end of the Second World War, as well as of the relations between Bulgaria and the other countries in the region.

Chronological and territorial framework is provisional, as researchers seek the historical roots of modern processes and phenomena, and Southeast Europe is the core of their interests without limiting them. The fact that by the end of the 19th century the Balkans fell within the borders of two empires, the Habsburg and the Ottoman, and that they were also subject of particular interest and activity from the side of the Russian Empire, expands naturally the scope of scientific interest far away from the region. Ethno-religious issues and liberation movements in Southeast Europe, as well as the amplifying international relations, are an important part of the scientific work of this section. Specific attention is paid to the national elites - political, economic and cultural - in regard to their crucial role in the development of countries in the region.

There is an active project cooperation between the members of this section and their colleagues around the country and abroad who have similar scientific interest in the Balkan Studies. They have lectures in Bulgarian and foreign universities, they teach PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, they are members of editorial boards and scientific associations, they review dissertations and scientific publications. Thanks to these interdisciplinary activities, they provide an expert view of the modern dimensions of historical heritage to other institutions, scientific forums and the media.

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