NEWS

 

 

The historical treatise dedicated to Bulgaria, "On the Antiquity of the Fatherland and on Bulgarian Affairs" by Petar Bogdan was presented at the Presidency building

 

The Bulgarian revival and our national awakening draw enormous strength from the fiery words of the Athonian monk Paisius, and alongside him, many others contribute to kindling the spark of enlightenment according to their abilities. All of us, their descendants, are obliged to know and honour the work of those who devoted themselves to the upliftment of the Bulgarian people. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during the presentation in the Heraldic Hall of the Presidential Institution of a reproduction of the manuscript of Petar Bogdan "On the Antiquity of the Fatherland and Bulgarian Affairs". The work, written in Latin and completed around 1667, is the first historical treatise dedicated to Bulgaria. Within 200 pages, the manuscript examines the Christian past and present of the Bulgarian lands and aims to mobilise support in then-Catholic Europe for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

 

Peter Bogdan is an indisputable phenomenon of his time and deservedly occupies a place of honour in the pantheon of great Bulgarians, the head of state pointed out and defined the event as particularly important for our national memory, self-knowledge and self-esteem as a nation. Without anything written, the waters of oblivion flood into people's minds, Petar Bogdan points out in his story. According to the head of state, thanks to the merits of the discoverer of the manuscript Prof Dr Liliya Ilieva and her team, the translator and researcher Assoc. Dr Tsvetan Vasilev and the late historian Prof Bozhidar Dimitrov, oblivion will never again cover his work.

 

Born and died in Chiprovtsi, Petar Bogdan is a bright representative of the galaxy of deserving Bulgarian Catholic figures from the 17th century, whose activity in the dark years of Ottoman rule remains an open window to the achievements of European thought, the president noted. He singled out Petar Bogdan, a graduate of the prestigious University of Rome, as an erudite clergyman and intellectual, a highly educated public figure, a patriot and a skilled diplomat. Throughout his life, he actively built bridges to Europe in search of a way for the liberation of Bulgaria and zealously defended the honour of the Motherland, the president emphasised and quoted the words of Petar Bogdan that 'the defence of honour, especially that of the Motherland, surpasses everything, as life and honour are equal'. According to Rumen Radev, there is a special symbolism in the fact that three and a half centuries later, the recently discovered work of Petar Bogdan, the first Catholic archbishop of Sofia , arrives again in Sofia, in the heart of Bulgarian statehood.

 

"On the Antiquity of the Fatherland and on Bulgarian Affairs" is a highly intellectual work with strong universal human messages for freedom and dignity," the president emphasised and invited all Bulgarians to touch the exceptional text not only because of its high scientific and cultural value, but as a testimony for our deep roots. Like Paisius' history, this work, written about a century before it, reminds us that in that era here was not just an impersonal and resigned time, here shine the brightest minds, part of the elite of Europe, turned into spiritual lighthouses for their compatriots, pointed out Rumen Radev. He expressed confidence that more and more often we will find occasions to touch on the remarkable contribution of Petar Bogdan to Christianity, the fatherland and our national memory, and as he himself says "we should not spare efforts for the common good, as well as for the glorification of the fatherland land'.

 

The head of state recalled the efforts for more than three years to ensure the possibility for the historical work to arrive in Bulgaria. In 2021, during his visit to the Vatican, Rumen Radev spoke on the subject with His Holiness Pope Francis and with the late Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, His Highness Fra Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto , as well as with the President of Italy Sergio Mattarella. The Bulgarian head of state expressed his gratitude for their support to the initiative of the presidential institution for the preparation of a professional and high-quality reproduction of the manuscript to remain in our country. The president pointed out that in front of his Italian counterpart. During his visit to our country in April this year, Mattarella expressed his gratitude to the people of Italy for having managed to preserve the valuable historical work and willingly shared it with the Bulgarian people. Rumen Radev highly appreciated the good will of Estensi Galleries and their director Prof Alessandra Necci for the masterfully and professionally made reproduction of the manuscript, which will be donated to the National Library St. St. Cyril and Methodius.

 

In connection with her primary role in the discovery and study of Petar Bogdan's manuscript "On the Antiquity of the Fatherland and Bulgarian Affairs", as well as for her academic contribution to the development of Bulgarian science and the preservation of the cultural and historical heritage of the nation, the head of state presented the Honorary sign of the president of Prof Liliya Ilieva, discoverer and researcher of the manuscript of Petar Bogdan.

 

For his main role in the translation into Bulgarian of Petar Bogdan's manuscript, as well as for his academic contribution to the development of Bulgarian science and the preservation of

the cultural and historical heritage of the nation The President's Medal of Honour was also presented to Prof Tsvetan Vasilev, translator of Petar Bogdan's manuscript into Bulgarian.

 

Prof Alessandra Nicki , director of the Estensi Galleries, where the treatise is kept, was also awarded the Head of State's Badge of Honour for the significant role of the cultural institution she leads in the preservation and reproduction of the manuscript of Petar Bogdan, as well as for its contribution to the development of the bilateral relations in the field of cultural and historical heritage between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Italian Republic.

 

The National Archaeological Institute with a museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will present the reproduction of the historical work of Petar Bogdan today, from 6:00 p.m. The event is dedicated to 155 years of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and 145 years of the National Library St. St. Cyril and Methodius and is under the patronage of the head of state. The presentation of the manuscript is accompanied by two exhibitions - "On the Antiquity of the Fatherland and Bulgarian Affairs" and "Catholics in Bulgaria XVII-XX Centuries". The treatise and exhibits will be on view in the Central Hall of the National Archaeological Museum from 22 May to 22 September 2024.