Bulgarian Historical Archive
Encyclopedia
The Bulgarian Historical Archive (Bulgarian: Български исторически архив) functions as part of the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
and keeps more than 1.5 million documents and a separate collection "Portraits and Photos" consisting of 80,000 photos all of historical importance for Bulgaria
and the Balkans
.
and was then known as the Archives Department of the library. Until the establishment of the State Archive Fund in 1951 it functioned as a national archive.
and post-Liberation
period of Bulgarian history. Also covered in great detail are the Bulgarian liberation struggles in Macedonia
and the Odrin region after the Liberation.
Some of the most notable specimens of the archive are:
SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
The SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library is the national library of Bulgaria, situated in the capital city of Sofia...
and keeps more than 1.5 million documents and a separate collection "Portraits and Photos" consisting of 80,000 photos all of historical importance for Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
History
The archive is one of the earliest historical document repositories in Bulgaria. It's established just after the Bulgarian LiberationLiberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
and was then known as the Archives Department of the library. Until the establishment of the State Archive Fund in 1951 it functioned as a national archive.
Contents
The greatest number of documents come from the period middle 19th century to middle 20th century representing the Bulgarian National RevivalBulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
and post-Liberation
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
period of Bulgarian history. Also covered in great detail are the Bulgarian liberation struggles in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
and the Odrin region after the Liberation.
Some of the most notable specimens of the archive are:
- the pocket notebook of Vasil LevskiVasil LevskiVasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
- the pocket notebook of Hristo BotevHristo BotevHristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...
- a fragment of a parchment with Greek minuscule script from the 11th century, the oldest manuscript in the archive