Professor Riccardo Picchio was a great friend of Bulgaria and emphasized the significant role of the Bulgarian state in the development of the history and Slavic and Orthodox culture for the whole of Europe. Exactly forty years ago, at the First Congress of Bulgarian Studies, he formulated his view that a new literary civilization was born in the ninth and tenth centuries, thus laying the foundation for an important period for all of medieval Christendom. This is what Vice President Iliana Iotova said on Thursday in her speech at the commemorative evening dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the distinguished Slavist and Bulgarianist Prof. Riccardo Picchio.
The initiative is part of the National Scientific Programme "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad" and is under the patronage of the Vice President. The commemorative evening took place at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The Ninth International Colloquium on Old Bulgarian Studies started at the St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University on August 28. This year it includes over 20 foreign researchers from various scientific organizations in Europe and over 15 Bulgarian researchers from several universities and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. One of the sessions of the colloquium was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great friend of Bulgaria, the famous Slavist and Bulgarian scholar prof. Riccardo Picchio, for whom the University of Sofia and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences are organizing the special commemorative evening.
Science is a world of ideas, it is in Bulgaria's interest that politicians listen to them and take inspiration for national culture, for the powerful but neglected territory of spirituality and self-consciousness. In this sense, I personally expect from those on whom it depends to finally take the political decision to create a Bulgarian Cultural Institute, as there is one in every country in the European Union, except Bulgaria, Vice President Iliana Iotova said.
The commemorative evening was also attended by Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria Giuseppina Zara, as well as scholars who participated in the Ninth International Colloquium on Old Bulgarian Studies.
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