The scientific publications of the collaborators of the Institute of Literature (1948 - 1964)

Undoubtedly, the face of a research institute is its scientific production. It is the main indicator of the role it plays in solving the major problems that life poses to it, and of the place it occupies in the development of modern scientific thought. If we take a look at the scientific publications of the Institute of Literature that appeared after September 9, in the period from its establishment in the first years of people's power to the present day, we cannot help but admit that it is growing more and more and is shaping itself as a center of Bulgarian literary studies. An ever-increasing number of workers who deal scientifically with the problems of literature are grouping around it, the range of topics developed is expanding, the number of printed works is growing. And today, when, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Day of Freedom, our people are taking stock of what has been accomplished in all areas of socialist construction, we cannot but rejoice in the fact that the scientific team at the Institute of Literature can also add its share to the general successes. Over 60 volumes of individual books, 15 volumes of Izvestia with 150 studies and scientific reports and 7 anniversaries of the journal "Literary Thought" are the surest proof of this. To these figures should be added the large number of books and individual studies by the institute's collaborators, published outside the Academy, as well as the numerous popular scientific publications in the periodical press. In 1962, volume 1 of the projected 4-volume history of Bulgarian literature, covering the Old Bulgarian period, was published. With this, the most important and responsible task set before the institute began to be implemented in practice as a result of many years of organizational and scientific preparatory work. Its successful implementation will respond to a long-awaited need in our cultural life. Therefore, the efforts of the entire institute staff are now focused on completing the History. The draft of Volume II, which will soon be published, was discussed at a scientific level, with a great sense of responsibility. Individual chapters of Volume III are also being discussed. The nearly 20-year scientific production of the institute touches on issues from almost all areas of literary studies - literary heritage, contemporary literature, theoretical and aesthetic problems, interactions with other Slavic and Western European literatures, primarily with Russian and Soviet literature. The publications move in two main directions, which also reflect the main tasks facing the institute and which the team has tried to implement. On the one hand, we have carried out extremely useful scientific preparatory work, which is expressed in the publication of a number of collections of materials (memoirs, letters, documents) about the life and work of our writers, in the preparation of academic editions of our classics, in the compilation of detailed chronicles of their lives and creative path. The institute has also made a considerable contribution in this direction in establishing and publishing the archival heritage of a number of our writers. A valuable initiative in this regard is the creation of the series "Literary Archive", volume I of which was published in 1959 with materials by Petko Slaveykov, and now volume II is being published with materials from the archival heritage of Geo Milev. The publication of this series aims to encompass the archival heritage of an ever-increasing number of writers.