ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences occupies a paramount place in the cultural life of our country. Its membership includes the most prominent representatives of Bulgarian science, it has organized scientific institutes in all fields of modern knowledge, its members and associates participate not only in the most important research within the country, but also in scientific life abroad, numerous international congresses, conferences, symposia, etc. To this must be added the enormous publishing activity that the academy carries out; this activity began with its very beginnings - as the Bulgarian Literary Society in Braila, founded in 1869, but the dimensions to which it has reached today represent an exceptional phenomenon in the history of Bulgarian science and culture. We do not always appreciate this fact enough. If we go back to the years when the foundations of the future Bulgarian Academy of Sciences were laid, we cannot fail to note one important circumstance: it is a product of the Bulgarian national revival. Its creation is not the result of a decree issued by a single authority, but of a long process, expressed in numerous reflections and proposals, in various projects and actions. The idea of ​​a Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was born in the great aspiration of our people towards enlightenment and cultural progress: already during the Renaissance era, it should embody the enlightened ideals of the people and also give a strong impetus to their cultural development. In this respect, our country repeats the history of academies in Europe - they arose in the 15th century, in the era of the Italian Renaissance ("Platonic Academy" in Florence, "Accademia Antiquaria" in Rome, etc.).