Института

The victory of 9. IX. 1944 opened a new era both in the socio-political development of the Bulgarian people and in the development of Bulgarian science. The people's power, the Bulgarian Communist Party have always emphasized that the construction of a socialist society is impossible without the comprehensive development of all branches of science and are constantly making efforts to create the necessary conditions for its flourishing. And if the natural, mathematical, technical sciences were harnessed to the creation of the material base of society, then the humanitarian sciences had to contribute to the formation of a new consciousness, of new moral, ethical, philosophical views in people - builders of socialism and communism. Hence the special importance of science, which deals with the problems of literature - one of the most active factors for ideological Education and re-education, for the creation in man of a new worldview, a new socialist worldview.

On January 4 of this year, an expanded meeting of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was held, at which the scientific work carried out in 1961 was reported. In the report, delivered by the director of the Institute, Corresponding Member G. Tsanev, both the scientific-organizational and scientific-research activities of the institute were thoroughly examined, the achievements and weaknesses of the institute staff in fulfilling the tasks on the scientific plan were indicated. Now, after the historic decisions of the XXII Congress of the CPSU and the November Plenum of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the rapporteur pointed out, conditions have been created for a complete overcoming of dogmatism and citationism, for creative discussions on issues of literary theory, history and criticism based on Marxist-Leninist teachings. The creative discussions and disputes, always conducted in a communist party spirit, will help clarify many problems, will raise our literary studies to a higher level, will help create highly artistic socialist-realist literature. Mr. Tsanev consistently addressed the individual tasks of the annual plan. During the year, work continued on the four-volume history of Bulgarian literature. The first volume - Old Bulgarian Literature - discussed back in 1960, has already been finally edited and prepared for publication. It will be published by the end of the current year. Volume two - Renaissance Literature - was to be discussed by the end of 1961. Unfortunately, one of the members of the author team did not fulfill the obligations undertaken in a timely manner and another author had to be sought to write these chapters. The volume will be finally completed by March and its discussion will begin immediately - first by the author's team, and in June it will be put up for wide discussion in order to be published by the end of the year. Most of the chapters of volume three have also been written, which will also be discussed by the end of the current year. Work is also underway on volume four. During the year, a significant part of the contributors have worked on individual topics related to the development of Bulgarian literature in its various periods, on the connections of our literature with the literatures of other peoples, on individual writers and literary phenomena, as well as on more general or more special theoretical questions. The development of topics affecting the development of our literature from its inception to the present day helps to one degree or another to clarify the nature of the literary process, to reveal the ideological and artistic wealth of individual creators, and to use them to create new, full-fledged socialist-realist works.

The Manuscript Department at the Institute of Literature is part of its research base, which also includes the library and the bibliographic collection. Its activity is closely related to the scientific tasks of the institute and is aimed at searching for and preserving the manuscripts of Bulgarian writers. In addition, both the heads of this department and the research associates conduct surveys, interviews, and collect biographical materials about Bulgarian writers, which are also stored in the Manuscript Department. It also has a fairly rich collection of photographs and various photographic materials, original portraits and reproductions of our and foreign writers, of their birthplaces, of sessions and celebrations related to Bulgarian and Slavic literatures, etc.

In early November 1962, the scientific council of the institute held an extended meeting at which the Bulletins of the Institute of Literature (issues 7 to 11 inclusive) were discussed. Senior research associate Stoyko Bozhkov presented a report on the Bulletins. He traced the history of this institute publication, its character and tasks, the circle of its collaborators, its characteristic achievements and weaknesses. Then the rapporteur was asked questions, which he answered. 11 research associates took part in the speeches. Iskra Panov shared her impressions of the latest booklets of the Bulletins. They contain a section of materials that are clearly defined by genre - publications and scientific communications. Their scientific value cannot be disputed. Then comes a section of studies and articles that are at a more primary stage of scientific processing. They are something in between documentary materials and historical and literary studies. These are the works that occupy the main share of the published production in the Bulletins. There is a complete lack of materials on contemporary topics, as well as theoretical studies. One gets the impression of thematic disarray. Only the volume dedicated to Smirnensky is thematically focused. It turns out that articles and studies that are related to more current issues go to the journal "Literary Thought", larger works are published as separate books, and for the Izvestia there are things that are primarily related to older literature.

On December 20 of this year, an expanded meeting of the scientific council was held, at which the work of the Institute of Literature in 1962 was reported. The management report, presented by the director of the institute, Georgi Tsanev, examined in detail the scientific research and scientific organizational activities of the institute, gave assessments of the work of the sections, departments and the "Ivan Vazov Museum", clarified the issue of the state of the personnel, the material and technical base, etc. The work of the scientific workers in 1962 took place in the light of the XXII Congress of the CPSU, the April and November Plenums of our party. This was a year of great tension and sharp disputes, a turning point in which, from the high tribune of the historic Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the cult of personality and the associated dogmatism, scholasticism, pseudoscientific interpretation, dispassionate registration of facts, doctrinaireism... A remarkable year in which the truthful word of the party sounded with enormous force, reality was given abundant light, the great importance of the entire ideological front, of our literary science, was emphasized. The historic Marxist-Leninist decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party opened up a wide field for calm, independent work to the scientific staff of the institute, brought complete democratization into the disputes, mobilized the forces of the scientific workers for an even more active, merciless struggle against revisionism and the influence of bourgeois ideology, against the remnants of the cult. This was a year of a rapid, healing process that brightened the atmosphere and the situation in the institute and gave the opportunity to overcome all kinds of petty, personal ambitions, to strengthen a single, cohesive scientific team. The decisions of the April and November plenums are of great importance and the scientific workers of the institute sought to apply them specifically in the tasks that lay before them. for consideration.

In two meetings (on November 15 and 22 of this year) of the scientific council at the Institute of Literature, the works for the Slavic Congress by Emil Georgiev - General Laws in the Development of Slavic Literatures"; Kuyu Kuev - The Idea of ​​Slavic Unity in the Poetry of Petar Preradovich" and Georgi Dimov - "Traditions of Russian Revolutionary-Democratic Aesthetics in the Formation and Development of Bulgarian Literary Criticism" were discussed by the scientific council at the Institute of Literature. The meetings were attended by more than 30 researchers, associates and literary critics, who took an active part in the discussions. Both discussions were chaired by the director of the Institute of Literature Georgi Tsanev. The following spoke on the reports for the Slavic Congress: Kr. Genov, B. Nichev, P. Dinekov, L. Minkova, V. Smohovska-Petrova, G. Valchev, Efrem Karanfilov, St. Karolev, Il. Konev, Iv. Tsvetkov, M. Nikolov, A. Todorov, etc. Finally, the chairman G. Tsanev summarized the speeches. On the report of Em. Georgiev, he pointed out that the author had taken on a very difficult task - to establish general regularities in the development of Slavic literatures and therefore perhaps had not resolved all the questions on the topic. It is necessary for Em. Georgiev to focus even more on socialist realism and Marxist-Leninist methodology, to bring to the fore the specific regularities in the development of Slavic literatures, to clarify some inaccurate positions, to shorten long quotations and for the author to take into account the notes of those who spoke. On the report of K. Kuev, the chairman noted that the work was topical and interesting, saturated with materials from the life and work of Petar Preradovich. G. Tsanev expressed the opinion that the work would gain more if it were systematized by problems, but even in this form the work should be condensed and tightened. It was emphasized that Georgi Dimov's report was correctly constructed, convincing, not only stating facts, but also developing in depth the issues of the influence of Russian revolutionary-democratic aesthetics in the formation and development of Bulgarian literary criticism. It was recommended to the author to make some additions.

On June 24, 1963, an expanded meeting of the scientific council was held at the Institute of Literature, at which a report of the institute's management was discussed in connection with the speech of Dr. Todor Zhivkov to the figures of culture and art. The report, delivered by the director of the institute, Prof. Georgi Tsanev, analyzed the scientific research work of the institute's staff in connection with the main tasks outlined in the speech of the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Both the work of the institute as a whole and the individual mistakes and indulgences in the work of the research associates were criticized. The prospects for the development of the institute were also outlined, as well as the most important immediate tasks arising from the spirit of the party's requirements for Marxist-Leninist literary studies. Georgi Dimov, Iliya Konev, Hristo Dudevski, Krastyo Genov, Toncho Zhechev, Vanda Smohovska, Ivan Tsvetkov, Georgi Valchev, Iskra Panova, Stoyko Bozhkov spoke on the report, highlighting the great importance of the speech for the development of our literary studies. The associate of the Department of Culture and Art of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Dr. Alexander Dunchev, who was present at the meeting, also made a statement.

On December 30, 1963, an expanded meeting of the Scientific Council was held, at which the report on the scientific and research activities of the institute in the past 1963 was discussed and adopted. In his report, the director of the institute, Stoyko Bozhkov, made an analysis of the main achievements and weaknesses in scientific work and outlined the upcoming tasks. He considered the past year under the sign of the struggle to establish the Leninist line in the development of our art and literature. The party leadership's concern for the purity and sharpness of our ideological weapons, the principled struggle against the influences of bourgeois ideology and decadent Western culture helped to unite the forces of creative workers, to focus attention on the sound principles of party and nationalism. The open, clear and truthful party criticism of a number of passions, which found the brightest expression in the speech of Dr. T. Zhivkov "Communist Ideology - the Supreme Principle of Our Literature and Art" helped to create an atmosphere of greater trust between artists, to unite forces and, by rejecting the contagious rot of decadent literature, lack of ideas and formalism, to direct efforts towards creative development of the problems of our contemporary development.

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.

The discussion of the problem of tradition and innovation is one of the most meaningful manifestations of our institute, related to the very foundations of aesthetics and art. Both Alexander Obretenov and Georgi Tsanev put this problem on a Marxist-Leninist basis. I liked Obretenov's thought that not everything that differs from the old is innovation. Also the emphasis on communist ideology as the basis of innovation.

On January 4, this year, an expanded meeting of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was held, at which its work in 1964 was reported. A report on the scientific research activities of the associates was presented by the director of the institute, St. Bozhkov.

In recent years, significant progress has been noted in the development of literary studies in our country. There has been a tendency to create generalizing works in which problems of Bulgarian literature of national importance are examined and developed (History of Bulgarian Literature, Panorama of Bulgarian Literature, Development of Bulgarian Literary Criticism, separate periods of our old literature, etc.). Monographic studies on individual writers and literary trends have significantly increased. The attention of literary scholars is directed to essential problematic issues of artistry and style, the image and structure of the work of art, and the problems of genres. Along with this, there is an enrichment and expansion of the specific subject matter of scientific research, the theoretical base is expanding, and a broad exchange of opinions is developing on the basis of Marxist-Leninist methodology. On the other hand, there is a noticeable updating of literary problems in view of the requirements of our modernity.

In 1966, the Institute of Literature was working on the following problems: History of Bulgarian Literature - a comprehensive work on the development of Bulgarian literature from the 9th century to the present day. The work is being worked on by a wide team. This year, volume 11 was printed, covering the historical development of Bulgarian literature during the Renaissance. Volume III - Bulgarian literature from the Liberation of Bulgaria to the end of the First World War - was also completed and discussed by the team of authors. It is about to be reproduced and widely discussed. Work is also underway on writing volume IV, which will be completed in 1967.

In 1967, the Institute of Literature continued to work in the main areas of literary science in order to achieve new results in shedding light on the long-term development of Bulgarian literature and its individual periods, as well as in clarifying a number of basic problems of our contemporary literature and its connections with other national literatures; in order to pose and solve some theoretical problems and to propagate its achievements among the broad masses of the people, among literature teachers and youth.

The establishment and development of the Institute of Literature is a result of the successful implementation of the socialist revolution in our country. For the first time, research work on the thousand-year-old Bulgarian literature became a state affair: through systematic and purposeful study, its riches are made available to the widest layers of the people in the interest of their cultural elevation and spiritual enrichment. The Institute is called upon to develop literary science in its diversity, to improve its capabilities and, more actively, to support the flourishing of our contemporary fiction and to raise the artistic consciousness of the builders of socialist society.

Arnaudov, Mihail. Ballad motifs in folk poetry - vol. I, S., BAS, 1964, 400 p. Dinekov, Petar. Bulgarian folk poetry. Notes - S., Science and Art, 1949, 180 p.; II revised and supplemented edition, S., 1963. Arnaudov, Mihail. On the question of the creators of the folk song. A gifted folk singer from Sofia - Izv. of the Institute for Literature, vol. IX, 1960. Dinekov, Petar. Folklore and the history of Bulgarian literature - Lit. thought, 1967, vol. 6. Petkanova, Donka. On the question of the connections of folklore with Bogomilism - Izv. of the Institute for Literature, vol. VI, 1958. 81-100. Chaika, Henrika (Poland). Some artistic features of Bulgarian folk songs - Lit. Misal, 1967, vol. 4.