In 2005, we solemnly celebrated the half-century anniversary of the creation of the Scientific Information Center “Bulgarian Encyclopedia” at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. On this occasion, a thematic exhibition with the editions of the “Bulgarian Encyclopedia”, systematized in the “Tradition” and “Contemporary” sections, as well as valuable Bulgarian and foreign editions from the collection of the Center’s library, was organized in the Central Foyer of the BAS. The exhibition was supplemented with information boards “50 years of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia”, “International cooperation” and “Others for us”.
On December 1, 2005, a jubilee scientific session was held in the Great Hall of the BAS on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Scientific Information Center “Bulgarian Encyclopedia”. The session was opened by the Scientific Director of “Bulgarian Encyclopedia” Academician Evgeni Golovinski. The event took place in two parts. In the first part, the director of the Scientific Information Center “Bulgarian Encyclopedia” Snezhana Nikolova comprehensively presented the history and achievements of “Bulgarian Encyclopedia” from its creation in 1955 to 2005. Greetings were presented by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Vice-President of the BAS, the President of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, etc. On behalf of the Foundation “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” was presented with an honorary plaque and certificate for contribution to the spiritual culture of the country. The plenary part of the event ended with a musical greeting by the virtuosos of the “Sofia Quartet”.
The second part of the session included reports by editors presenting various aspects of the encyclopedia’s activity (Acad. Evgeni Golovinski, “The General Encyclopedia “A-Z” – a comparison of the 1974 and 1999 editions”; Dora Mladenova, “The beginning of the world and the Bulgarian encyclopedias”; Zoya Krutilin and Velyo Cherniradev “The encyclopedias from which we learn”; Iva Georgieva “The specialized literary encyclopedias”; Elena Blazheva “Electronic encyclopedias – encyclopedias of the future”; Tanya Kadiyska “International encyclopedic cooperation and national identity”).
