AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTER IN SOFIA NEWSLETTER No. 6, NOVEMBER 2009 The American Research Center in Sofia (ARCS, compared by literary critics to Simeon Radev’s www.einaudi.cornell.edu/arcs), established in classic Builders of Modern Bulgaria. The 2004, is dedicated to research in the humanities introduction will be written by Professor Mark and social sciences and represents a consortium Kramer, Director of the Project for Cold War of educational institutions registered in North Studies at the Davis Center for Russian and America. ARCS is a Member of the Council of Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, an American Overseas Research Centers and an eminent authority on Cold War history. This will be the first publication of ARCS (scheduled for Educational Member of the American Chamber of Spring 2010) in a series of monographs on Commerce in Bulgaria. Thanks to a generous Bulgarian history from antiquity through the donation by the Packard Humanities Institute, modern age. ARCS acquired in early 2008 its permanent home in Sofia, consisting of a four-level building on May 28, 2009. A group of students from the property of over 16,000 sq. ft. University of Alaska (Anchorage), led by Professor Christine Hanson on an educational trip NEWS IN BRIEF to Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece and Turkey, visited the ARCS headquarters and We are pleased to announce that ARCS has been met with Professor Kevin Clinton, Chair of the awarded a National Endowment for the ARCS Managing Committee, and Dr. Nikola Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant in the amount Theodossiev, ARCS Associate Academic Director. of $750,000. Such NEH grants are among the most competitive and prestigious awards in the United June 4, 2009. Mr. Marshall Lee Miller, a Director of States. the America for Bulgaria Foundation, and Dr. Theodossiev were welcomed at the Istanbul A major grant from the America for Bulgaria Center of the American Research Institute in Foundation is supporting library acquisitions and Turkey (ARIT) by Dr. Antony Greenwood, ARIT various programs for Bulgarian archaeology: Director, with whom they discussed various Fellowships for Advanced Doctoral Students opportunities for collaboration. Mr. Miller visited affiliated with accredited Bulgarian institutions to also the Ankara Center of ARIT. do research at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the American Research June 5–12, 2009. Dr. Theodossiev accompanied Institute in Turkey; an Archaeology Program the group of students from the University of Officer; grants supporting joint U.S.-Bulgarian Alaska on their trip in Turkey and Bulgaria. They projects under an International Collaborative toured a number of monuments and museums in Archaeological and Bioarchaeological Research Istanbul, Sozopol (ancient Apollonia), Nesebar Program; and grants supporting Bulgarian (ancient Mesambria) and Veliko Tarnovo, the museums and other institutions under a Site capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Preservation, a Conservation, and a Museum Enhancement Program. In addition, the June 19, 2009. H.E. Mr. Geoffrey Keating, Foundation is providing support for certain staff Ambassador of Ireland to Bulgaria, visited ARCS positions, fellowships for American graduate and had a cordial meeting with Professor Clinton students, and other operations of ARCS. For more and Dr. Nora Dimitrova, Director of the United information about these programs, please contact States Office of ARCS. our recently appointed Archaeology Program Officer, Dr. Emil Nankov, [email protected]. June 24, 2009. Dr. Theodossiev attended the General Assembly Meeting of the American The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) has Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria. The meeting given ARCS a grant of $6,000 for the publication was followed by a Farewell Reception in honor of of Communism vs. Democracy: Bulgaria 1944 to the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. 1997, a chronicle of Bulgaria’s recent history by Alexander Karagiannis and the Counselor for the internationally acclaimed journalist and writer Press and Culture, Ms. Katherine Ingmanson, Nassya Kralevska-Owens. This masterpiece of celebrating the completion of a very successful political prose is a revised and supplemented mission to Bulgaria. English edition of the author’s best-selling work Bez Zaglavie (in Bulgarian), a historical narrative June 26, 2009. The U.S. Embassy Second of the Bulgarian transition to democracy, Secretary for Cultural and Educational Affairs, Ms. 2 Sherry Keneson–Hall, and the Cultural Affairs the Museum of History at Sredets, in charge of Assistant, Ms. Ana Todorcheva, visited ARCS and Debelt, and the Director of Excavations at met with Professor Clinton, Dr. Dimitrova and Dr. Nicopolis ad Istrum, Dr. Pavlina Vladkova. He Theodossiev, and discussed possibilities for reviewed with them projects of ARCS and ABF for collaboration. site preservation and conservation. June 27, 2009. Kevin Clinton and Nora Dimitrova August 20, 2009. Ms Deborah Ash, U.S. Embassy took part in a trip to Rila Monastery, organized by Vice-Consul, visited ARCS and met with Dr. H.E. Mr. Geoffrey Keating and the Irish Embassy. Theodossiev and Mr. Hristo Alexiev, ARCS The purpose of the trip, attended by many Library Assistant. Bulgarian and foreign dignitaries, was to pay homage to the memory of James David Bourchier September 5, 2009. Mr. Stephen Steinbeiser, (1850–1920), the prominent Irish journalist and Resident Director of the American Institute for life-long friend of Bulgaria, who was granted the Yemeni Studies (AIYS), had a productive meeting rare honor to be buried in the immediate vicinity at ARCS with Dr. Nankov and Mr. Alexiev. of the Bulgarian holy of holies, the magnificent Rila Monastery. Born in Limerick, Ireland, James September 7, 2009. Dr. Nankov, Mr. Alexiev and Bourchier worked as the Balkan correspondent the ARCS Fellows attended a public event at the for The Times and lived in Sofia from 1892 to 1915. American Corner at the Sofia City Library, where He defended Bulgaria’s position against what he they met with Mr. Ken Moskowitz, the U.S. perceived to be unfair clauses in the treaties Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs. following the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 and World War I. In his entire career as Balkan September 9, 2009. A research group of students correspondent, Bourchier expressed his affection from Drexel University led by Professor Joel and support for Bulgaria and its people and Oestreich visited ARCS and met with the Fellows treated with humanity and justice many issues of and staff. Professor Kostadin Grozev from the Balkan politics of the period. Mr. Keating gave a Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” welcomed moving speech recounting Bourchier’s the guests, and Mr. Alexiev talked about ARCS achievements and the Bulgarians’ love for him. and its mission. A modest reception followed. Sadly Bourchier, as well as many American and European humanists who helped Bulgaria on September 11 and November 27, 2009. Mr. numerous occasions before and after its liberation Marshall Lee Miller, a Director of the America for in 1878, were nearly forgotten during the Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), met with Dr. communist era of massive anti-western Theodossiev to discuss the progress of the propaganda. Now a picturesque and bustling archaeology projects supported by ABF. boulevard in Sofia proudly bears Bourchier’s name. September 21, 2009. Dr. Nankov and Mrs. Valeria Bineva attended a dinner hosted by Mr. Ken June 30, 2009. Dr. Petia Kostadinova, Assistant Moskowitz, the U.S. Embassy Counselor of Public Director of the Center for European Studies at the Affairs, and engaged in a cordial discussion with University of Florida and Institutional Bulgarian scholars present at the event. Representative on the ARCS Managing Committee, visited ARCS and met with Dr. October 26, 2009. Ambassador James Pardew, Theodossiev. They discussed possibilities for ARCS Trustee, visited the new building of ARCS future scholarly projects. and met with Dr. Theodossiev, the staff, and the Fellows. July 17, 2009. Mr. Frank L. Bauer, President of the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), Ms. November 2, 2009. Ambassador Pardew and Dr. Desislava Taliokova, Executive Director of ABF, Theodossiev discussed possibilities for Bulgarian- and Mr. Lenko Lenkov, a Program Director of American collaboration in the field of ABF, toured ARCS and had fruitful discussions archaeology with Dr. Lyudmil Vagalinski, with Dr. Theodossiev. Assistant Director of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum. August 13, 2009. Dr. Theodossiev gave lectures on ancient Thrace for the participants in the November 4, 2009. Mr. Lenko Lenkov, a Program Fulbright International Summer Institute, kindly Director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, supported by the America for Bulgaria met with Dr. Theodossiev and outlined various Foundation and held in the quaint town of projects and activities of common interest. Tryavna. November 9, 2009. The 20th anniversary of the August 13–14 and 19, 2009. Dr. Emil Nankov, Fall of the Berlin Wall, was honored by ARCS via ARCS Archaeology Program Officer, visited the launch of the memorial website Debelt (ancient Deultum) and Nicopolis ad http://victimsofcommunism.bg/, a virtual (and Istrum. He met with Krasimira Kostova, Director of eventually printed) encyclopedia of the victims of 3 communism in Bulgaria. The creation of the 1. Dr. Krum Bacvarov, National Archaeological website, which is intended to become a major Institute with Museum: “The Prehistory of Jar