Almost a century of Bulgarian studies in Slovakia

published on 5/17/24 8:05 AM

Photo: Photo: Facebook / Comenius University of Bratislava

Interest in the academic study of the Bulgarian language in Slovakia dates back almost a century. The Comenius University in Bratislava was founded in 1919. Two years later the Faculty of Philosophy was established, where all humanistic subjects are studied. It was there, in the academic year 1925-1926, that the Bulgarian language took on a life of its own.

"The Bulgarian alphabet is a marvel that makes young people in Slovakia study our reading and writing," says Dr Miglena Mihaylova-Palanska, who has been a lecturer in Bulgarian at Comenius University in Bratislava since 2018. The Bulgarian language section is part of the Department of Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Philosophy. We talk to her at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava.

"The academic studies of the Bulgarian language began in the academic year 1925/26 through seminars and practical classes given by Professor Valery Pogorelov, a Russian pedagogue who had previously taught briefly in Sofia (from 1920 to 1923 at the First Men's Gymnasium). Later, Bulgarian studies were integrated into various courses in different formats.

Since 1964 there has been a lecturing programme in Bulgarian, i.e. a lecturer is seconded from Bulgaria.

Today, Bulgarian Studies is taught in 2 programmes - Interpreting and Translation, in combination with another language, and Slavic Studies, a relatively new programme, in which Bulgarian is taught in combination with another Slavic language - Serbian, Croatian, Polish or Slovenian. The first alumni graduated two years ago.

The Bulgarian language course in Slovakia is taught by a local Bulgarian - prof. Maria Dobrikova, and by a Bulgarian lecturer, Miglena Polanska. Both of them teach practical Bulgarian language, Bulgarian grammar, Bulgarian literature, and introduce students to different types of translation, geography and history of Bulgaria in the so-called country studies. In addition, the Department of Bulgarian Studies at Comenius University is now proud to offer a PhD programme, thus broadening the academic repertoire and opportunities for scholarly work in the field.

The Bulgarian language in Slovakia is studied not only by students, but also by pupils at the "Hristo Botev" Bulgarian secondary school in the Slovak capital, which has been supported by the Bulgarian state since 1948. Its graduates often decide to improve their knowledge of Bulgarian at Comenius University. But what motivates a Slovak to study Bulgarian?

The Hristo Botev secondary school in Bratislava

"Every year we admit students who want to learn Bulgarian. Their motives are different. You know that the emigration of Bulgarian gardeners began at the end of the 19th century and their descendants are still living here, and some of them decide to learn Bulgarian for these very reasons - to get to know their family, to learn where they come from. Another reason is that although we are a Slavic people, not much is known here about the Balkans. The Balkans is an interesting, exotic area - that's what the students tell me they want to know.

Картина Кирил и Методий - от училището ни в Братислава

The next thing is curiosity and the desire to learn the language of an ancient culture they have heard about. And there really isn't a Slovak who doesn't know who Cyril and Methodius are. There was even a poll here a few years ago - who is the most famous Slovak of the millennium? The brothers Cyril and Methodius were in second place. But very few Slovaks know that the work of Cyril and Methodius was continued in Bulgaria by their disciples who were expelled from here. And this alphabet, this script, is a motive for our students to study Bulgarian - they find it interesting, mysterious. It is a new alphabet for them and they want to learn to speak and read our language".

Miglena Mihaylova-Palanska herself has been teaching Bulgarian for six years. She sees the idea as a challenge.

"I work at the Bulgarian Language Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and I am a seconded lecturer. I took this on as a new venture and the subject of teaching Bulgarian as a foreign language is close to my heart. I have also taught foreign students studying Bulgarian in Bulgaria in the form of various seminars. I have a degree in Slavic philology with Czech, and I have also taught a little Slovak - these are close languages. I also knew that there was a Bulgarian school here where our son could continue his studies. So I came to work in Bratislava.