"Bulgaria: Armenia Lands in Universities — The Tireless Work of Armenia's Ambassador in Sofia" by Carlo Coppola
SOFIA, Bulgaria – On June 18–19, 2026, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" hosted the international scientific conference "Armenia: A Crossroads of Centuries and Worlds," one of the most significant academic events dedicated to Armenian Studies held in Europe in recent years.
Organized by the Department of Armenian and Caucasian Studies within the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, the conference marked the 30th anniversary of Armenian Studies at Sofia University. The forum brought together 112 scholars from Armenia, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the United States, who presented 93 academic papers covering Armenian history, language, literature, culture, and Caucasus geopolitics.
While universities around the world regularly host conferences on Armenian topics, the quality of speakers, the breadth of participation, and the international profile of the Sofia gathering make it a landmark event in the field of Armenian Studies.
Opening remarks were delivered by Sofia University Vice-Rector Prof. Reneta Bozhankova, Armenian Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Tsovinar Hambardzumyan, Head of the Department of Armenian and Caucasian Studies Prof. Petar Goliyski, and Dean of the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology Prof. Gergana Petkova.
Prof. Goliyski highlighted the evolution of the academic program established in 1995 and transformed in 2009 into the modern Department of Armenian and Caucasian Studies. Today, Sofia University stands among a very small number of institutions worldwide offering a complete undergraduate degree in Armenian Studies outside Armenia, alongside the University of Geneva.
In her address, Ambassador Tsovinar Hambardzumyan emphasized Armenia's historical role as a meeting point of trade routes, cultures, religions, languages, and intellectual traditions. Well known in Italy, where she served as Ambassador of Armenia from 2020 to 2024, she also highlighted the contribution of the Armenian diaspora to the cultural, economic, and intellectual development of numerous countries, including Bulgaria.
The Ambassador further referred to Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" initiative, launched in 2023, describing it as a strategic regional project aimed at enhancing connectivity, economic cooperation, and people-to-people contacts. She stressed that the concept of Armenia as a crossroads is not merely a historical reality but remains highly relevant in today's geopolitical environment.
Dean Gergana Petkova noted that over the past three decades the Armenian and Caucasian Studies program has educated specialists who have gone on to careers in international relations, academia, diplomacy, and business, while helping strengthen Bulgarian-Armenian relations.
Alongside the conference, Sofia University inaugurated the exhibition "The Infinite Flight of the Letter," dedicated to the Armenian alphabet and Armenia's literary heritage, offering visitors an opportunity to explore one of the most enduring achievements of Armenian civilization.
In the section “Art and Cultural Heritage,” several studies on Armenian material and immaterial culture were presented.
Marco Rufilli, from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, presented a study on the typologies and ornaments of the early stone crosses of Nakhichevan.
Raquele Zanone (University of Siena) explored the topic “The Faces of the Silk Roads: Armenian Merchants in the Visual Culture of the Tang Dynasty (7th–10th centuries),” reflecting on the role of Armenians in the history of intercultural contacts between East and West.
Assoc. Prof. Igor Dorfman Lazarev, from Sofia University, examined “The Formation of Identity in the Southern Caucasus on the Eve of the Mongol Conquests: A Study on the Work of Mkhitar Gosh,” emphasizing the fundamental role of Mkhitar Gosh’s juridical and intellectual heritage in the construction of medieval Armenian self-awareness.
These contributions highlighted how Armenian artistic, visual, and legal heritage served as a cultural bridge between different civilizations, keeping alive a complex identity even in contexts of intense exchange and strong external pressure.
The conference "Armenia: A Crossroads of Centuries and Worlds" demonstrated the growing importance of Bulgaria as a European center for Armenian Studies and highlighted the value of long-term academic cooperation between Sofia and Yerevan. At a time of major geopolitical transformation and increasing global polarization, the event underscored the essential role of scholarship in fostering dialogue, cultural understanding, and international cooperation.
Carlo Coppola
