Prof. Dimo Chesmedzhiev, DSc, from the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CMRC–BAS), will open the academic forum Saint John of Rila and the Ascetics of the Spirit Beyond Borders with a plenary lecture entitled History of the Rila Monastery up to the 14th Century. The forum will take place on 23 October 2026 in Athens, Greece.
The forum is part of the Bulgarian-Greek celebrations Days of St Ivan of Rila in Athens, 22–25 October 2026, marking the 1,150th anniversary of his birth and the 1,080th anniversary of his blessed repose, as well as the approaching 20th anniversary of the Bulgarian ecclesiastical community in the Greek capital, whose church is dedicated to the saint.
This remarkable initiative, which successfully brings together the academic community, the Church and Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad, is organised by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Ivan Seliminski Cultural Centre and the Greek Association for Slavic Studies, with the official support of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA) and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
Online participation is available via the links provided in the programme.