The St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library of Bulgaria hosted in the autumn of 2025, the joint exhibition “Heritage and Memory beyond Borders” which was organised in partnership with the Slovak National Library and the National Library of Serbia.
The aim was to present the diversity of the included in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register documentary cultural heritage of the three countries. The exhibition is developed within the project “Heritage and Memory beyond Borders”, implemented with the support of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) through the Erland Kolding Nielsen Grant 2025.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Ivanova, Director of the St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library of Bulgaria in her opening speech elaborated on the role of memory institutions: “What is the memory of a nation? Isn’t it both the roots that connect us to the ground and the wings that carry us to the future? We, the librarians, know that the book is a living organism – it does not die if people read it and every page is bridging a gap – between today and yesterday, between nations and bright minds, between the past and the future. Thus, our exhibition is titled “Heritage and Memory beyond Borders” as the knowledge and memory of the world belong to everyone. On the Day of Sofia – the city of wisdom, the three partner libraries are revealing part of their countries’ priceless archives, which are enlisted in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.”
The National Library of Bulgaria presented its three documents inscribed in the World Register: Enina Apostolos from the end of the tenth century to the beginning of the eleventh century; The Boril’s Synodicon from the end of the fourteenth century and the late sixteenth century; Copy of Masnavi–yi ma‘navi (Spiritual Couplets) composed by the renowned poet mysticist Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī Mawlana.
“The inclusion of the documentary heritage in the Memory of the World Register reflects their exceptional value and calls for them to be protected for the benefit of all humanity. It is essential to draw attention to the importance of this collective heritage and the need to safeguard it, while enabling the greatest possible number of people to have access to it” stated Boyana Mincheva, PhD Head of the Preservation of Manuscript and Documentary Heritage Division in the National Library of Bulgaria and curator of the exhibition.
The Slovak National Library presented the country’s national documentary treasures, inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register: The Illuminated Codices from fifteenth century; Safvet-beg Bašagić’s Collection from the twelfth to the twentieth century and Mining Maps and Plans from the period seventeenth to twentieth century.
“The exhibition presents among other documents also manuscripts and rare technical maps and plans. These are treasures that reflect the evolution of written culture in Slovakia. I believe the exhibition will inspire visitors, researchers, and admirers of book history, and that it will serve as a true celebration of our shared cultural heritage”, were the words of Stanislava Knapčoková, PhD Head of Retrospective Bibliography Department, The Slovak National Library.
The National Library of Serbia presented three significant collections included in the Memory of the World Register of UNESCO: The Nikola Tesla Archives; The Miroslav’s Gospel from the twelfth century and the Telegram of Austria-Hungary’s Declaration of War on Serbia from 28th July 1914.
“Now, we are here, under the vaults of the library that bears the glorious name of Saints Cyril and Methodius – rightly called the Enlighteners of the Slavs. By bringing to the Slavic peoples – including Slovaks, Bulgarians, and Serbs – the message of salvation and literacy in their own tongue, they initiated a true cultural revolution. This revolution left deep marks on our cultures, permanently binding them together. A part of this common heritage, whose importance for humanity has been internationally recognized by its inclusion in the Memory of the World Register, is what brought us together today”, acknowledged Dr. Vladan Trijić, Head of the Archeography Department, National Library of Serbia.
The opening was honored by Mr. Ashot Kazaryan, Deputy-minister at the Ministry of Culture, Mrs. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, Director of the State Institute for Culture at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Mr. Kin Stoyanov, Director of Hristo Botev Program at the Bulgarian National Radio, Centre for Slavo-Byzantine Studies “Prof. Ivan Dujčev”, The University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, students and visitors.
The exhibition developed within the project “Heritage and Memory beyond Borders” with the support of CENL will be on display in both partner libraries in Serbia and Slovakia in the near future.
The professional exchange session following the exhibition launch between the experts from the partner libraries focused on the specifics related with the submission of nominations to the Memory of the World Register. Among the issues conversed during the exchange were: the regulatory frameworks and conditions ensuring protection, preservation, access and digitization of the cultural heritage; the special status of the cultural property of exceptional importance – exhibition, research and monitoring; promotion activities – exhibitions, workshops, conferences within the country and abroad; articles in professional and popular science journals. Also, the importance of collaboration between the memory institutions and exploring the opportunities for preparation and submission of collective nominations were talked over.
It was discussed that in terms of promotion there are proved and very efficient activities such as: the active engagement of the cultural heritage experts in public outreach through interviews in various national media outlets; if possible an exclusive display for a limited period of time of the manuscripts to visitors with experts’ explanation for their value and significance to the public.
The St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library of Bulgaria created a short video with selected moments and reflections of experts from the partner libraries to share the vibe and make you feel the spirit of the exhibition.
The exhibition is developed within the Heritage and Memory beyond Borders Project, implemented with the support of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) through the Erland Kolding Nielsen Grant 2025.