On November 4th, in the Great Hall of the National Academy of Sciences the National celebration of the 135th anniversary of Acad. Mihail Arnaudov’s birth was held. The event was opened by Prof. R. Damyanova: “To highlight the importance of Acad. Mihail Arnaudov for the development of modern Bulgarian humanitarian studies means to consider the century-old development of the humanitarian thought in Bulgaria. You could say: Acad. Mihail Arnaudov is one of Bulgarian philological knowledge builders. His scientific work covers all branches of philological pursuits. He seems to have outlined himself the separate directions of Bulgarian Philology: Literature, Literature history, Folklore, Ethnography, Language, even Literary criticism."
Acad. Nikolai Miloshev, Vice President of BAS called Acad. Mihail Arnaudov “an author of basic texts on the psychology of literary creation." "He is a scientist who exceeded the limits of our country in the first decades of the XXth century. His works have been translated into different European languages. But he was also a figure with a strong public presence, to him the fate of Bulgarian science was linked to the fate of Bulgarian people." Acad. Miloshev recalled Mihail Arnaudov’s belief that real science served the truth of life." “Science separated from the needs of the social environment is a sterile science", Arnaudov writes.
Mrs Margarita Popova, Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria and Patron of the National celebration said: "In today's hectic day we need things that really make sense. I believe that the celebration of Acad. Mihail Arnaudov will leave a lasting mark on our souls, our minds, and, once again, will serve as a lesson." She recalled Arnaudov’s words: " I've had two idols: the science and the fatherland." “His words carry the message of a scientist and a man, who had preserved the National Revival ideas", said Popova and quoted Arnaudov again: "During my whole life I have studied the great Bulgarian Revival people, whose moral trials were much harsher. I live by their example, their greatness keeps my spirit". "The respectable scientific work of Mihail Arnaudov continues to pose questions to Bulgarian researchers. His figure remains unique in Bulgarian science. He approved the "human dignity" and the "national liberation" terms. He was among the scientists who made a bridge between young Bulgarian Humanitarian studies and the European values. His unique research work defined him as a true man of words, a real Homo Scribendi, according Prof. R. Damyanova’s successful description", said Mrs. Margarita Popova.
Prof. Albena Georgieva from the Institute for Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum - BAS represented the academic project in Acad. Arnaudov’s memory, jointly developed by the Institute for Literature and the Institute for Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum. She recalled the themes of the conference which built an impressive collection. Mrs. Iskra Arnaudova, acad. Arnaudov’s daughter-in-law greeted the National celebration and spoke about her quest with Acad. Arnaudov. "Today I am here to offer to your attention the final version of the quest with Mihail Arnaudov, issued recently as the book "A creative life - Mihail Arnaudov closely". The book is a document of Arnaudov’s life and work. My quest was published back in 1977, a few months before the professor left us. It was met with great interest, but a significant part of it could not be published because of the censorship that existed after 1944. I decided to re-examine totally the manuscript of the questionnaire and to restore all the important details and Arnaudov’s evidences. Gradually I came to the idea that these parts could not be incorporated into the already published text, they could impair the product which was already finished. So I set up these memories in the last three chapters of the book as a completely independent part. These memories tell of Mihail Arnaudov’s political activity, for his participation in Ivan Bagrianov’s cabinet as Minister of Education, for the painful period of waiting for the so-called “People's Court”, for the years lived in prison, for his meetings with some prominent political figures. The last chapter of the book is a collection of some Arnaudov’s thoughts on life and literature, stored in his personal files. I believe that the book outlines the whole figure of the scientist and the human, and, which is especially important, it highlights his tremendous commitment to the fate of Bulgaria ".
In his speech, "Academic Mihail Arnaudov - as I saw him" Vasil Balevski told about his longtime work with Mihail Arnaudov as his close associate, about Arnaudov’s workaholism, firm will and proper attitude as a scientist and a man, about some of his typical working habits, about the unreleased, but recorded and approved by Arnaudov conversations between them - a valuable reminder of the great Bulgarian and researcher.
In his plenary report, "The Patriarch Academic figure of Mihail Arnaudov" Prof. Mihail Nedeltchev reconstructed the public figure of Arnaudov, said that Arnaudov’s biographies were actually his bibliography presence: "The format of the realization of his creative personality is Dostoevky – Tolstoy like, not Bulgarian. I emphasize on the exclusivity of Arnaudov’s patriarchal figure, therefore I observe a tendency among his researchers to skip the real biography story. How could someone put intimate facts in this monumental biography?, said Nedeltchev .
"My original intention was to show how the public image of the great scientist was constructed, how and when happens the process of the reestablishment of his figure, how he regained even new grades of recognition. Deletion of Arnaudov would delete the National Revival period itself, Mihail Arnaudov was considered the Renaissance Man himself", summarized Nedeltchev and quoted some critical opinions from some censored Arnaudov’s publications. He told that the famous Arnaudov’s "Psychology of literary creation" was not recommended to the students in the 60s and recalled Arnaudov’s words : "What I have written I have written with the deep conviction in its rightness."
135th anniversary of the Acad. Mihail Arnaudov’s birth was celebrated with an exhibition on his life and work, prepared by the Scientific Archives of BAS.