Direct Influences and Typological Phenomena in Bulgarian and Romanian Literature From the 14th to the 18th Century

Scientific project, jointly with the Institute for Literary History and Theory “G. Călinescu”, Romanian Academy

The working contacts between the Institute for Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the "G. Călinescu" Institute for Literary History and Theory at the Romanian Academy have been ongoing for over two decades within the framework of bilateral cooperation and exchange agreements. So far, these collaborations have primarily focused on issues related to the Late Middle Ages and on the study of manuscripts and copies of texts preserved in both countries.

The proposed project aims to place emphasis on the typology of parallel processes and phenomena occurring in the Bulgarian and Romanian territories (such as the influence of Hesychasm on literary production; the structure and content of various macro-genre compilations (collections); the formation of monastic libraries; the impact and dissemination of Byzantine models, early printed books, European literary models, etc.). The research will be based mainly on archival materials preserved in libraries and repositories in both countries. In addition to examining Wallachian and Moldavian written works reflecting Tărnovo models and currently preserved in Romania, the project will also identify, locate and study books and manuscripts (written in Slavonic, Greek, and Latin) coming from the Romanian Principalities that are now housed in Bulgarian libraries. One of the project’s objectives will be to map the circulation of books from Romanian to Bulgarian territories. Such a map will indicate the places of origin of the Romanian books, the Bulgarian libraries—monastic, private, and institutional—where they have been preserved, and the titles that captured the interest of the Bulgarian readership. This will enable researchers to trace the evolution of literary preferences and the reception of specific genres and forms within the shared Romanian-Bulgarian cultural milieu over time, viewed in the broader context of the development of European literary models. The research will also focus on the reception of the Romanian cultural and literary space during the 14th–18th centuries within Bulgarian literature and culture, with particular emphasis on the specialized bibliography published in Bulgarian literary historiography, which remains little known and scarcely studied in Romania. Another key focus for the Romanian team will be the identification of Romanian cultural figures from the 14th–18th centuries who contributed to the dissemination of cultural information in the Bulgarian lands. In this regard, the studies of P.P. Panaitescu, Nicolae Iorga, Ioan Bogdan, Virgil Cândea, Emil Turdeanu, Gh. Mihăilă, Dan Horia Mazilu, etc. will serve as a starting point.

The project will enable specialists from both institutes to work in archives, libraries, and manuscript departments in Sofia, Bucharest, and other cities in Bulgaria and Romania. It will also facilitate the exchange of experience and the comparative discussion of research findings.

This is expected to deepen existing academic contacts and lay the groundwork for future collaborative work, including participation in projects with European funding.