Maria Baramova, PhDconcept and coordinationDr. Maria Baramova is Assistant Professor in the Early Modern History of South-Eastern Europe in the Faculty of History, Department for Byzantine and Balkan Studies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her main research interests and publications include the history of Early Modern Ottoman-Habsburg political relations and geopolitics, the history of warfare, peace treaties, and environmental history. She has been Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, the Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, and the Leibniz Institute for European History, Mainz.
prof Ivan Parvevlead, s. "History"Ivan Parvev is Associate Professor in Modern Balkan history at the Faculty of history at St. Kliment Ohridski university of Sofia. His research interests are connected to the study of the political relations between Central Europe and the Balkans during the 17-19th centuries, the Balkan aspects of the Eastern question, and of the International relations theory.assoc. prof Dimitar Birov, PhDlead, s. "Information Techonologies"Dimitar Birov is an associate professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University “St.Kliment Ohridsky”. He has professional experience as research fellow, lecturer, and project manager at Sofia University, University College of Dublin, Ireland, University of Orleans, France, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, USA, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. He has industrial experience like software developer, software architect, consultant and CEO. He is patent inventor. His primary research interests are in software architectures, and software language engineering - formal and practical architecture description and analysis languages, software engineering and design, programming languages, and type systems.assoc. prof Boian Koulov, PhDlead, s. "Geography & GIS"Dr. Boian Koulov is an Associated Professor at the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He is teaching at Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski” and is Program Leader at the "Alma Mater" University Complex for the Humanities at Sofia University. Dr. Koulov has also taught at Salzburg University, Austria (2011), spent a sabbatical at Harvard University (2009), and is a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar (2005).
Between 1990 and 2007, Dr. Koulov lived in the US and taught at George Washington University and American University in Washington, D.C., George Mason University in Virginia, West Virginia University, and the US Foreign Service Institute. He is former Chair of the Board of Directors (1997-99) of the European Specialty Group at Association of American Geographers. Dr. Koulov was also Founding President of the Association of Bulgarian schools in the USA. In 2002, Dr. B. Koulov was one of the founders of the Bulgarian Education Center in Washington, D.C. and served as his first headmaster until 2007.
The EU Horizon 2020, ESPON, the Bulgarian National Research Fund, the US National Science Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the US National Research Council, and the Bulgarian National Science Fund have sponsored his research on environmental management and regional development issues. The journals Political Geography and Tijdschrift voor Economische/Sociale Geografie, as well as Spinger, Oxford University Press, John Wiley & Sons, Wichmann, Berg Publishers, Westview Press, and Ashgate have published his research.
Maria Baramova, PhD
concept and coordination
Dr. Maria Baramova is Assistant Professor in the Early Modern History of South-Eastern Europe in the Faculty of History, Department for Byzantine and Balkan Studies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her main research interests and publications include the history of Early Modern Ottoman-Habsburg political relations and geopolitics, the history of warfare, peace treaties, and environmental history. She has been Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, the Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, and the Leibniz Institute for European History, Mainz.
prof Ivan Parvev
lead, s. "History"
Ivan Parvev is Associate Professor in Modern Balkan history at the Faculty of history at St. Kliment Ohridski university of Sofia. His research interests are connected to the study of the political relations between Central Europe and the Balkans during the 17-19th centuries, the Balkan aspects of the Eastern question, and of the International relations theory.
assoc. prof Dimitar Birov, PhD
lead, s. "Information Techonologies"
Dimitar Birov is an associate professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University “St.Kliment Ohridsky”. He has professional experience as research fellow, lecturer, and project manager at Sofia University, University College of Dublin, Ireland, University of Orleans, France, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, USA, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. He has industrial experience like software developer, software architect, consultant and CEO. He is patent inventor. His primary research interests are in software architectures, and software language engineering - formal and practical architecture description and analysis languages, software engineering and design, programming languages, and type systems.
assoc. prof Boian Koulov, PhD
lead, s. "Geography & GIS"
Dr. Boian Koulov is an Associated Professor at the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He is teaching at Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski” and is Program Leader at the "Alma Mater" University Complex for the Humanities at Sofia University. Dr. Koulov has also taught at Salzburg University, Austria (2011), spent a sabbatical at Harvard University (2009), and is a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar (2005).
Between 1990 and 2007, Dr. Koulov lived in the US and taught at George Washington University and American University in Washington, D.C., George Mason University in Virginia, West Virginia University, and the US Foreign Service Institute. He is former Chair of the Board of Directors (1997-99) of the European Specialty Group at Association of American Geographers. Dr. Koulov was also Founding President of the Association of Bulgarian schools in the USA. In 2002, Dr. B. Koulov was one of the founders of the Bulgarian Education Center in Washington, D.C. and served as his first headmaster until 2007.
The EU Horizon 2020, ESPON, the Bulgarian National Research Fund, the US National Science Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the US National Research Council, and the Bulgarian National Science Fund have sponsored his research on environmental management and regional development issues. The journals Political Geography and Tijdschrift voor Economische/Sociale Geografie, as well as Spinger, Oxford University Press, John Wiley & Sons, Wichmann, Berg Publishers, Westview Press, and Ashgate have published his research.
Section Geography & GIS
assoc. prof Bilyana Borisova, PhD
physical geography
Dr. Bilyana Borisova is an Associate Professor at the Department of Landscape Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Faculty of Geology and Geography at Sofia University “St.Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria. She works in the fields of physical geography, landscape ecology and landscape planning, environmental assessments and environmental policy integration for sustainable regional development.
assoc. prof Stelian Dimitrov, PhD
GIS
Associate Professor Stelian Dimitrov graduates in the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” as a Master of Geography and Economic Geography (1997) and then as a PhD of GIS, Geography, Regional Planning, based on a dissertation on “GIS Implementation in Regional Development Management (GIS based model to support decision-making)” (2005). In 2001 he became an Assistant Professor at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Geology and Geography. Since 2009 he is an Associate Professor in the scientific field „GIS and Cartography”. Part of his Research and teaching activities are: Regional planning and spatial planning fundamentals; Spatial modelling; Cartographic visualization; GIS in Regional Development (course, including ArcGIS software); Cartographic visualization for the purpose of spatial planning; for the purpose of planning and so on. Associate Professor Stelian Dimitrov has taken part in various projects referring to the application of the GIS in the regional and urban development, territorial structure and environment protection, as well as mapping of the regions in flood risk, spatial modelling, trainings and so on.
assist. prof Leonid Todorov
GIS
Assistant Professor Leonid Todorov is an expert in Geographic Information Systems with seven years’ experience. He graduates in the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” as a Bachelor of Regional Development and Politics and then as a Master of Planning and Management of Territorial Systems. Since 2012 he is a Phd Student in the Department of Cartography and GIS and his dissertation on “Utilization of Analytical Geospatial Models in the Territorial Planning” is to be defended. Assist. Professor Todorov has taken part in various projects referring to the application of the GIS in the regional and urban development, territorial structure, environment protection, mapping of the regions in flood risk. Since 2015 he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cartography and GIS in the SU “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
eng. Stefan Petrov, PhD
GIS - Databases
Eng. Stefan Petrov was born on 09 September 1977. He graduated at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) in 2002 with Master degree in engineering on specialty “Geodesy”. In addition, he passed a qualification course “Computer technologies in design” in UACEG center for Open and Continuing Education. Eng. Petrov graduated at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in 2011 with Master degree in “GIS and Cartography”. He acquired doctor’s degree of Carthography in Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in 2016 with dissertation theme “Geospatial analysis and evaluation of agro-ecological potential for growing wineyards in Bulgaria”. Eng. Stefan Petrov has a long term experience in implementation and managing of geographic Information systems and spatial analyst via GIS Currently he is working as Director of directorate “Information systems” at Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency. Since 2016 he has been leading courses of Topography, Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Cadastre and Aerophotointerpretation in department “Cartography and GIS” of faculty “Geology and Geography”, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
Section History
assist. prof Julia Tzvetkova, PhD
Pre-Roman period
Works since 1999 as an assistant professor in the Faculty of History. Her major topics are focused on the history of ancient Thrace in pre-Roman times. Since 2009 she works intensely on application of GIS methodology in historic-geographical researches of ancient Thrace and mobile GIS technologies in archaeological surveys.
assist. prof Ivailo Lozanov, PhD
Roman period
Assistant Professor (Classical Archaeology) at the Department of Archaeology Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BA, MA and PhD at the same university, was born in Sofia in 1972. His principal interests are in archaeology and urban history of Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine Cities; ancient trade and economic relations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea; political history of the Hellenistic States and their relations with the Roman Republic. He has worked as team co-director of the archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Kabyle in outheast Bulgaria, and held specializations in Thessaloniki (Greece) and Rome (Italy).
assist. prof Ivan Valchev, PhD
Roman period
Ivan Valchev is Assistant Professor in the Department of Archaeology, St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. His research interests concern the ancient religions and especially religious beliefs in the roman provinces of Lower Moesia and Thrace. Since 2008, he has been a member of the archaeological team investigating the ancient city of Cabyle, Yambol district, Bulgaria. Ivan Valchev is author of “Extraurban Sanctuaries in the Roman Province of Thrace (1st – 4th century) (in Bulgarian), Sofia, 2015.
assist. prof Chavdar Kirilov, PhD
Late Antiquity and Medieval period
Senior Assistant Professor Chavdar Kirilov studied Archaeology at the Sofia University (1993-1998) and received his Ph.D. from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University (Frankfurt/Main, Germany) in 2006. He has taught at the Sofia University since 2006. He took part – as a leader and/or a co-leader – in the excavations of numerous archaeological sites in Bulgaria, including the Late Antique and medieval town of Durostorum/Drăstăr and the Middle Byzantine settlement at Zlatna livada in Thrace. Kirilov is currently excavating the Late Antique and medieval fortress in the present-day Balchik at the Black Sea coast (the ancient Greek and Roman town of Dionysopolis).
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine archaeology, archaeology of the Migration Period, medieval Bulgaria and the Balkans, Carolingian Europe, the European town in the Early Middle Ages, economic history, ethnicity, natural sciences and archaeology, Late Antique and medieval fortifications.
Grigor Boykov, PhD
Ottoman period
Grigor Boykov holds a PhD degree in Ottoman history from Bilkent University, Ankara. His main research interests and publications focus on various aspects of the social, demographic, urban and architectural history of Bulgaria and the Balkans in the Ottoman period. Except for this project, Dr. Boykov participates in several other digital projects and initiatives, like the Zograf digital archive at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”; the platform, incubator of digital initiatives in Ottoman studies Open Ottoman; Gazetteer of Ottoman Bulgaria (GOB), etc.
assist. prof Vladimir Stanev, PhD
Modern history
Vladimir Stanev is an assisting professor in the Faculty of History, Sofia University "st. Kliment Ohridski". His major interests are in the Bulgarian history in the period 1878-1944 - political and military history, demographic processes and a national issues.
assist. prof Lily Grozdanova, PhD
Numismatics
Lily Grozdanova holds a PhD in Ancient history. Her research at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of History (supported by the Excellence Cluster Dialogue Europe, Sofia) was focused on the development of the Roman Empire and particularly its Thracian provinces in the second half of the third century CE — the time of the so called “soldier emperors”. Her Postdoctoral research on the coins of Pautalia was conducted within the research project (B-4- 2) Region and Memoria: Local History and Local Myths on Thracian Provincial Coins (supported by the Excellence Cluster Topoi, Berlin). Currently she is studying further the Pautalian coinage. The numismatic materials are being analyzed using research tools as the online numismatic platform www.corpus-nummorum.eu and GIS software. The main goal is to conduct a die study of the city coinage by presenting new research methods based on digital technologies.
Research interests: interdisciplinary approach in the historical researches and the implementation of the digital technologies in the area of humanities; Roman provincial system – development and characteristics of the economic, political and administrative structure of the provinces; local and central mints – their features and importance.
assist. prof Dimitar Iliev, PhD
Epigraphy
Dr Dimitar Iliev is a Chief Assistant Professor at the Department of Classics to the FCML of the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. His scholarly interests lie in the fields of Diachronic Linguistics, Poetics and Stylistics of Ancient Greek and Latin, Romance Linguistics, Greek epic and epigram, the Literature of Late Antiquity, and Digital Humanities. He is the head of the Digitisation Centre to the Faculty of Classical and Modern Languages, and a Digital Epigraphy (EpiDoc TEI) expert to the Telamon project which aims at creating an online database for the Ancient Greek inscriptions from Bulgaria. He is a member of the SunoikisisDC international consortium for the application of IT in the teaching and research of Antiquity to the Alexander von Humboldt Chair of Digital Humanities at the University of Leipzig. He has co-organized several International Summer School targeted at training humanitarians in different IT tools and has translated into Bulgarian works by Aristotle, Cicero, Lucian and Palladas.
assist. prof Nicolay Sharankov, PhD
Epigraphy
Nicolay Sharankov is assistant professor at the Department of Classical philology of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Member of the editorial boards of Archaeologia Bulgarica (Sofia), L’Année épigraphique (Paris), and Studia Classica Serdicensia (Sofia). Key research interests focus on ancient epigraphy, Palaeo-Balkan languages, and history and culture of Bulgarian lands in Antiquity.
Мария Кипровска
Ottoman period
Mariya Kiprovska is a research fellow at the Center for Regional Studies and Analyses at Sofia University’s Faculty of History. She is an expert in Ottoman history, as her main research interests more broadly include the processes of the establishment of state and governmental institutions of the early Ottoman state, as well as the role of the Ottoman and Balkan military elites in the Ottoman expansionistic and state-building policies. Within the project “H-GIS Thrace” Kiprovska works with Ottoman documentary source material, from which she extracts quantitative data about the demographic, economic, administrative and urban history of the region.
Hristo Hristozov, PhD
Ottoman period
Hristo Hristozov defended his doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of History of the University of Sofia in 2017. His research interests focus on the Ottoman socio-economic history and more specifically on the environmental history. Hristozov has specialized in the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Berlin); he was also a fellow at the American Research Center in Sofia and at the Sofia University’s Center of Excellence in the Humanities “Alma Mater”. Within the project “H-GIS Thrace” Hristozov works with original Ottoman documentary source material, from which he extracts quantitative data about the demographic, economic, administrative and urban history of the region during the Ottoman era.
Damyan Borisov, PhD
Ottoman period
Damyan Borisov is a doctor of history and an Assistant Professor at the History Department of “Paisiy Hilendarski” University of Plovdiv. He has authored several books and numerous articles, dealing with different aspects of the economic, social, demographic and regional history of the Bulgarian lands under Ottoman rule. Borisov has a marked interest in the historical demography of the region of Thrace during the Ottoman period, an expression of which are his published reference books on the settlements in Northern Thrace during the early centuries of Ottoman rule in the region. Within the project “H-GIS Thrace” Borisov extracts reliable data from the Ottoman documentary sources for the demographic, economic, administrative and urban history of the region during the Ottoman era.
IT Support
Todor Antonov
system administrator
System Administration
He is currently working at the Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’, since 2013. He is a System Administrator in the University Center For Information and Communication Technologies.
Tasos Papapostolu
IT Support
Tasos Papapostolu is a PhD candidate in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in "Computer Science – Software Architectures" at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Department of Computing Systems. He received his M.Eng. Diploma in Electronic and Computer Engineering from the Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece in 2014. His is currently working as a programmer in Sofia University in the University Center For Information and Communication Technologies.