Armenian and Caucasus studies at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

1. Ex-staff:

1.1. Assoc. Professor Eduard Selian - he was one of the founders of the specialty and the first professor in it. In 1961 he graduates with Masters degree in Armenian language and Literature at Yerevan State University. In 1962 he specialises Machine translation at the Armenian National Academy of sciences. In 1965 he earns his PhD. in philology at the Yerevan State University. In the period 1969 – 1983 he works as part-time lecturer in Armenian Language at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". From 1991 he works as an expert in Armenian language at the Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria and in the period 1995-1998 he is the director of the newly created Armenian philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". From 1999 he is the curator of the Armenian Museum in LA, California. He has published several works mostly Armenian dictionaries and researches in Armenian Paulicianism.

1.2. Agop Melkonian - by education he was a graduated engineer in Mechanics. He starts his career as a journalist, in the local newspaper (in Bourgas town, where he was born) "Orbit". He is one of the best Bulgarian fantasy writers. He is the author of several books, novels and fantasy stories. He is publisher of the magazine for science fiction "Omega" and editor of the monthly magazine "Ghoul", translator of Armenian literature and poetry, published in his own publishing house "Erato". In 1995 he starts teaching Armenian Literature at the Armenian philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". In 2006 he passed away from cancer.

2. Current staff:

1.1. Chief Assistant PhD. Petar Goliiski

He graduated the Language Gymnasium in Lovech town. In 2000 graduates the specialty Armenian philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". In April 2005 he earns his PhD degree with subject "Onomastic and Lexical specifics of Armenian ethnical presence in Bulgarian land during the Middle Ages" (233 pages including maps and illustrations). From 2006 is in charge of the specialty Armenian and Caucasian studies. Except the Armenian studies, he is interested in Ancient Bulgarian history and Mythology, ancient religions of the East, as well as the Caucasian studies and the sources of knowledge. At present he is working on a reader with working title "Armenian sources for Bulgarian history", which includes the original Armenian texts, their translation, commentaries and indices. He has published two books - "Ziezi, which are of the Bulgarians", and "Bulgarians in Caucasus and Armenia II - X centuries", as well as a lot of publications, including from participation in different conferences.

Professor PhD. Sarkis Sarkisian - In 1957 he graduates philosophy (and second specialty - History) at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". His scientific career starts in 1960 when he is employed as an Assistant at the Technical University in Sofia, where he works till 1992. He is one of the founders of the Armenian philology. He has been teaching there since 1995 and still do. From 1996 till 1999 he works as a Secretary General at the Slavonic University. In 1994 he was chosen for academic and member of the International Academy of Philosophy. In 2008 he was nominated as an academic of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of more than 300 scientific publications, 20 monographs, 10 textbooks and a lot of publications in Armenian, English, German, Russian, etc. His last monumental publications are: "Armenia - spiritual and scientific life during the centuries) (published in 2001), "The Armenian Civilization" (2005), and "History of Armenia" (2005).

1.3. Agop Ormandjian

He graduated Journalistic at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", after which specialises Armenian Language and Literature at the Yerevan State University. He works 38 years as a correspondent, editor and collaborator in the central Bulgarian press. Seven years he works as a vice and chief editor of "Yerevan" newspaper in Sofia. He has over 2100 publications in the Bulgarian and foreign press. Agop Ormandjian he had the chair of direction "Publications" in the International Information center on the history of the Balkans and the Mediterranean of UNESCO. Currently he works as a part-time lecturer at Armenian and Caucasian studies at Sofia University. He is fluent in four languages. Ormandjian has researches and publications devoted to the Armenian sources of Bulgarian and Balkan histories. He is the author of the reader "Armenian travel notes for the Balkans XVII - XIX centuries" and of a two volumes Armenian - Bulgarian school dictionary. He also has several scientific and scientific-informational publications in almanac of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". He has 30 years experience as translator, his works include 32 Armenian and Bulgarian titles of fiction and documentary literature, including the classics of Armenian Literature - Raffi, Totovents, Shirvanzade, Mahari, Dashtents, Aghatangelos and others. Collected and published a dictionary of the Armenian names. His last work is a translation in Armenian of the Bulgarian epos under the title "Krali Marko", which is to be published in Armenia soon. Agop Ormandjian is a member of the Association of the Bulgarian translators and of the Association of the writers of Armenia.

1.4. Aram Nadjarian

He was born in Syria. In the period 1973 - 1975 studies at the Lebanon University in Beirut, but the started civil war makes him quit his education. In 1982 he earns Masters degree in Arabic Language and Literature, as well as Armenian language and literature at the Faculty of Eastern Languages in the Yerevan State University. In the period 1982 and 1987 he is an Assistant in Arabic language at the Tadjik University in Dushanbe. Since 1988 he is a part-time lecturer in Arabic Language at the Center of Eastern Languages and Cultures at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", where he teaches Rhetoric of classical Arabic literature, Metric of Arabian classical poetry, Practical Arabic Language, Morphology of the Arabic, Calligraphy etc. At the same time he teaches Arabic at the University in Veliko Tarnovo "St. St. Cyril and Metodius", from 1994 to 1997 he teaches Arabic language at the Faculty of law of Bourgas Open University. From 2000 at the same time of his teaching of Arabic at Sofia University, he starts also to teach it at the Department of Language education at the same university. He starts teaching at the specialty Armenian and Caucasian studies since its creation in 1995, where teaches Practical Armenian Language, Syntax, Historical Grammar, Armenian Dialectology, etc. He has also several publications in Bulgarian and foreign editions and almanac. In 2003 he translates from Bulgarian to Arabic the reader "Bulgarians and Arabs" (of Tangra TanNakRa publishing house), for which he was awarded by the diplomatic delegations of the Arab countries in Republic of Bulgaria. He is co-author in several other books and textbooks.

1.5 Eojeni Sakaz

She graduated History of International Relations at Yerevan State University. From 1998 Sakaz works as a Translator in different state institutions and as a part-time lecturer at Sofia University in Armenian and Caucasian studies. She has taken part in a number of seminars and international conferences on Armenia related matters. She has some publications and scientific researches. She is fluent in three languages.

1.6. Artin Poturlian

Artin Poturlian is Bulgarian composer and pedagogue. He graduates the Bulgarian State Conservatory with specialty Musical pedagogy. During his studies he follows Composition to prof. Pencho Stoyanov and prof. Pancho Vladigerov. During the period 1969 -1974 he studies Composition in the class of prof. Lazar Sarian at the Yerevan State Conservatory "Komitas". At present he is professor on Polyphony at the National Musical Academy "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" and also works as part-time lecturer in Armenian music in Armenian and Caucasian studies at Sofia University. He is awarded with 1st award from the concourse on Composition "Winter Musical Evenings" in Pazardjik 1985 and has awards from the Association of Bulgarian Composers in 1983, 1989. His compositions are performed in Yerevan, Tbilisi, Moscow, Wien, Bratislava, Berlin and etc.

1.7. Assistant Professor Antoaneta Anguelova

Assist. Anguelova graduated in 2001 with Masters degree in Armenian philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". From 2001 till present is teaching Old, New and Modern Armenian Literature at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". In the period 2006 - 2008 she worked as Translator at the European Commission in Luxembourg, in the DG Translation, as well as was in charge of the revision and evaluation of external translations. From July 2008 she is working as a part-time in-house technical translator from English into French. She has taken part in a number of seminars and international conferences on Armenia related matters. She has some publications and is making scientific researches related to the Armenian Literature. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Russian.