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Source: Novinite (Bulgaria)
Historians in the News
5-10-12

Bulgarian History Museum Director Bozhidar Dimitrov: I Got Many Nice Things Done in Politics

Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg are publishing an interview with Bozhidar Dimitrov, a prominent historian, Director of Bulgaria's National History Museum in Sofia, and a former Minister of Bulgarians Abroad (Diaspora Minister) in the Borisov Cabinet in 2009-2011. Interview by Evelina Ivanova, a freelance journalist.

Bozhidar Dimitrov has an impressive resume, a harsh language and a knack for stirring up the national spirit. Just recently the head of the Bulgarian National Museum of History (NIM) announced his plans to build a chapel within the confines of the museum to house the relics of the seven Bulgarian saints known as Sveti Sedmochislenitsi, i.e. the authors of the two Slavic alphabets, St. Cyril and St. Methodius (authors of the Glagolitic Alphabet), and their five disciples, including St. Kliment Ohridski (i.e. of Ohrid) and St. Naum Preslavski (i.e. of Preslav) (authors of the Cyrillic Alphabet), as well as St. Angelarius, St. Sava, and St. Gorazd. And even though the digging has not begun yet, the first step has already been made. The relics of Saint Kliment Ohridski (of Ohrid) are already on exhibit in the museum and have attracted great public interest.

How did a particle of the relics of St. Kliment Ohridski (ca. 840-916 AD) end up at Bulgaria's National Museum of History?

It must have been God's doing as two coincidences occurred. I had made up my mind to build a chapel in the yard of NIM where I wanted to gather the relics of all the Seven Saints or Svetite Sedmochislenitsi (who created and spread the Bulgarian alphabet).

I know exactly where these relics are kept and I've already held preliminary talks with the respective authorities. So I picked a place that seemed appropriate for the building of a chapel as it faced east. And I was surprised to find out that in the past, in that very same spot, there had stood another chapel of which only the flooring had been preserved.

Later on I contacted Bulgarian Bishop Sioniy to ask for his assistance in bringing my plan into action. This is when the second coincidence occurred. Bishop Sioniy said to me, "I already have what you are looking for"....

Read entire article at Novinite (Bulgaria)