ABOUT BGS

The Bulgarian Geological Society is a voluntary company of non comercial desiblation for a private profit activity joining the citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria engaged in field of geology.

The Bulgarian Geological Society is the largest professional organization of geologists in Bulgaria with over 300 members. The Society provides geological research and consultancy services to state institutions and private companies, organizes seminars, conferences and geological field trips.

The Bulgarian Geological Society publishes the periodical journal «Review of the Bulgarian Geological Society» and maintains a library with over 17 000 volumes of geological journals, books, maps and unique archive documents, collected within a period of 80 years.

The activities of the Society are financed by member's fee, publishing, consultancy and sponsorship from organizations and individuals.

The Society maintains good contacts with other related societies in Bulgaria and abroad. It is a member of the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) and Scientific engineering union of Mining, Geology and Metallurgy.


HISTORY

The Bulgarian Geological Society was founded on 4th February 1925 by a small group of enthusiasts — six geologists from the University of Sofia, one hydrogeologist, one archaeologist, three Natural Science school teachers, eleven mining engineers and one zoologist.

The idea to found the Bulgarian geological Society was promoted by Georgi Bonchev, Stephan Bonchev and Peter Bakalov – professors of geology at the University of Sofia. In the invitation letter for a preliminary meeting to discuss the idea, they wrote: “Our country, though small in size, hides in the subsurface secrets that interest both theorists and practices … These secrets should be unridled, studied and mastered in order to be put in use. To do this, however, the scattered efforts of individuals, though numerous and tireless, are not sufficient.. Joint efforts, mutual assistance, discussions, stimulation are needed… The time has come when all of us, who are interested in the geological problems from any point of view and in the widest sense of the word, must join in one community and start working together.”

This invitation, signed on 12th February 1924, is an appeal to the geological community in Bulgaria that even today has a far-sighted and profound  meaning. 

The constituent meeting took place one year later, on 4th February 1925, and this was the foundation date of the Bulgarian Geological Society. The meeting discussed and approved the Statute of the Society and elected President - Prof. Georgi Bonchev, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and members of the Controlling Board.

Article 2 of the Statute formulates the aims of the newly established Society:

  • to unite and coordinate the efforts of all persons who do research in the field of geology, palaeontology, mineralogy, petrography, soil sciences and mining in Bulgaria;
  • to promote and popularize the significance and importance of the above sciences in all forms of economic life in this country;
  • to contribute to the geological surveys of the country through studies by their initiative or jointly with the Department of Mines and other institutions.


The Statute was approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs on the 25th February 1925 and this was the day of formal legalization and recognition of the Bulgarian Geological Society. Since then, this first Statute was several times amended but the main ideas of the founders have been retained.

One of the most significant deeds of the founders, that has left deep and lasting traces in Bulgarian geology, is the Review of the Bulgarian Geological Society. The first volume was published in 1927. Since that time, with a short brake during World War Two, the journal has been regularly published in three issues per year and has become a tribune of several generations of Bulgarian geologists.