Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria marks 165 years since the birth of prominent linguist Aleksandar Balan

Aleksandar Balan (1859-1959)
Photo: bulgarianhistory.org

October 27 marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of Academician Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan, who was the first theorist of the Bulgarian literary language, phonetics and grammar. 

He was born was born in 1859 in the village of Kubey, Bessarabia. His father, Stoyan Balan, was from a big family in Sliven. His mother Maria Grekova was the daughter of Panayot Grekov, defender of the Bulgarian language in Bessarabia and sister of the Bulgarian politician and lawyer Dimitar Grekov. 

A graduate of the Bolgrad High School, he studied Slavic and Czech philology at the Charles University in Prague. In Leipzig, he studied Greek, Latin and German. In Prague, he defended his doctorate on the topic "On the sound "ь" in the modern Bulgarian language". 

In 1889, Balan was elected the first rector of the Higher School in Sofia - today Sofia University, and from 1945 he was an academician. 

He is the author of over 900 articles, reports, studies and books. 

He died on February 12, 1959 at the age of 99. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The secret mission of a Zeppelin L 59 or how Yambol went down in history with a world record

One frosty November morning in 1917, as World War I was raging, a Zeppelin L 59 took off from the air base near Yambol bound for Tanzania. The purpose of the flight was to deliver ammunition and materials to the German military units in a remote..

updated on 11/1/24 11:32 AM
The Panagyurishte gold treasure

Gold treasures and artifacts from 14 Bulgarian museums will visit the Getty Museum in Los Angeles

Over 150 exhibits from 14 Bulgarian museums will take part in an exhibition entitled "Ancient Thrace and the Classical World" . The exposition will be opened on November 3 at t he Getty Museum in Los Angeles and will continue until March 3, 2025...

published on 10/26/24 5:35 PM

Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki - the spiritual patron of Vidin

On October 26, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the Day of Great Martyr St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, considered one of the greatest saints. In Bulgaria, his name is also associated with the restoration of the Second Bulgarian..

published on 10/26/24 5:35 AM