On March 6, 2026, the Bulgarian Studies Association partnered with the Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies at The Ohio State University to host the online conversation panel “Contested Pasts: Memory, Culture, and Politics in Bulgaria.” The event brought together scholars to discuss how Bulgaria’s past is remembered, interpreted, and contested in contemporary political and cultural contexts.

The panel featured presentations by Yana Hashamova (The Ohio State University) and Ana Luleva (Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). Tanya Ivanova-Sullivan (University of California, Los Angeles) served as discussant.

The discussion explored themes such as memory culture, the legacies of socialism and post-socialism, and the ways in which historical narratives are mobilized in Bulgaria’s contemporary political and cultural life.

A recording of the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFgt6mUqo0

The Bulgarian Studies Association extends its sincere thanks to the presenters and the Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies at The Ohio State University for their partnership and support in organizing this event.