Date and place of birth

12.02.1960, the town of Sliven, Bulgaria

Secondary education

1978, “Dobri Chintulov” High School, Sliven

Higher education

1984, “St Cyril and St Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo; MA in History

Assistant Professor

1986–2002, in History of Russia at the Chair of Modern and Contemporary History at the Faculty of History of “St Cyril and St Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo

PhD

1994, in Russian history of Veliko Tarnovo University; PhD thesis: The Beginning of the Dissent in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 50s and 60s of the 17^th Century

Habilitation

2002–until now, Associate Professor of Russian history at Veliko Tarnovo University; habilitation thesis: The Russian Orthodox Church and the Soviet Authorities (the first half of the 20^th century)

Research interests

– history of the Russian Orthodox Church;

– the Orthodox and the Slavic idea;

– Bulgarian-Russian relations in the 17^th–19^th centuries

Lecturer’s experience

– courses of lectures in Russian history before archaeology and ethnology bachelor students;

– courses of lectures in Russian history before extramural bachelor students in History and in History and Geography;

– courses of lectures before MA-students:

= MA programme “General History”: Russian Political Ideas (19^th – the beginning of the 21^st century);

= MA programme “European Studies”: Eastern Europe and the European Union;

= MA programme at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology: Spiritual and Secular Power in the Orthodox World

Administrative work

2007– until now, Dean of the Faculty of History of “St Cyril and St Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo

Participation in editorial boards of scholarly editions

Collection “The Bulgarians in the Northern Black Sea Coast Area”, t. VII, Veliko Tarnovo, 2000

Research scholarships

– 1989 (two months), “Lomonosov” State University in Moscow – Russia;

– 1995, Kharkiv University, Ukraine;

– 1996 (three months), Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow – Russia;

– 2004 (15 days), Bashkir State University in Ufa – Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia;

– 2009, Bashkir State University in Ufa – Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia;

– 2009, Paris 13 University, France;

– 2010 (20 days), Kharkiv University, Ukraine;

– 2011, Bashkir State University in Ufa – Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia