Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Lazarov, a long-time lecturer and former head of the Department of "Ancient and Medieval History" at the Faculty of History of the Veliko Tarnovo University "St. St. Cyril and Methodius", suddenly passed away. This was announced by the Faculty of History of the university.
Assoc. Prof. Lazarov died on September 26, 2025 at the age of 71. For more than four decades, he dedicated his scientific work to the study of Medieval Bulgaria, with an emphasis on the political ideology and institutions of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
"Assoc. Dr. Ivan Lazarov will remain in our memory with his charisma, his deep kindness and humanity, collegial correctness and enormous erudition," share the Faculty of History.
Ivan Kostadinov Lazarov was born on April 17, 1954 in the town of Shivachevo, Sliven region. He completed his higher education at the University of Veliko Tarnovo, where he later developed his entire academic career. He started as an assistant professor in Medieval Bulgarian History in 1980, and in 2004 he became an associate professor.
In the period 1989-1990 he held the position of Deputy Dean of the Faculty of History, and from 2004 to 2019 he was the head of the department of "Ancient and Medieval History".
In 1988 he defended his dissertation on the topic "The Political Crisis in Bulgaria in the Period 1241-1277" and acquired the scientific degree "Doctor of History". He specialized at the universities of Jena (Germany), Thessaloniki (Greece), Minsk (Belarus) and Chisinau (Moldova).
Assoc. Prof. Lazarov's scientific interests cover the political and cultural history of Medieval Bulgaria, with a focus on:
According to his colleagues, Assoc. Prof. Lazarov's research is distinguished by a profound and innovative look at the medieval past from the perspective of history, philosophy, sociology and cultural studies.
The memorial service for Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Lazarov will take place on September 29, 2025 at 12:00 in the ritual hall of Grobishten Park - Veliko Tarnovo.