Bulgarian culture and space in the religious context

The Testament of John of Rila, a significant metahistorical text within Bulgarian cultural heritage, reveals profound interactions with geographical and cultural landscapes through the lens of Juri Lotman's semiotic method. This study highlights how the text functions as a bridge between 'cultural centrality' and 'cultural periphery,' shaping Bulgaria's religious and spatial identity over generations. By analyzing Rila Monastery as a physical location, the research uncovers hidden dimensions of 'semiotic spheres,' demonstrating their role in structuring Bulgarian metahistorical tradition. The approach combines close textual analysis with spatial and cultural mapping to decode complex relationships between text, reader, and environment.

Velinov, I. Iv. (2023). Bulgarian culture and space in the religious context. Sign Systems Studies, 51(2), 366–375. https://doi.org/10.12697/sss.2023.51.2.08