Chronotopes of History
Space and time together form the fundamental framework of human experience and are an expression of humanity’s desire to organize the world through language. What is interesting is that they intertwine in our consciousness. For example, before becoming one of the faces of time (we know that the god Kairos personifies the decisive moment in Greek mythology), the concept of kairos had a spatial character and, in Homer, denoted the precise point of impact: the spot where the wound becomes fatal.
People rarely remember dates: they remember places. According to contemporary psychology, place is of decisive importance for personal identity: we return to our favorite places, of which we cherish fond memories, and hope that they themselves preserve our traces. Collective history also relies on places significant for the consolidation of the nation, marked by imposing memorials and hosting commemorative celebrations.
It is no coincidence that in recent years, many Bulgarian cities have been offering cultural and literary tours that are attracting a growing number of participants. Street names are a historical legacy and transform the city into a veritable open-air museum. Toponyms—the names of streets and squares—preserve the traces of historical, political, and cultural figures from the past, reflecting the political choices and collective perceptions of each era. This unique mapping of history, incidentally, is one of the defining features of the European continent[1].
Reading the street signs as we walk is like turning the pages of history.
[1] Although this practice was subsequently exported to other parts of the world, it remains essentially European and, according to the British scholar George Steiner, is one of the five axioms that define European identity: George Steiner, The Idea of Europe: An Essay. Abrams Press, 2015 [2003].
Author: Margarita Serafimova (IL - BAS)
