History

1896 – Demonstrational Sericultural Farm for silkworm rearing, egg production and testing was established with resources from Permanent District Commission in Vratza with basic aim to demonstrate to local population the modern methods for cocoon production, spreading of yellow cocoon silkworm races and to control the imported in Bulgaria silkworm eggs for pebrine disease.

1906 –The Demonstrational Sericultural Farm was consigned to Ministry of Trade and Agriculture, and the Ministry had renamed it as Governmental Research and Control Sericultural Station (GRCS).

1928 – Bigger Experimental Mulberry field with 12 ha area was established.

1953 – The Station was included as an unit of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Agricultural department.

1962 – The Station was restructured as Specialized Research Station – Sericultural Experiment Station (SES) at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences – Sofia.

1970 – 1972 – New and more equipment was provided. Specialized Laboratory Buildings for silkworm diseases, silkworm rearing and a new Administrative building were established.

1973 – By Government decree No 67 from 18.12.1973 SES – Vratza was taken out from the structure of Academy of Agricultural Sciences and included in the newly established Economic Direction “Bulgarian Silk” with head office in Plovdiv city.

1976 – With ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry No 1-255, dated 05.10.1976. SES Vratza was included in Industrial Agrarian Complex – Harmanli under the Government Economic Group “Textile fibers” – Plovdiv.

1978 – Sericultural Experiment Station was included into the system of Government Economic Group “Sirma” – Plovdiv. All grainage factories for silkworm egg production in Bulgaria, in Vratza, Berkovitza, Plovdiv and Harmanli were included into the SES Vratza structure.

1974 – 1995 – SES Vratza was under the methodical guidance of Agricultural Academy – Sofia.

1995 – By Government decree No 33 dated 10.07.1995. SES Vratza was included as a permanent Research unit of Agricultural Academy – Sofia.

2001 – SES – Vratza was included in the structure of Institute of Animal Sciences – Kostinbrod as an experimental unit.

2003 – By Government decree No 187 from 26.08.2003. SES Vratza was included in North West Regional Agrotechpark (NWATP) with head office in Vratza. Together with the Complex Experiment Stations in Vidin and Lom, Sericultural Experiment Station-Vratza has formed Regional Centre for Scientific-Applied Service-Vratza.

2008 – In accordance with the changes of Agricultural academy law the station was restructured as an independent legal entity – Sericulture and Agriculture Experiment Station, state enterprise under the Agricultural academy.

A permanent exhibition “The sericulture in Bulgaria”, established in collaboration with the National Agricultural Museum, Sofia in 2007 is functioning at the station. The exposition represents by museum exhibits the history of sericultural production in Bulgaria as well as the Sericulture Experiment Station – Vratza activities since its establishment to nowadays.