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The Astronomy Department’s history starts up since the very opening of the Higher Institute (old name of the University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski"). In 1889, only one year after the University establishment and simultaneously with the creation of the Physics-Mathematical Faculty, in the regulation of the Law of the Higher Institute, the "spherical trigonometry in Astronomy" was included in the educational program. Just three years later, during the second semester of the 1891/1892 academic year, Astronomy is studied 3 hours per week in the Higher Institute.

The history of the Department of Astronomy starts with Prof. Marin Bachevarov (born in Gorna Oriahovitsa town in 1859; he studied Astronomy in the University of Moscow). He started teaching Astronomy in 1892 and he’s the one who established the Department of Astronomy, as well as the Observatory soon afterwards. In 1987 Prof. Bachevarov provided the first contemporary observing instrument in Bulgaria - 6'' (15.2 cm) refractor, and in 1910 he established the Institute of Astronomy. Prof. Bachevarov was twice a rector of the University of Sofia and he worked in the Department of Astronomy until his death in 1926. Prof. Bachevarov’s courses included Spherical Astronomy, Planetary and Celestial Mechanics. In 1897 the general course in Astronomy was separated in four parts - Spherical Astronomy, Practical Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics and Astrophysics. In 1904 these courses were merged in two - spherical and practical Astronomy and theoretical Astronomy. Prof. Bachevarov is also the founder of the first meteorological station in Sofia which started the meteorological service in Bulgaria on 01.II.1887. He is also the author of the first publication in climatology in Bulgaria

Since 1.IX.1901 up to 1.I.1904 the first assistant professor in Astronomy was working in the Department. This was Iordan Kovachev - future professor in geology and technics in Agronomic-forestrical faculty. He was born in Kyustendil in 1875. His science work is exceptionally beneficial and contains 150 papers in Astronomy and Geology, most of them published in science journals. He is the first communicator of Astronomy and the author of the first textbook in Astronomy - "Astronomical geography" (1932).

From September 1904 up to 1914 Acad. Kiril Popov (1880 - 1966), worldwide famous mathematician and specialist in celestial mechanics, was assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy. His university degree is the first one recognized as equivalent to French universities’ degrees. He is the first Bulgarian doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (doctor in celestial mechanics of the Sorbonne, 1912). Popov is the author of the first science paper with original contribution to Astronomy, written in Bulgarian and published in a Bulgarian journal. He is also the author of another 10 papers in the area of celestial mechanics. Acad. Kiril Popov was an energetic student and during his 4 years career, he was releasing every-day observations of the Sun ("systematic observation and registration of the number, the size and the position of Sun's spots"). He is also one of the founders of the first astronomical club for students in Bulgaria, which successor is the current astronomical meeting placed in the Observatory.

During the University crisis in the period between 11.VI.1907 and 31.I.1908, Nikola Stoyanov, assistant professor in mathematics, was nominated an emergency professor in Astronomy. He was born in 1874 in Doiran, Macedonia. He was also nominated twice an associate professor in Astronomy (1920 and 1926), but never occupied this position because of his high positions in the Bulgarian banking system and the refusal of the Ministry of Finance to dismiss him. Nikola Stoyanov is the author of the first Astronomy work, prepared by a Bulgarian scientist and published abroad (Toulouse, France)

From 20.IX.1924 up to his untimely death on 18.V.1927 Ventsislav Chernokolev was assistant professor in Astronomy. He was born in 1896 in Kyustendil and graduated in Paris in October 1923. He is author of a number of papers in the field of Astronomy. Before his death he left 25 000 BGN to a fund supporting the great findings in the area of Astronomy. The purpose of the fund was to give awards every three years to the best published works in astronomy and geology (at this time the official name of the Department was - Department of Astronomy and Geology). This fund operated until the 40ties and is the first Bulgarian fund, dedicated to Astronomy.

Several years after Prof. Bachevarov’s death, the meteorologist prof. Ruscho Rainov was heading the Department of Astronomy. From 29.VI.1927 Dimitar Dudulov was nominated assistant professor in the Department. He was born in 1894 in Struga, Macedonia, and he is the author of more than 10 science papers in the field of Astronomy. He was the first to determine the geographic latitude of the Observatory.

From 1.XII.1928 as a regular associate professor Nikola Bonev becomes a head of the Department. The future academic Nikola Bonev was born on 11.VII.1898 in Stara Zagora. More than 40 years Acad. Bonev was at the top of the Bulgarian Astronomy. Besides being responsible for the Department, Acad. Bonev established in 1952 the present Institute of Astronomy at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and 15 years later, he procured the building of the most modern in Bulgaria, National Astronomical Observatory in Rozhen. During 1957 Acad. Bonev established the Bulgarian Society of Astronauts. The lectures of Acad. Bonev in "Spherical Astronomy" were published in 1940. Acad. Bonev was not only dedicated to astronomy, but also to geology. He introduced the "Geology" course in 1931 and the "High Geology" in 1940/1.

Razum Andreichin (1911 - 1997) was assistant professor in the Department from 1941 to 1946. He is the author of 4 publications in the field of Astronomy. He carried the first photoelectric observations in Bulgaria (1943 - 1945). Along with Prof. Nadzhakov, he discovered the photovoltaic effect.

In 1945 the first Bulgarian woman, doctor in Astronomy, Prof. Malina Popova, started working as an assistant professor in the Department.

In 1946 Angel Bonov (1919-1985) was nominated assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy. In 1962 he became a research associate and in 1971 – associate professor in the Department. Angel Bonov is the author of more than 60 publications in Astronomy. He discovered the 176-year cycle of the Sun's activity.

The changes in teaching Astronomy in the Department are related to Prof. Nikola Nikolov’s name, head of the Department of Astronomy from 1966 up to 1989. He introduced the first courses in modern Astronomy. In 1966 in the faculty of Physics at University of Sofia "St. Kliment Ohridski", a new subject "Astronomy" was opened. Almost all professional astronomers in Bulgaria during their careers have finished this subject.

After 1989 heads of the Department of Astronomy were Assoc. Prof. Peter Kunchev, Prof. D.Sc. Georgi Ivanov and Assoc. Prof. Valeri Golev.

Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, 5 "James Bourchier" Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria