проф. д-р инж. Васил Цанков Пеевски (1905-1992)
Chairman of USLMB 1965-1990
1. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
The world-renowned Bulgarian geodesist and public figure Prof. Eng. Vasil Peevski was born on September 7 (September 20, New Style), 1905, in the town of Lovech into an educated family. He completed his primary education with honors in Lovech. He then attended the Men’s High School in Pleven, graduating with top honors in 1924. Following this, he continued his studies at the Semi-Higher Geodetic School of the State Geographic Institute (SGI) under the Ministry of War, graduating with excellence in 1925. That same year, as the valedictorian of his class, he was granted a state scholarship to study in Austria. In March 1929, V. Peevski earned his higher education degree in geodesy from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), one of the most prestigious in Europe, once again graduating as the top student of his class.
In March 1929, Eng. V. Peevski undertook a 6-month specialization at the Federal Surveying and Mapping Authority of Austria, alongside his friend and fellow top-ranking classmate Eng. Grozdan Grozdanov, who later became Director of the State Geographic Institute (SGI). This specialization proved exceptionally valuable for both young engineers, as their work in Austria involved the calculation and adjustment of triangulation networks, as well as the mapping of terrestrial photogrammetric surveys at a scale of 1:25,000. Upon returning to Bulgaria, they took up the very same tasks at the SGI, carrying them out successfully thanks to their excellent professional training in Austria.
2. PROFESSIONAL PATH OF ENG. PEEVSKI AT THE STATE GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE UNDER THE MINISTRY OF WAR
In the autumn of 1929, Eng. Peevski joined SGI and traversed the entire hierarchical path from an entry-level civilian engineer, to Head of Section, and eventually to Deputy Head and Head of the Photogrammetric Department of the SGI. During the 1920s and 1930s, the State Geographic Institute was a highly authoritative institution subordinate to the Ministry of War, tasked with solving numerous crucial military and civilian geodetic challenges. The specialists who returned from abroad with higher education degrees financed by Bulgarian governments undertook the most demanding and responsible geodetic tasks. These endeavors served as a continuation of the work initiated by Russian military topographers and conducted during the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation in 1877–1878.
Eng. Peevski participated in the establishment and computation of Bulgaria’s state triangulation. He personally took part in the baseline measurements near the city of Ruse and was one of the most active members of the Geographic Institute’s Technical Council. At that time, this Council was authorized to determine the professional methods for carrying out geodetic tasks—the methodologies and instruments employed, the organization of surveys, and field inspections. Within this Council, key issues concerning the triangulation, leveling, and topographic mapping of Bulgaria were resolved in full accordance with the finest European practices of the era: a reference ellipsoid was introduced; the Gauss-Krüger coordinate system was adopted; a prime meridian for all geodetic operations was established; map sheet dimensions were defined; and Prof. Boltz’s method for adjustment was implemented, among other achievements.
As early as 1930, engineers Vasil Peevski, Grozdan Grozdanov, and Asen Raykov—who later became a professor at the State Polytechnic in Sofia—undertook the task of supplying phototheodolites and stereoautographs to Bulgaria. They developed the first instruction for terrestrial photogrammetric surveying and conducted the first aerial photogrammetric survey in the country. Back in 1930, the three also published one of the first photogrammetry textbooks in Bulgaria, titled Photogrammetry Course, comprising 247 pages.
Eng. Vasil Peevski as Head of the Terrestrial Photogrammetry Group
From 1930 to 1940, Eng. V. Peevski worked with various photogrammetric teams across the country. In the summer, he was out in the field, while during the winter, he supervised the calculation and mapping activities for numerous regions—the Peshtera and Devin districts, Asenovgrad, Krichim, Harmanli, Sandanski, Petrich, Lom, Oryahovo, Byala Slatina, Malko Tarnovo, the Sofia district, and others.
In 1935, Eng. Vasil Peevski was commissioned by the Mayor of Sofia, Eng. Ivan Ivanov—widely regarded to this day as one of the capital’s most successful mayors—to organize the geodetic, photogrammetric, and topographic operations required for the production of a 1:10,000 scale map of Sofia and its surrounding area. This map subsequently served as the foundation for the new urban master plan developed by Prof. Adolf Muesmann. This marked the very first time aerial photogrammetry was used in Bulgaria to produce a large-scale map.
In 1937–1938, Eng. Peevski also became a lecturer in geodesy and photogrammetry at the Topographic School of SGI. During this time, he was tasked with adapting and applying the photogrammetric method to the needs of the artillery. To this end, he developed a specialized plane table, implemented a new methodology, and personally took part in the first artillery firing exercises in the Samokov area using data derived from photogrammetric methods. Under the leadership of Eng. Peevski, the first large-scale terrestrial photogrammetric survey of parts of the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) was also carried out for the design of the Sub-Balkan railway line planned at that time.The practical engineering and experimental work of the geodesist V. Peevski at the SGI under the Ministry of War was vast in scope and of national significance. However, as he noted in his autobiography, he strongly disliked the unjustified division between military and civilian engineers within the Institute.
In 1940, Eng. Peevski left SGI to head the Regulation Department of the Sofia Municipality, where he served until the spring of 1942. Over those two years, he introduced numerous improvements to the department’s operations, notably implementing a parcel-filing system for all of Sofia. This card-index system significantly streamlined interactions with the capital’s citizens and effectively laid the groundwork for modern cadastre in Sofia. As Chairman of the Central Regulation Commission, Eng. Vasil Peevski developed a new methodology for the design, public notification, approval, and implementation of urban regulation plans in Bulgaria.
3. PROF. PEEVSKI – FOUNDER AND LECTURER AT THE FIRST HIGHER TECHNICAL SCHOOL IN BULGARIA
The opening of the first higher technical school in Bulgaria was preceded by an excessively long preparatory period that began as far back as 1882. Eng. Vasil Peevski took an active part in the fight for the establishment of this higher technical school as Secretary of the Union of Bulgarian Engineers and Architects (UBEA) and as a member of the Special Commission chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Education. He was one of the primary proponents of establishing this Higher Technical School in Bulgaria, intended to train future engineers domestically rather than abroad to meet the country’s needs.
Pursuant to the Act on the New Autonomous Higher Technical School, published in the State Gazette on June 12, 1941, two faculties were established:
- Civil Engineering and Architecture Faculty with 4 departments: Civil Engineering, Architecture, Land Surveying Engineering, and Agricultural Improvement (Culture) Engineering; and
- Mechanical and Technological Faculty with 4 departments: Mechanical, Electrical, Mining, and Chemical Engineering.
On October 4, 1942, a ceremonial gathering was held in the auditorium of Sofia University to mark the inauguration of the first academic year at the new Higher Technical School. In 1942, Eng. Peevski won a competition for the position of “Associate Professor of Geodesy and Astronomy” at the newly established Higher Technical School. He was one of the first five professors appointed to the institution by Royal Decree No. 50 of August 15, 1942, following a report by the Minister of Public Education. Immediately after his appointment, Prof. V. Peevski was sent on a 10-month specialization at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland. Prof. Peevski attended lectures on cartography, cadastre, and photogrammetry delivered by world-renowned professors such as Baeschlin, Imhof, Zeller, and Bertschmann, while also delivering lectures to students on select topics himself. In August 1943, Prof. Peevski returned to Bulgaria and took an active role in the work of the Higher Technical School, which was later renamed the “Stalin” State Polytechnic in March 1945.
The bombings of Sofia in January 1944 necessitated the urgent evacuation of the Higher Technical School to the town of Lovech. Prof. Peevski was initially mobilized as an interpreter and sent to Dedeagach, and later assigned to the Photogrammetric Department of the Geographic Institute, which was evacuated to the town of Popovo at the time. At the end of September 1944, the Higher Technical School returned to Sofia. During this period, Prof. Peevski established himself as an experienced organizer endowed with immense energy, resourcefulness, and, not least, legendary diplomacy. He was held in high regard by faculty and students alike. The Academic Council elected him as a “Full Professor,” and the regents confirmed his appointment to this post by Decree No. 88 of June 8, 1945.
Prof. Vasil Peevski was the first “elected,” rather than appointed, Rector of the State Polytechnic, having been nominated at the proposal of student organizations. He served as Rector until 1946. Due to the prevailing political situation, the 1945–1946 academic year was officially opened only on December 2, 1945, in a ceremony held at the National Theatre. There, the newly elected Rector, Prof. V. Peevski, delivered his academic address titled “Tasks and Significance of Geodesy.”
Prof. Vasil Peevski developed the first curricula for the Land Surveying Engineering major, drawing upon the instructional experience accumulated at kindred higher education institutions in Prague, Warsaw, Lviv, Dresden, Vienna, Paris, Zurich, and elsewhere. He lectured to students across all faculties on academic disciplines including: Geodesy, Elementary Geodesy, Geodetic Computations, Geodetic Adjustments, Design of Geodetic Instruments, Least Squares Adjustment, Geodetic Reference Networks, etc.
In 1945, he published his first two university textbooks: Elementary Geodesy , comprising 553 pages, and Geodetic Adjustments, comprising 249 pages. Given the growing number of students enrolled in geodetic disciplines, it became necessary to appoint the first assistant lecturers to the Department of Geodesy—a department headed by Prof. Peevski from its establishment until his retirement in 1974. These assistants were the engineers Todor Tanev, Todor Tsvetkov, and Dimitar Stoychev, the latter of whom was appointed Associate Professor following a competitive selection process in 1946.
From the beginning to the end of 1947, Prof. Peevski served as Vice-Rector—the sole Deputy Rector of the State Polytechnic. In 1951, an independent Faculty of Geodesy was established, with Prof. Peevski serving as its first Dean. In 1952 and 1954, he was re-elected as Vice-Rector of the State Polytechnic. From 1956 to 1959, he concurrently held positions at the Ministry of Public Education, serving successively as Head of the Higher Technical Schools Department and Head of the General Educational Department for all higher education institutions. There, too, Prof. Peevski was actively involved in drafting a new Higher Education Act, its Implementing Regulations, as well as various other rules and ordinances.
In 1960, Prof. Peevski once again served as Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and in 1962, as Vice-Rector of the Institute of Civil Engineering (ISI). In 1974, he retired at the age of 69. Throughout his 32-year tenure as a professor of geodesy, Eng. V. Peevski established himself as one of Bulgaria’s foremost university lecturers, deeply respected by his students. Through his work as a professor, department head, dean, vice-rector, rector, and department head at the Ministry of Public Education, Prof. Peevski made substantial contributions to the development of the State Polytechnic, the Higher Institute of Civil Engineering (VISI), the Civil Engineering and Geodesy Faculties, the degree programs in “Geodesy, Photogrammetry, and Cartography (GPC)” and “Land Management,” and the overall advancement of higher education in Bulgaria.
4. PROF. PEEVSKI – SIGNIFICANT GEODETIC ACTIVITIES, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEODESY, HELD POSITIONS, AWARDS AND HONORS
Prof. Peevski made significant contributions to the development of geodetic activities across the country. He initiated the production of the Large-Scale Topographical Map (LTM) of Bulgaria. He served as a reviewer for numerous regulatory and technical documents concerning geodesy. He was also a passionate advocate for establishing a national governing body, which materialized as the Central Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography (CDGC). He regularly participated in governing boards of the Ministry of Construction, where critical geodetic matters were resolved. Furthermore, Prof. Peevski served as an expert advisor during the establishment of the 936-meter calibration baseline (3 x 312 m) situated near the Vrana Palace outside Sofia, which comprised 4–5 survey points measured with invar wire. In 1975–1976, Prof. Peevski carried out an applied research project evaluating the condition of Sofia’s triangulation network in connection with urban redevelopment, the construction of the Sofia Metro, and other above-ground and underground infrastructure projects.
Prof. Peevski had a keen eye for capable, promising surveying talent, personally inviting skilled professionals to join his Department of Geodesy. This ranged from his earliest assistant lecturers—all of whom later became distinguished educators, docents, and professors—to his collaborators in the Scientific and Technical Unions (STU), the Union of Bulgarian Geodesists and Land Managers (UBGLM), the Permanent Committee of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria (USB), the Esperanto Society, and the editorial boards of journals such as Geodesy, Cartography, Land Management and Scientific Life. Following the chronological sequence as recorded by Prof. Peevski himself in his publications, these early regular assistants were: Eng. Vladimir Stanoev, Eng. Georgi Pomakov, Arch. Atanas Donkov, and Eng. Dimitar Stoychev (from December 1, 1943; later Associate Professor and Professor), Prof. Asen Raykov, with whom he had previously collaborated at the State Geographic Institute (from May 15, 1943), Eng. Petko Monev (from March 31, 1945; later Associate Professor and Professor), Eng. Boris Ivanov (from June 20, 1945), Eng. Todor Tanev and Eng. Todor Tsvetkov (from December 1, 1945), Eng. Bogdan Rusev (from 1949; later Associate Professor and Professor), Eng. Boris Stoyanov (from 1951; later Associate Professor and Professor), Eng. Nikola Tsonkov (in 1952; later Associate Professor and Professor), Eng. Stefan Atanasov (in 1953; later Associate Professor and Professor), Prof. Peevski held all of them in high regard, maintaining deep mutual respect and collegiality throughout their careers.
Among his close personal friends were Acad. Angel Balevski—former President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Acad. Kiril Bratanov—former President of the Union of Scientific Workers in Bulgaria (USWB), renamed in 1990 to the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria (USB), and Prof. Dr. Eng. Mihail Venedikov from the University of Forestry (1905–1973), with whom he co-authored several textbooks on Geodesy as well as numerous articles. At the Union of Geodesists and Land Managers in Bulgaria (UGLMB), he collaborated exceptionally well with Corr. Mem. Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Milev, Senior Research Associate Dr. Eng. Ivan Katsarski, and the engineers Atanas Dyakov, G. Makshutov, Stoyan Bogdanov, Belcho Boyadzhiev, Nikola Hristov, and many others. Prof. Peevski also maintained close relationships with numerous renowned foreign colleagues of international acclaim.
Prof. Peevski enjoyed a happy marriage. He had a son—a mechanical engineer—and a daughter, who was a lecturer in German at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG). He cherished the comforts of home life, gatherings with friends, the theater, music, opera, and art exhibitions. He placed a high value on proficiency in foreign languages. Deeply devoted to his homeland, he strove to instill these same high virtues, patriotism, and national pride in his children and students alike. Among the greatest personal and professional milestones in Prof. Peevski’s life were the celebrations of his milestone jubilees—his 60th, 70th, 80th, and 85th birthdays. On these occasions, he was honored with numerous honorary titles and prestigious state awards.
In the summer of 1949, Prof. Peevski, assisted by Assistant Lecturer T. Petrov, designed, monumented, surveyed, and adjusted the triangulation network for the longest railway tunnel in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula—the Troyan–Karlovo tunnel, measuring approximately 12 km in length. This undertaking also served as the subject for the diploma theses of several students, among whom was Eng. B. Boyadzhiev. During the period of 1952–1953, Prof. Peevski designed, monumented, and surveyed the 1st-class triangulation network of the city of Sofia, and likewise designed and monumented the triangulation network of the city of Plovdiv. Both triangulation networks were established upon state-of-the-art scientific foundations for their time and can be regarded as exemplary benchmarks in the development of geodetic networks for major cities.
Prof. Peevski had been a member of the Bulgarian Engineering and Architectural Society (BEAS) since January 1, 1930. He served as the longstanding Chairman of the Society of Surveying Engineers within BIAD as early as the 1930s and 1940s. He was elected Secretary of the Union of Bulgarian Engineers and Architects (UBEA) in 1942 and was a member of the Editorial Committee for UBEA publications. He participated in all UBEA congresses after 1945. At the congress-convention in May 1947, he was elected a member of the Commission on Higher Education. Prof. Peevski served as the official representative of UBEA at the International Technical Congress in Paris from September 16 to 21, 1946. In 1965, the Constituent Congress of the Union of Surveyors and Land Managers in Bulgaria was held, where Prof. Peevski was elected President. He served tirelessly and energetically in this position until 1990. Prof. Peevski was elected President of the Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria (STU) for the period 1965–1972, and was later designated an “Honorary Member” of the STU. In 1968, an Initiative Committee was established within the Central Council of the STU for the establishment of the National Polytechnic Museum in Sofia, where Prof. Peevski played an essential role and made significant contributions to its rich scientific and historical activities.
From 1979 to 1981, Prof. Peevski served as Vice President, and from 1982 to 1984 as President of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), one of the most prestigious international scientific organizations. Prof. Peevski’s most brilliant achievement in this post was hosting the XVII FIG Congress in June 1983 in Sofia under the patronage of the Chairman of the State Council of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, Todor Zhivkov. Prof. Peevski was subsequently named “Honorary Member” and “Honorary President” of FIG.
Prof. Peevski was the founder of the journal Geodesy, Cartography, Land Management—an organ of the USLMB—and served as its Editor-in-Chief from 1968 to 1992. He was an active member and a highly successful Chairman of the “Technical Sciences” Section at the Union of Scientific Workers in Bulgaria (USWB), currently the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria (USB). He headed the group of Bulgarian Esperantist scientists at the USB and was a member of the editorial board of the journal Scientific Life—the official organ of the USWB. He was elected an “Honorary Member” of the USWB and an “Honorary Member” of the Bulgarian Astronautical Society. He served on the editorial board of the journal World of Science, which was the organ of the World Federation of Scientific Workers, and also worked as Editor-in-Chief of the Esperanto edition of this journal. Within the Bulgarian Esperanto Union, he was a member of the Union’s Plenum, and within the International Science Association of Esperantists, he served as Vice President. He was also Rector of the International Esperanto University at the International Esperanto Congress held in Sofia in 1963.
For eight years, Prof. Peevski served as a member of the National Committee for Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship. He was elected “Doctor Honoris Causa” (Honorary Doctor) of the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK). He was also an “Honorary Member” of the All-Union Astronomical and Geodetic Society at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Prof. Peevski was awarded the Golden Diploma of the Vienna University of Technology and an Order of Merit of Poland. He was an honorary member of the STU in Poland, the GDR, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, of the Union of Yugoslav Geodesists, and others.
For his active scholarly and educational work, Prof. V. Peevski was decorated with the orders “Georgi Dimitrov,” “People’s Republic of Bulgaria” – 1st Class, and “Cyril and Methodius” – 1st Class. In addition to these, he was honored with the honorary titles “Honored Worker of Technology,” “People’s Worker of Science,” and “Hero of Socialist Labor.”
Prof. Peevski is the author or co-author of numerous textbooks for university students and technical school pupils, scientific and popular-science articles, and papers on elementary and higher geodesy, cadastre, and photogrammetry, tables, and other works, totaling over 90 publications. A portion of his publications appeared in German, Esperanto, Polish, Russian, French, English, and other languages. Special mention must be made of Prof. Peevski’s extensive contributions featuring scientific and review papers delivered at various national and international conferences, symposia, congresses, and seminars. His vast command of foreign languages and broad general erudition provided him with substantial opportunities for creative exchange with foreign scholars of global renown. He was held in high regard by the international geodetic academic community, enjoying widespread recognition both at home and abroad, as well as considerable professional authority. Prof. Peevski’s most significant works are his sole-authored textbooks:
- Triangulation and Levelling from 1951, comprising 924 pages;
- Adjustment by the Method of Least Squares, published in three editions: 1953 (204 pages), 1955 (412 pages), and 1973 (448 pages);
- Geodesy , published in two editions: 1956 (444 pages) and 1961 (473 pages);
- Geodetic Control Networks for Land Managers from 1959, comprising 452 pages;
- Geodesy – Part I – Geodetic Control Networks from 1975, comprising 772 pages;
- Geodesy – a textbook for the 3rd year of technical construction high schools from 1975, comprising 440 pages.
A noteworthy accomplishment is Prof. Peevski’s realization of the two-volume Handbook of Geodesy, published in 1973–1974, which he co-authored alongside Prof. Dimitar Stoychev, Prof. Veliko Kurtev, Prof. Bogdan Rusev, Prof. Dr. Mara Daskalova, and Senior Research Associate 1st Class Dr. Sc. Mladen Mladenovski. Preserved at the National Polytechnic Museum in Sofia and the Museum of Surveying and Cartography in the town of Troyan are numerous valuable archival documents and photographs that capture the vast and tireless geodetic, organizational, technical, and public service activities of Prof. Peevski, who possessed a pronounced sense of historical significance and a keen appreciation for the achievements of our professional community. He was and will forever remain one of the greatest Bulgarian geodesists and educators, having made substantial contributions to the development of higher education in our country, worked within the national defense system, military and civil geodesy and photogrammetry, and trained dozens upon hundreds of young surveying professionals nationwide.
As a token of gratitude and respect for the memory of Prof. Vasil Peevski and to commemorate the centenary of his birth, a memorial plaque was mounted on the house where he lived until his death, following a proposal by FNTS and USLMB with the approval of the Sofia Municipality.
Prof. Peevski passed away at the age of 87 on July 9, 1992, in Sofia. Posthumously, in 1999, he was ranked No. 3 among the 10 most successful Bulgarian engineers of the 20th century in a ranking organized by FNTS and the newspaper Science and Society.
Paper presented at the XXX Jubilee International Symposium “Modern Technologies, Education and Professional Practice in Geodesy and Related Fields,” November 4–6, 2020, entitled “The Significant Contribution of Prof. Eng. Vasil Peevski (1905–1992) – World-Renowned Geodesist, Scientist, Educator, and Public Figure,” authors Veneta Kotseva, Elena Peneva
Corr. Memb. Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Kostov Milev
Chairman of USLMB 1990-2014
1. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Prof. Georgi Milev was born on September 22, 1933, in the town of Pernik. He graduated from the Higher Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering, currently the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), in 1956 with a major in Geodesy, Photogrammetry, and Cartography. He defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 1973.
2. CAREER PATH
From 1956, he worked on the construction and operation of the “Lenin” Metallurgical Plant in Pernik, now “Stomana,” serving as Head of the Master Plan Sector. His initial research studies and scientific publications date back to this period. From 1960, he served as an Assistant Professor and Senior Assistant Professor at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) – Central Laboratory for Higher Geodesy and the Geotechnics Laboratory; in 1976, he became an Associate Professor, in 1985 a Full Professor, and in 2008 a Corresponding Member of BAS. In 1978, he was appointed Head of a Problem Group and Scientific Secretary of the Central Laboratory for Higher Geodesy (CLHG). That same year, he joined the newly established Laboratory on Geotechnics of Weak Soil Foundations and Terrains (LGWFT) at BAS. From 1978, he headed the “Engineering Geodesy and Local Geodynamics” Section at the Laboratory, where he also served as Scientific Secretary from 1978 to 1989. In 1985, he became a Senior Research Associate 1st Class (a title later renamed “Professor”) in “Applied Geodesy – Engineering, Local, and Dynamic Geodesy.”
During the period 1970–1973, Eng. Georgi Milev specialized at the Institute of Applications of Geodesy to Engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. In 1973, he defended his doctoral dissertation entitled “Adjustment, Analysis, and Interpretation of Deformation Measurements” at the same university, earning the scientific degree of “Doctor of Engineering” (Dr.-Ing.). In 1974, he received the University of Stuttgart Award for high academic achievement in his dissertation. In 1976, he became an Associate Professor at CLHG and LGWFT; in 1985, a Professor; and in 2008, a Corresponding Member of BAS—currently being the only Bulgarian geodesist member of BAS (other geodesist members were Acad. Vl. Hristov and Corr. Memb. A. Venedikov). From 2005 to 2010, he worked at the Institute of Water Problems of BAS. Since 2010, he has been with the Space Research and Technology Institute (SRTI) at BAS. In 1988, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the German Geodetic Commission at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Munich. He is fluent in German, French, and Russian, and has a working knowledge of English and other languages.
From 2001 to 2016, he delivered lectures and conducted seminars and practical training in Geodesy and Engineering Geodesy for students at UACEG in the Faculty of Hydrotechnics and the Faculty of Transport Engineering (German-language curriculum).
3. SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
The research, applied science, technology transfer, and related activities of Corr. Memb. Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Milev are multifaceted. To a large extent, they are focused on the fields of applied and engineering geodesy, as well as local and engineering geodynamics, featuring diverse and substantial contributions to the theory of engineering geodesy, deformation analysis, measurement theory, tolerance specifications, geodetic networks, least-squares adjustment (LSA), atmospheric refraction, applications of modern electronic and laser geodetic instrumentation, and applied aspects of photogrammetry. He has participated in and directed numerous research programs and projects addressing various geodetic challenges, many of an interdisciplinary nature. These include: Investigation of deformations in buildings, structures, and terrain; Landslide monitoring; Study of contemporary vertical and horizontal crustal movements; Investigation of earthquake effects on structures and terrains; Automated land reclamation systems; Instrumental methods in geotechnics and civil engineering; The 1992 and 1993 GPS campaigns across Bulgaria, conducted jointly with the Institute for Applied Geodesy (IfAG, now the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy – BKG, Germany) and the Military Topographic Service (MTS) of the Ministry of Defence to integrate Bulgaria into the European Reference Frame (EUREF); The international UNIGRACE project for unifying the gravimetric systems of Central and Eastern Europe, whose results were subsequently adopted as reference benchmarks for Europe; Leadership of international geodynamic projects. Furthermore, he served repeatedly as the Bulgarian principal investigator for numerous international projects under the Commission of Academies of Sciences for Planetary Geophysics (KAPG), as well as bilateral and multilateral scientific cooperation programs of the Geotechnics Laboratory and BAS with Italy, Germany, Vietnam, and other countries. A significant number of his studies involve specific regions across Bulgaria and major engineering assets of national importance, including: The Kresna Gorge region; Landslide activity near Balchik, north of Varna; Structural and monitoring projects for the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, the “Festivalna” Hall in Sofia, the cantilever canopy of the “Gerena” Stadium in Sofia, the Sofia Zoo aviary, and others; The Sofia Metro network; TV broadcasting towers at “Kopitoto” peak on Vitosha, in Ruse, in Northeastern Bulgaria, and monitoring of similar structures nationwide; The overpass viaduct near Varna; The “Bebresh” Viaduct; Major dam walls and related critical infrastructure; The construction and monitoring of the Olympic stadium roofs in Munich, Germany. He is also an initiator of the European Position Determination System (EPDS), a differential satellite navigation network covering Central and Eastern Europe.
Based on the outcomes of Bulgaria’s participation in these international initiatives directed on the Bulgarian side by him, the territory of Bulgaria was successfully integrated in terms of coordinates (jointly with Prof. M. Minchev), heights, gravity, and geodynamics with the European framework and, practically, into global geodesy.
Corr. Memb. Prof. G. Milev holds patents/inventor’s certificates for a theodolite for measuring vertical angles and elevations, as well as a device for eccentric measurements, implemented independently and incorporated into instruments manufactured by Carl Zeiss Jena.
He is among the most prolific Bulgarian geodesists, having authored or co-authored over 590 publications both domestically and abroad. These include: 16 monographs; 9 studies; 7 textbooks; 30 edited conference proceedings and scientific collections; 150 scientific journal articles; 260 conference papers; 130 works published in foreign languages. Key book titles include: Modern Geodetic Methods for Deformation Analysis (1978; an expanded and revised edition was published in German in Stuttgart, 1985); The European Reference System in Bulgaria (Monograph, Prof. Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House – BAS, 2006; co-authored collective monograph and editor); The interdisciplinary collective monograph Geodynamics of the Balkan Peninsula (author and editor); Geodetic Works in Construction, 3rd ed., 1983 (co-authored); Electronic Equipment in Geodesy (1983); Electronic and Laser Geodetic Instruments and Technologies in Construction, co-authored with Prof. L. Cheshankov (1986); A textbook and practical guide on Engineering Geodesy (2 editions), Geodesy in Construction (7 editions), etc.
Corr. Memb. Prof. G. Milev has also written over 115 popular-science publications, conference reports, book reviews, and exhibition evaluations on geodetic subjects. Over 200 reviews and notices of his work have appeared in Germany, Austria, the former USSR, the former GDR, and elsewhere, with more than 150 of his scientific publications cited internationally and domestically. As an active technology promoter, he has delivered over 40 lectures in various cities across the country.
The three-volume monograph series (available in both electronic and print formats) by Corr. Memb. Georgi Milev and Honorary Prof. Dr. Eng. Ivo Milev represents their major original contribution under the ambitious project Applied Geodesy – Part 1: Engineering Geodesy: Book 1: Foundations, Systems, and Technologies in Engineering Geodesy (published in 2017); Book 2: Design and Implementation of Spatial and Master Plans (published in 2018); Book 3: Construction of Linear Infrastructure, Buildings, Structures, and Installation of Industrial Equipment. As-Built Plans for Complex Facilities (published late 2018). These monographs are the result of decades of research and applied technical work in Bulgaria and Germany, dedicated to the diverse systems and methodologies used in engineering geodesy over the past 25–30 years (published by the Union of Surveyors and Land Managers in Bulgaria – USLMB). International literature had largely lacked a comprehensive systematization, synthesis, and structured presentation of Applied Geodesy (theory and practice) as a distinct unified domain within geodetic science. This multi-volume work addresses that gap, particularly for engineering geodesy. In 2013, they also published the textbook Geodesy (Geodäsie) in German through UACEG.
Corr. Memb. Prof. G. Milev has supervised numerous diploma theses and 5 doctoral dissertations (two of whose recipients have since become full professors). He served as a member of the Specialized Scientific Council on Geodesy and Mine Surveying at the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC), as well as the scientific boards of LGWFT and CLHG. He also served as a member and Vice-Chairman of the Earth Sciences Committee at the Bulgarian National Science Fund under the Ministry of Education and Science.
4. PUBLIC ACTIVITY
Corr. Memb. Prof. G. Milev has been a member of the Scientific and Technical Unions (NTS) since 1954. From that time to the present day, he has carried out active and multifaceted organizational work within the Union of Surveyors and Land Managers in Bulgaria (USLMB) and the Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria (FNTS). For many years, he headed the “Engineering Geodesy” Section at USLMB and served as a member of the governing bodies of our union. From 1990 to 2014, he was its President, and from 1992 to 1995, he also served as Vice-President of FNTS in Bulgaria. In 2014, Corr. Memb. Prof. Milev was elected Honorary President of USLMB. Since 1990, he has been the organizer of the annual International Symposium “Modern Technologies, Education and Professional Practice in Geodesy and Related Fields.”
Prof. G. Milev has had a long-standing (since 1968) and active involvement in the work of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). From 1985 to 1988, he served as Vice-Chair of Commission 6 on “Engineering Surveys.” From 1988 to 1991, he served as Chair of the same commission. He has been a member of the Working Group on Deformation Measurements within Commission 6 of FIG. He has served on the editorial boards of the journal Geodesy, Cartography, Land Management, the BAS publication series Higher Geodesy, and others. Since 1997 to the present, he has been Editor-in-Chief of the journal Geodesy, Cartography, Land Management. G. Milev has been a member of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria (USB) since 1977, affiliated with the “Technical Sciences” Section and the “Geological and Geographical Sciences” Section.
5. RECOGNITION
The contributions of Corr. Memb. Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Milev as a scientist, researcher, technology pioneer, organizer, and public figure are well known to the geodetic community in Bulgaria and abroad. For these achievements, he has been honored multiple times with orders, medals, and honorary diplomas from the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria (USB) in 1986 and 2008. He was awarded the “Marin Drinov” Badge of Honour on Ribbon of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) in 2004, the Order of “Saints Cyril and Methodius”, and the “Asen Zlatarov” Gold Science Badge of the Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions . He is an Honorary Member of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), FNTS, and the Chamber of Technology of the GDR. Since 1988, he has been a Corresponding Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, and since 1996, a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Engineering in Russia. On the occasion of his 80th anniversary, he was awarded a jubilee diploma by BAS for high scientific achievements. He is featured in the collection Golden Fund of Bulgarian Science (2), Sofia, BAS “Za bukvite”, 2014, 600.
Last but not least, Corr. Memb. Prof. Georgi Milev is the only Bulgarian geodesist who has “never retired” from scientific research, maintaining an enviable level of activity and a prominent presence across scientific forums.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Veneta Kotseva, Prof. D.Sc. Georgi Valev, Prof. Dr. Eng. Momil Minchev, Prof. Dr. Eng. Keranka Vasileva