The Department of Geodesy, the successor of the former Central Laboratory of Geodesy, has been built and operated for over 65 years as the only specialized scientific center in Bulgaria for geodesy. The Department is a necessary unit in the group of institutes in the scientific field “Climate Change, Risks and Natural Resources” of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, which has been the object of exploring Earth as a planet and its physical fields.

1948 – Establishment of Section “Geodesy” at the Technical Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences;

1951 – By government decree (PMS of 31.03.1951) was introduced the coordination system of 1950. The theoretical basis and parameters of the system are proposed by Vladimir Hristov, and the transition from the system in 1930 to the new one in 1950 is realized according to his transformation formulas and under his direction;

1955 – Section “Geodesy” at the Technical Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was transformed into Central Laboratory of Higher Geodesy, which in 1956 acquired the status of an Institute;

1958 – The first book of Proceedings of Central Laboratory of Geodesy was published and the chief editor was acad. Vl. Hristov;

1959 – It was restored the Bulgarian National Committee of Geodesy and Geophysics (BNCGG) as a member of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). For his President has been elected acad. Vl. Hristov. For seat of the Committee was determined the Central Laboratory of Higher Geodesy. BNCGG was created by government decree in 1931 and situated at Sofia University. During the WWII ceased its activity. Academician Hristov succeeded to restore the Committee and to resume the relations with IUGG;

1963 – It was supplied and installed a passage instrument of the Zeiss Company which gave the start of the astronomic observations for determining the time in Bulgaria. The results are sending regularly in the services “Standard time” in Moscow and in International Time Bureau in Paris;

1966 – It was supplied a camera for photographic observations of Earth satellites the so-called Potsdam camera. By synchronic observations of satellite Echo 2 is determined the azimuth Sofia-Riga and the observations are realized from teams of the Central Laboratory of Higher Geodesy and the Military Topographic Service at the Ministry of Defense. By this way was initiated the use of satellites for geodetic aims in Bulgaria;

1972 – Central Laboratory of Geodesy was renamed as Central Laboratory of Higher Geodesy;

1972 – It was supplied and installed a zenith telescope of the Zeiss Company by which even nowadays are carried out the astronomical observations for determination of the latitude of Geodetic observatory in Plana;

1983 – It was inaugurated the Geodetic observatory in Plana at the Central Laboratory of Higher Geodesy;

2010 – It was created the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography