DOCSLIB.ORG

Bulgarian Cultural Heritage: Interpretation and Presentation Problems and Prospects

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bulgarian Cultural Heritage: Interpretation and Presentation Problems and Prospects Bulgarian Cultural Heritage: Interpretation and Presentation Problems and Prospects Dr. Minka Zlateva Associate Professor, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Anka Zlateva Researcher, Institute of History - Bulgarian Academy of Science 1. Introduction Founded on the crossroads between the East and the West, the 1320-year-old Bulgarian state has always experienced their cultural influence. What is more, Bulgaria is the cradle of one of the most ancient civilizations, the Thracian one, monuments of which even nowadays reveal still new and new aspects of the initial stages in the development of the European culture. In the 9th century Bulgaria became home of the Old-Bulgarian and Slavonic script - work of the Cyril and Methodius brothers - which absolutely covered “the principle of complete correspondence between symbol and letter” and in which even to this day 10 per cent of the world population write (Micheva, 1998:8). Romans, Byzantines, Koumanians, Tatars, Ottoman Turks left their traces on the Bulgarian lands. Over the centuries the original Bulgarian culture with its unique archeological and architectural complexes and literary heritage, valuable pieces of fine art, applied arts and crafts, ethnography, music and dancing originated and won recognition. For that reason we can talk of the presence of a rich, many-sided and significant Bulgarian cultural heritage, for the documentation and interpretation of which generations of Bulgarian scholars among whom academicians Ivan Duychev, Vassil Zlatarski, Dimitar Angelov, Dimitar Dimitrov, professors Christo Gandev, Petar Dinekov, Nikola Mavrodinov, Petar Tivchev, Velizar Velkov, Alexander Foll, Vassil Gyuzelev and others have contributed with their research efforts, talent and dedication. 2. Problems Today, at the turn of the 21st century, due to the new information technologies humanity entered the age of information globalization. Bulgaria is taking a still more active part in the intensive process of European globalization occurring on our continent. At the same time we are witnessing a regional cultural revival. That is why the boundaries in which the Bulgarian cultural heritage can be interpreted and presented should become considerably wider, the possibilities more varied and the responsibilities more scaled. “Globalization in the field of culture should be viewed as a triple process on its own. On the one hand universalization and cosmopolitization of the culture are being imposed. On the other, national and ethnic cultural traditions are being revived and on third a process of merging of the previous two tendencies to the level of cultural hybridization is being consolidated” (Petkova, 2000:83). The establishment of all-European spiritual values could be largely considered as the very hybridization of the cultural traditions of the European nations. One of the key issues both to Bulgaria and all European countries is how to preserve the national identity participating at that in the overall process of exchange of cultural values which through the Internet is part of the global exchange in the spiritual sphere. (Featherstone, 1990). This problem should be solved in the conditions of a still stronger engrossment of the traditional social and cultural spaces by the Internet, of the more growing sense of cosmopolitanism by the web consumers, of a still more detailed fragmentation of public communication through individualization and personalization and through segmentation of the audience into electronic societies of interests (Burkart, 1998:496). An effective means for each nation to preserve its national identity in the present conditions is the ability of that nation to tap new sources of national self-confidence disconnected from the historical background, but which refer to the present and are directed to the future (Petkova, 2000:143). The National Strategy for Accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union includes the following main tasks in the sphere of cultural and audiovisual policy: “Adequate participation of our national culture in the all-European cultural space through activation of the bilateral and multilateral cultural and audiovisual cooperation between Bulgaria and the EC based on the principles of decentralization and transparency of the cultural policy, equality of the cultural subjects (state, municipal, private, non-government), market-oriented attitude of the cultural institutions and stimulation of the market competitiveness of the national cultural production, with priority orientation to: • participation in the EC programs for cultural cooperation KALEIDOSCOPE, RAPHAEL and ARIADNE, • assistance with the help of the PHARE program in reforming the Bulgarian cultural sector to establish a Euro-Bulgarian cultural centre and a Euro-Bulgarian fund for development of the arts.” (“National strategy…”,1998:14). A most pressing problem connected with the cultural heritage is the necessity of a new legal regulation of that vast special subject matter, which should arrange for the protection of archeological finds from unscrupulous treasure-hunters; claim responsibility from institutions or individuals that through their action or inaction were instrumental to destroying or plundering cultural monuments; delegate responsibilities to institutions that protect, preserve, restore and use objects of cultural heritage; provide tax relief for companies and organizations which invest in cultural heritage. The cultural heritage is state-owned, but its preservation is entrusted with the municipalities. Since the municipalities by tradition dispose of very limited financial resources, it is their practice to allot minimum funds from their budgets for that important activity. The majority of the municipal councils have not yet become aware of the big economic and social advantages of the so-called cultural tourism. For the time being only 1% of Bulgaria’s tourism is related to cultural objects. However, opening the tomb of Sveshtary with the help of ICOMOS has shown that it has been visited by 50 000 tourists for a short period of time. If the share of cultural tourism in Bulgaria increases, for which there are large and various possibilities, this will provide not only revenues for the municipalities, but will open extra and many new jobs, contributing in this way to the regional and national prosperity. 3. Cultural heritage interpretation As is known culture has two dimensions - material and spiritual. It is easy to explain why the care of the material preservation of our culture (architectural monuments and complexes, museum collections, etc.) is traditional in our country with well established for the purpose institutions. Organized work on discovery, study, preservation and popularization of the cultural monuments in Bulgaria started with the adopted Law of discovery of historical monuments and assistance to the scientific literary organizations of 1890, followed by the Law of historical monuments of the Kingdom of Bulgaria of 1911 as well as with the activity of the 1892-founded National Museum of Archeology in Sofia and became most effective and scaled in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century with the 1969-established National Institute of Cultural Monuments with its 4 departments and subsidiaries in Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo. It took on the conservation and restoration work as well. That institute is member of the International Council of Monuments of Culture and Sights (ICOMOS) and is actively engaged in the international cooperation in this sphere. (Alexandrov, 1980: 228-231) Over 40 000 cultural monuments are made known, seven among them: the Thracian tumulus near Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Madara Horseman, the Churches cut in the Rock near the village of Ivanovo by Russe, the Rila Monastery and the Thracian tumulus near the village of Sveshtari (Fig. 1) feature in the world heritage list according to the UNESCO International Convention adopted in 1972. Fig. 1 Fragment of paintings in the tumulus of Sveshtary: A Thracian king was proclaimed hero, 3rd century BC The care of preservation of the spiritual monuments of culture, which, for instance, are the monasteries and cultural community centres (chitalishta), is considerably more complex and this fact makes their documentation and presentation before a wider international audience difficult. In 1999 Bulgaria joined the movement “European Heritage Days” - a joint initiative of the European Council and the European Union. Taking into consideration the specific conditions in the South-East European countries in their transition to democracy, the Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS offered within the framework of the European Heritage Days in 2000 the implementation of an international project “The Balkans - joint heritage/Cultural routes of South-eastern Europe”. The Council of Europe highly estimated the idea and presented the project in its website. “The European Heritage Days” in 2001 in Bulgaria passed under the sign of the main theme “Children, Young People and Heritage”. A workshop with the participation of Bulgarian and foreign specialists in heritage pedagogy was organized in Sofia. The exhibitions “Children and Cultural Heritage”, which opened at the Euro-Bulgarian cultural centre in Sofia, presented three different forms of creative study of the heritage: through photographs, works of art and scientific research. School children became guides in the museums of Gabrovo for two days. On 29 and 30 September 2001 a great number
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Good Practices in Target Libraries from Plovdiv District
    Good Practices in Target Libraries from Plovdiv District 4 September 2011, Plovdiv, Ivan Vazov Public Library LIST OF MEETING PARTICIPANTS No. Name Organization/Institution Settlement 1. Ana Belcheva Municipal administration Rakovski Rakovski 2. Angelina Stavreva Ivan Vazov Public Library, Methodology Dept. Plovdiv 3. Ani Sirakova Library at Sts. Cyril and Methodius PC Parvomay 4. Anka Bekirova Library at Iskra Public Chitalishte Kaloyanovo 5. Apostol Stanev Library at Sokolov Public Chitalishte Panicheri 6. Valya Stoyanova Library at N.Y. Vaptsarov Public Chitalishte Stamboliyski 7. Vasilka Bahchevanska Library at Vasil Kolev Public Chitalishte Trilistnik 8. Vaska Mincheva Library at Probuda Public Chitalishte Krichim 9. Vaska Tonova Ivan Vazov Public Library, Children’s Dept. Plovdiv 10. Velizar Petrov Regional Information Center Plovdiv 11. Vera Endreva Library at Hristo Botev Public Chitalishte Zlatitrap 12. Vera Kirilova NAWV Plovdiv 13. Gergana Vulcheva Library at Ivan Vazov Public Chitalishte Iskra 14. Gyurgena Madzhirova Library at Lyuben Karavelov Public Chitalishte Kurtovo Konare 15. Daniela Kostova Municipal administration Asenovgrad Asenovgrad 16. Darina Markova Library at Hristo Botev Public Chitalishte Dabene 17. Dzhamal Kichukov “Zora” Library Laki 18. Dimitar Minev Ivan Vazov Public Library, Director Plovdiv 19. Dobrinka Batinkova Library at N.Y. Vaptsarov Public Chitalishte Kuklen 20. Donka Kumanova Library at Sts. Cyril and Methodius PC Shishmantsi 21. Elena Atanasova Library at Ivan Vazov Public Chitalishte Plovdiv 22. E lena Batinkova Library at Samorazvitie Public Chitalishte Brestnik 23. Elena Mechkova Library at N.Y. Vaptsarov Public Chitalishte Topolovo 24. Elena Raychinova Library at Ivan Vazov Public Chitalishte Sopot 25. Emilia Angelova Library at Sts. Cyril and Methodius PC Parvomay page 1 No.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulgaria Revealed.Pages
    Licensed under Velvet Tours 1 Spiridon Matei St. 032087 Bucharest, Romania Tour operator license #6617 Bulgaria revealed (10 nights) Tour Description: "Bulgaria Revealed" allows you to experience an extensive array of carefully-chosen Bulgarian cultural landmarks via a comprehensive, yet relaxed itinerary. Begin in Sofia, where you’ll stroll along the famed yellow brick road to view the capital’s major sights. Continue on to Boyana Church and the spectacular Rila Monastery before traveling to Melnik, surrounded by unusual sand formations and situated right in the heart of Bulgarian wine country. Next, tour Rozhen Monastery before stopping off in the exquisite town of Kovacevica. Take in the breathtaking natural scenery at Dospat Lake and Trigrad Gorge, then explore the mysterious Yagodinska Cave. In Batak, visit a key site in the 1876 April Uprising; in the village of Kostandovo, tour the workshop of a master traditional carpet-maker. Experience an evening walking tour in Plovdiv, then admire the abundance of traditional architecture in Koprivshtitsa. At Starosel, investigate the largest Thracian burial complex in Bulgaria. Visit the Thracian Tomb at Kazanlak, drive through the stunning Shipka Pass, and tour the incredible outdoor cultural museum at Etara. Witness the woodcarving tradition at Tryavna, shop for crafts in Veliko Tarnovo, and stroll through the architectural gem of Arbanassi. View the Madara Horseman as well as the exquisite sites at Ivanovo and Sveshtari. See the world’s oldest gold treasure at Varna, with the option to tour Balchik Palace and the Aladzha Cave Monastery—or simply spend the afternoon on the beach. Finally, enjoy a splendid day on the magnificent peninsula of Nessebar before returning to Sofia and your flight home.
    [Show full text]
  • Annex REPORT for 2019 UNDER the “HEALTH CARE” PRIORITY of the NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION STRATEGY of the REPUBLIC of BULGAR
    Annex REPORT FOR 2019 UNDER THE “HEALTH CARE” PRIORITY of the NATIONAL ROMA INTEGRATION STRATEGY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA 2012 - 2020 Operational objective: A national monitoring progress report has been prepared for implementation of Measure 1.1.2. “Performing obstetric and gynaecological examinations with mobile offices in settlements with compact Roma population”. During the period 01.07—20.11.2019, a total of 2,261 prophylactic medical examinations were carried out with the four mobile gynaecological offices to uninsured persons of Roma origin and to persons with difficult access to medical facilities, as 951 women were diagnosed with diseases. The implementation of the activity for each Regional Health Inspectorate is in accordance with an order of the Minister of Health to carry out not less than 500 examinations with each mobile gynaecological office. Financial resources of BGN 12,500 were allocated for each mobile unit, totalling BGN 50,000 for the four units. During the reporting period, the mobile gynecological offices were divided into four areas: Varna (the city of Varna, the village of Kamenar, the town of Ignatievo, the village of Staro Oryahovo, the village of Sindel, the village of Dubravino, the town of Provadia, the town of Devnya, the town of Suvorovo, the village of Chernevo, the town of Valchi Dol); Silistra (Tutrakan Municipality– the town of Tutrakan, the village of Tsar Samuel, the village of Nova Cherna, the village of Staro Selo, the village of Belitsa, the village of Preslavtsi, the village of Tarnovtsi,
    [Show full text]
  • A Change in a Child Is a Change for Bulgaria Annual Report 2015
    A CHANGE IN A CHILD IS A CHANGE FOR BULGARIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015 ABOUT NNC The National Network for Children (NNC) is an alliance of 131 civil society organisations and supporters, working with and for children and families across the whole country. Promotion, protection and observing the rights of the child are part of the key principles that unite us. We do believe that all policies and practices, that affect directly or indirectly children should be based first and foremost on the best interests of the child. Furthermore they should be planned, implemented and monitored with a clear assessment of the impact on children and young people, and with their active participation. OUR VISION The National Network for Children works towards a society where every child has their own family and enjoys the best opportunities for life and development. There is a harmony between the sectoral policies for the child and the family, and the child rights and welfare are guaranteed. OUR MISSION The National Network for Children advocates for the rights and welfare of children by bringing together and developing a wide, socially significant network of organisations and supporters. OUR GOALS • Influence for better policies for children and families; • Changing public attitudes to the rights of the child; • Development of a model for child participation; • Development of the National Network for Children; • Improving the capacity of the Network and its member organisations; • Promotion of the public image of the National Network for Children. II | Annual Report 2015 | www.nmd.bg Dear friends, In 2015 the National Network for Children made a big step forward and reached its 10th anniversary which we are celebrating today.
    [Show full text]
  • The Shaping of Bulgarian and Serbian National Identities, 1800S-1900S
    The Shaping of Bulgarian and Serbian National Identities, 1800s-1900s February 2003 Katrin Bozeva-Abazi Department of History McGill University, Montreal A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1 Contents 1. Abstract/Resume 3 2. Note on Transliteration and Spelling of Names 6 3. Acknowledgments 7 4. Introduction 8 How "popular" nationalism was created 5. Chapter One 33 Peasants and intellectuals, 1830-1914 6. Chapter Two 78 The invention of the modern Balkan state: Serbia and Bulgaria, 1830-1914 7. Chapter Three 126 The Church and national indoctrination 8. Chapter Four 171 The national army 8. Chapter Five 219 Education and national indoctrination 9. Conclusions 264 10. Bibliography 273 Abstract The nation-state is now the dominant form of sovereign statehood, however, a century and a half ago the political map of Europe comprised only a handful of sovereign states, very few of them nations in the modern sense. Balkan historiography often tends to minimize the complexity of nation-building, either by referring to the national community as to a monolithic and homogenous unit, or simply by neglecting different social groups whose consciousness varied depending on region, gender and generation. Further, Bulgarian and Serbian historiography pay far more attention to the problem of "how" and "why" certain events have happened than to the emergence of national consciousness of the Balkan peoples as a complex and durable process of mental evolution. This dissertation on the concept of nationality in which most Bulgarians and Serbs were educated and socialized examines how the modern idea of nationhood was disseminated among the ordinary people and it presents the complicated process of national indoctrination carried out by various state institutions.
    [Show full text]
  • Sofia Model”: Creation out of Chaos
    The “Sofia Model”: Creation out of chaos Pathways to creative and knowledge-based regions ISBN 978-90-75246-62-9 Printed in the Netherlands by Xerox Service Center, Amsterdam Edition: 2007 Cartography lay-out and cover: Puikang Chan, AMIDSt, University of Amsterdam All publications in this series are published on the ACRE-website http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/acre and most are available on paper at: Dr. Olga Gritsai, ACRE project manager University of Amsterdam Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt) Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130 NL-1018 VZ Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel. +31 20 525 4044 +31 23 528 2955 Fax +31 20 525 4051 E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt), University of Amsterdam 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form, by print or photo print, microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. The “Sofia Model”: Creation out of chaos Pathways to creative and knowledge-based regions ACRE report 2.10 Evgenii Dainov Ivan Nachev Maria Pancheva Vasil Garnizov Accommodating Creative Knowledge – Competitiveness of European Metropolitan Regions within the Enlarged Union Amsterdam 2007 AMIDSt, University of Amsterdam ACRE ACRE is the acronym for the international research project Accommodating Creative Knowledge – Competitiveness of European Metropolitan Regions within the enlarged Union. The project is funded under the priority 7 ‘Citizens and Governance in a knowledge-based society within the Sixth Framework Programme of the EU (contract no. 028270). Coordination: Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Blood Ties: Religion, Violence, and the Politics of Nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878
    BLOOD TIES BLOOD TIES Religion, Violence, and the Politics of Nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878–1908 I˙pek Yosmaog˘lu Cornell University Press Ithaca & London Copyright © 2014 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. First published 2014 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2014 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yosmaog˘lu, I˙pek, author. Blood ties : religion, violence,. and the politics of nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878–1908 / Ipek K. Yosmaog˘lu. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8014-5226-0 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8014-7924-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Macedonia—History—1878–1912. 2. Nationalism—Macedonia—History. 3. Macedonian question. 4. Macedonia—Ethnic relations. 5. Ethnic conflict— Macedonia—History. 6. Political violence—Macedonia—History. I. Title. DR2215.Y67 2013 949.76′01—dc23 2013021661 Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Paperback printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Josh Contents Acknowledgments ix Note on Transliteration xiii Introduction 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Forum Process: Program Data
    FORUM PROCESS PROGRAM DATA PROGRAM DATA FP Program Data Cover.indd 1 11/20/07 3:03:17 AM FORUM PROCESS PUBLICATIONS 1 Donor’s Brief 2 Initiator’s Guide 3 Coordinator’s Guide 4 Moderator’s Guide 5 Forum Program Data 6 Forum Films Publisher: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) 3003 Berne www.deza.ch Concept and coordination: Tulum Ltd. CH – 6987 Caslano www.tulum-consult.com The information in this brochure was provided by: Balkan Assist Association, Sofia Foundation for Local Government Reform, Sofia Agency for Socioeconomic Analyses, Sofia Industrieconsult, Sofia Business Center, Svishtov Znanie Association, Lovech NGO Club, Targovishte National Alliance for Volunteer Action, Plovdiv Regional Association of Municipalities “Trakya”, Stara Zagora Center for Sustainable Development of Teteven Municipality, Teteven Compilation and processing: Diana Andreeva and Irena Boneva Summary of the information: Maya Krasteva Introduction texts: Ginka Kapitanova, Iva Taralezhkova and Alex Melzer Layout: Mark Manion, Commusication Arts Orders: SDC Distribution Center Telephone: +41 31 322 44 12 Fax: +41 31 324 13 48 E-mail: [email protected] © SDC 2007 FP Program Data Cover.indd 2 11/20/07 3:03:17 AM FORUM PROCESS PROGRAM DATA FP Program Data.indd 1 11/20/07 8:00:27 AM CONTEnts PROGRAM OVERVIEW ...........................................7 THE SDC FORUM PROGRAM IN BULGARIA 2000–2007..................7 Summary Table 1 – Program Outcome and Volume ..................9 Summary Table 2 – Timetable
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic Stereotypes and Prejudices of Young People in the Period 2004-2012
    Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy (BJSEP), Volume 9, Number 1, 2015 STUDY OF ETHNIC STEREOTYPE OF YOUNG BULGARIANS Zornitza GANEVA University of Sofia, BULGARIA Abstract. Ethnic stereotypes and prejudices as terms were examined from the point of view of the social identity theory (Tajfel, 1981). The results from a carried out longitudinal survey of stereotype and prejudices of young people of Bulgarian origin (n=1154; 453 men and 701 women; average age 21.7 years) in 6 time intervals: in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, towards the in-group and the representatives of the main ethnic minorities: Turks, Roma and Jews, were presented. Through free associations, the relation between stereotypes and attitudes was studied in two social contexts: personal and community. The results show that the assessment of the minority groups is more positive in the former than in the latter context. The persons studied perceive most negatively the representatives of the Romani ethnos, more weakly negatively the Turks, and the attitudes towards the Jews are positive. Keywords: longitudinal survey, ethnic stereotypes, ethnic prejudices, ethnic identity Introduction Bulgaria, as a part of the old continent of Europe, and because of its crossroad situation on the Balkan Peninsula, is a variegated, multi-coloured 46 mosaic of various ethnic groups, languages and cultures. These groups are interdependent and in constant interaction. Phenomena, events, conflicts on ethnic bases, which take place in a given territory, exert increasingly great influence on close and distant countries. The mutual influence and the de- pendence among the nations in the world are an increasingly obvious and in- disputable fact.
    [Show full text]
  • Clemena Antonova Senior Research Associate Centre for Patristic and Byzantine Cultural Heritage Sofia Bulgaria the National Muse
    EXHIBITION REVIEW ICONS AT THE CRYPT OF THE SAINT ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL Clemena Antonova Senior Research Associate Centre for Patristic and Byzantine Cultural Heritage Sofia Bulgaria The National Museum of Bulgarian Fine Arts in the Crypt of Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria holds the most representative permanent exhibition of icons produced on Bulgarian territory. The vast majority of works belong to the period between the 16th and 19th centuries, but there are also earlier pieces going as far back as the 4th century. There are also sections on 13th–14th century icons and 15th century ones. Clearly, the exhibit aims to be comprehensive and cover the whole period of icon production from Late Antiquity to the Bulgarian National Revival in the 19th century. In many ways, this ambition is realized. The classic beauty of the head of an angel from a fragment from the 4th–5th century, i.e. the time before the foundation of the Bulgarian state (681), is a typical example of the Late Antiquity art produced all across the Mediterranean. It is very different from the Byzantine-looking double icon of Christ Pantocrator (11th–12th century) and the Crucifixion (14th century) from Nessebar. The latter’s provenance from Nessebar, a town on the Black Sea coast that changed hands between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Kingdom several times, is not surprising. From subjects that are common to Eastern Orthodox iconography—the Crucifixion, the Last Supper, the Figure 1. Saint John of Rila Annunciation and major Orthodox saints such as Saints Demetrius and George—we with Scenes of His Life.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded 4.0 License
    CHAPTER 14 Choral Societies and National Mobilization in Nineteenth-Century Bulgaria Ivanka Vlaeva Compared with the histories of many national movements in nineteenth- century Europe, in Bulgaria the industrial revolution was delayed and mod- ern culture arrived late. Lagging behind most other Europeans, the Bulgarian population had to compensate for its lack of modern cultural development. Thus, one important characteristic of Bulgarian culture is its evolution at accelerated rates. Before liberation in 1878, for almost five centuries the Bulgarian lands were under Ottoman rule, without their own governmental and religious institu- tions. Foreign rule, a feudal economy, a weak middle class, and the absence of national cultural institutions were serious obstacles to the development of a new culture on the western European model. The most important aims for the Bulgarians (led by educators, intellectuals, and revolutionists) were to struggle politically against Ottoman governance, economically for new industrial pro- cesses in the Ottoman Empire, and culturally for a national identity. The lead- ers of the revolutionary movement called for a struggle not against the Turkish people, but against Ottoman rulers and foreign clerks.1 These historical processes resemble those elsewhere in Europe, especially in the central and southeastern regions. Nineteenth-century Bulgarian culture therefore needs to be considered along with that of the Balkans more gener- ally because of the cultural similarities, interactions, and fluctuations in this region.2 The establishment of a new economy and the fight for modern educa- tion were among the main priorities in Bulgarian communities. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are the so-called Revival period in Bulgarian cultural development, strongly influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulgaria Eco Tours and Village Life
    BULGARIA ECO TOURS AND VILLAGE LIFE www.bulgariatravel.org Unique facts about Bulgaria INTRODUCTION To get to know Bulgaria, one has to dive into its authenticity, to taste the product of its nature, to backpack across the country and to gather bouquets of memories and impressions. The variety of The treasure of Bulgarian nature is well preserved Bulgarian nature offers abundant opportunities for engaging outdoor in the national conservation parks. The climate and activities – one can hike around the many eco trails in the National diverse landscape across the country are combined Parks and preservation areas, observe rare animal and bird species or in a unique way. This is one of the many reasons for visit caves and landmarks. the country to have such an animal and plant diversity. Bulgaria has a dense net of eco trails. There are new routes constantly Many rare, endangered and endemic species live in the marked across the mountains, which makes many places of interest Bulgarian conservation parks. Through the territory and landmarks more accessible. of the country passes Via Pontica – the route of the migratory birds from Europe to Africa. The eco-friendly outdoor activities are easily combined with the opportunity to enjoy rural and alternative tours. One can get acquainted with the authentic Bulgarian folklore and can stay in a traditional vintage village house in the regions of Rila, Pirin, The Rodopi For those who love nature, Bulgaria is the Mountains, Strandzha, Stara Planina (the Balkan Range), the Upper place to be. You can appreciate the full Thracian valley, the Danube and the Black Sea Coast regions.
    [Show full text]