The project ‘Cultural heritage of Apollonia-Sozopol, ages old and for the ages’ represents the preservation of an important buildings within the territory of the town of Sozopol, Bulgaria. The development of the Cultural Centre and the Ethnographic Museum in the old town contributes to the preservation and promotion of the culture and cultural heritage in the region.
The project ‘Cultural heritage of Apollonia-Sozopol, ages old and for the ages’ is crucial for the sustainable development of Sozopol and the cross border region.
Project objectives: preservation of the rich cultural heritage in Bulgaria; conservation, restoration, adaptation and socialization of a building of great importance; creation of an Ethnographic Museum of Sozopol; promotion of the objectives and results of the project; accessibility to renovated facility for all; achievement of a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Sozopol and the cross border region.
Results of the project implementation: restoration and preservation of cultural heritage for future generations; creation of an Ethnographic Museum in Sozopol; socialization of cultural sites of great importance; documentation of culture, cultural history and cultural heritage; presentation of contemporary arts and culture, and contribution to cultural diversity; achievement of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Sozopol and cross border region.
Project partners:
1. Sozopol Municipality as lead organization.
The Municipality has implemented a number of projects, significant for the region and area. Among them are:
– “Integration of cultural and historical values, and diversification of tourism products in the Municipality of Sozopol” implemented in the period 23.11.2011-06.04.2014 and funded under Operational Programme Regional Development 2007-2013.
– “Caring for the child,” implemented in the period 28.12.2011-28.12.2013 and funded under Operational Programme Regional Development 2007-2013.
2. Sozopol Foundation as project partner.
The Foundation is responsible for the management of the project, coordinates the activities of the participants, takes active participation in the development of proposals and plans for the restoration, and in the selections of evaluation criteria. In addition, it performs activities related to obtaining donations and charity. The Foundation also contributes through joint maintenance of the site with Sozopol Municipality, for its normal functioning after the project.
3. Cherno more-Strandzha Association as project partner.
As an NGO with extensive experience in the field of preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, as well as providing accessible environment for people with disabilities, it provides the lead partner consulting services at each stage of the project, through specialists and experts that it works with. This contributes for achieving the goals and realizing the expected results.
These organizational structures work in mutual understanding, guided by the common objective of preservation of cultural heritage, cultural tourism development and provision of accessible environment for people with disabilities. All of the set objectives and expected results were achieved. There haven’t been any budget constraints during the project implementation.
Phases of development: Project implementation has been fulfilled in a very good coordination between the partners. The beginning was set with the creation of an optimal organizational and management system for project activities. A two-tier system of organizing and management was selected, which has been used in the implementation of a number of projects and guarantees the success of this one. The work on preservation and renovation in the area of intervention was started after defining the responsibilities and tasks of each one involved in the project, in order to create an Ethnographic Museum with exhibitions both indoors and in Sozopol. Conservation activities and socialization of cultural heritage were also carried out. Innovative and proved methods were used for publicity and promotion of the project activities and results. The project was adequately presented to the public and all stakeholders, promoting the achieved results and realized goals. All were acquainted with the importance of the European and national cooperation, the financial contribution of EU and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well the achieved added value. The strategy that was followed in the execution phase of the project development is based on a set of methods through inherent, specific, well positioned and identifiable measures that have been proven economical, innovative, efficient and effective.
Project implementation was funded by:
– Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area with leading participation of the Kingdom of Norway and the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria as a Programme Operator;
The value of all project activities amounts to € 552 029.00.
The project is of great importance both national and international. In carrying out conservation and restoration works the authenticity of site was preserved at its maximum. The functionality of renewed building has been amended and improved. Thus, was made another step towards the transformation of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage into more accessible and attractive for both Bulgarians and foreigners, including people with disabilities. The project ensures progress for local people and new opportunities to improve their competitiveness. It contributes to a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Sozopol and the cross border region.
Additional information:
The building “Thracian Inn”, where nowadays is housed the Ethnographic Museum of Sozopol, was in a serious emergency condition before the beginning of the project. After the activities were carried out – archaeological research, conservation, restoration, adaptation and socialization of the site – with the full preservation of the original substance in the interior and exterior, was created the Ethnographic Museum. The museum works with exposures indoors and outdoors. It contributes to a brighter expression and recognition in a contemporary modern world of cultural national identity in the region.
The building of the Ethnographic Museum, Sozopol
Footage of the exhibits displayed in the Ethnographic Museum