Projects Preservation of the cultural heritage of Nessebur in the second half of the twentieth century

01 June, 2014 – 01 February, 2016

Author: Asst. Prof. Ivan Vanev, PhD, Fine Arts Department

The work is a follow-up to the research project Preservation of Antiquities in Nessebur in the First Half of the Twentieth Century. 1948 was chosen to be a conditional boundary between the two periods. At the time the National Museum of Archaeology merged with the Institute of Archaeology and the new structure was placed under the administration of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This put an end to the leading role of the museum in the field of conservation of immovable cultural sites in Nessebur. The Commission on Antiquities at the National Museum ceased to exist on 22 January 1952; the Council on Protection of Cultural Monuments was established with the Committee on Science, Arts and Culture. In 1957 the Institute of Cultural Monuments was established and it led the most ambitious activities in the field of preservation of Nessebur’s cultural heritage.
Aside form preserving the immovable cultural sites, the period under consideration is related also to the fate of the icons from Nessebur, which were transferred to the holdings of the National Art Gallery and the National Museum of History in Sofia.
The research project seeks to trace the history of the protection of Nessebur’s cultural heritage in the second half of the twentieth century. The study of the various architectural and artistic monuments, which have been subject to restoration during that period in the context of the preservation of their authenticity, is an integral part of the project. The study seeks to provide not only practical guidance, but also to facilitate future studies and upcoming restoration works on these monuments. Such a study would contribute to the very few studies on the protection of Nessebur. The initiative of the Municipality of Nessebur to map out a comprehensive plan of the conservation and management of the Old Town confirms the relevance of the study. Two large-scale projects of restoration of the churches of St. John Aliturgetos and St. Archangels are underway.
The study will be conducted in two stages. The first one relates to research in the archives of the Committee on Science, Arts and Culture, the Institute of Cultural Monuments and the personal archives of persons associated with the preservation of Nessebur’s cultural heritage of the period under consideration. The second is a study of the available sites related to the subject and an analysis of the collected material.
The results of the project will be promoted by participation in scientific events and publications in specialized editions. The work on the project will continue in cooperation with the Archaeological Museum of Nessebar.