Bulgaria is losing half its cultural heritage, the institute’s removed director warned

A total of 85% of the sites in Bulgaria with the status of real cultural monuments are at risk, and in the coming years the country will lose half of its real cultural heritage. He warns of the removed director of the National Institute of Real Cultural Heritage (NINC) Arch. Petar Petrov in his activity report, sent to the media.

Petrov, against whose removal will be held today, states that after his assumption of office in 2021, the institute has monitored the state of the Bulgarian heritage, which has not been made for 30 years.

« Results: 10% of the real cultural heritage is irreversibly destroyed; 35% is in an emergency state, the target to disappear; 40% is in good technical condition, but with disturbed authenticity. This means that 85% of the sites are at risk and that in the coming years Bulgaria will lose half its real cultural heritage. »

The analysis of NINC has established legislative, institutional, educational and socio-economic problems in the system of preservation of cultural monuments. « We have proposed a plan for strategic and emergency measures for the rescue of real cultural heritage before the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Finance, the Committee on Culture and Media at the National Assembly. I took all possible actions within my powers, » said Petar Petrov. He indicates his initiatives to improve the regulatory framework, as well as the measures he has taken to deal with the delay of files at the institute, the training of experts, as well as to digitize and introduce new technologies in his work.

« Sustainable solving problems in conservation, however, is impossible without legal changes, without support from the legislative and executive, without understanding the importance and potential of the real cultural heritage for our identity as individuals and as a society and for the economy of the country, » says Petrov.

Here is the full report of the removed Director of NINC: