After Republic of Bulgaria funnelled ninety meg euros from the European Union into restoration projects that critics select slated, conservationists dread the results of the adjacent spending spree – together with the expected tourist nail has yet to materialise.
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| The medieval fort of Krakra nigh Pernik has been dubbed the “cardboard castle” because of its Polymer concrete additions [Credit: New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016] |
“It had survived sixteen centuries, together with right away it’s been ruined past times 2 meg euros,” she added.
Sitting atop a mount top betwixt ancient Thrace together with Macedonia, the fort is 1 of 120 heritage sites that Bulgaria’s regime chose to restore every bit tourist attractions betwixt 2011 together with 2015, using its ain coin together with nearly ninety meg euros from the EU’s Regional Development Fund, ERDF.
While about sites, similar the Roman villa of Armira, nigh Ivaylovgrad, are praised for their careful restoration, many others select provoked ridicule for their overblown reconstruction piece of job together with kitschy appearance, earning nicknames such every bit “cardboard castle” together with “cheese fortress”.
Conservationists warn that much of the “restoration” piece of job has damaged rather than preserved centuries-old landmarks, without attracting the hoped-for tourism boom. Even 1 of the scheme’s cheerleaders has suggested that funds select been misused.
Now about other tranche of European funding, known inwards Republic of Bulgaria every bit “Operational programme ‘Regions inwards Growth’”, is due to acquire available this year. Under it, at to the lowest degree 100 meg euros volition live allocated to prepare to a greater extent than tourist attractions.
The European Union together with Bulgarian authorities select conceded to BIRN that lessons involve to live learned from the before programme, but are soundless backing the latest spending spree.
Expert groups, including the International Council of Monuments together with Sites, ICOMOS, warn that the urge to absorb to a greater extent than European Union coin together with create novel additions to historic ruins, is “forging history” together with “irreversibly destroying heritage sites”.
Minister justified ‘fakery’ every bit aid for tourism
Back inwards 2011, the government’s computer program was advertised every bit percentage of a new, “sustainable tourism” policy, which would convey thousands of visitors to the province together with supply an economical uplift.
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| The Byzantine fort of Yaylata, nigh the remote hamlet of Kamen Bryag, has been mocked every bit “the cheese fortress” thanks to its shine novel Ytong-style white blocks [Credit: Vladimir Rumenov, March 2018] |
One of the most controversial results from the investment computer program is the fort of Krakra at Pernik.
Visitors select been puzzled to watch newly added polymer concrete, earning it the nickname “the cardboard castle”.
The local municipality has already announced plans to dismantle the additions inwards 2019, every bit shortly every bit the minimum 5 years of functioning required past times the funding system are up.
The Byzantine fort of Yaylata, nigh the remote hamlet of Kamen Briag, has meanwhile been dubbed “the cheese fortress”, cheers to its shine novel Ytong-style white blocks.
Its drinking glass fence together with signs, introduced every bit percentage of the 1-million-euro facelift, select been shattered for to a greater extent than than a year.
H5N1 much-contested 11-million-euro restoration of the ruins of ancient Serdica, the Roman metropolis nether the capital, Sofia, is likewise already falling apart.
Inaugurated inwards early on 2015, amid protests that the bricks together with mortars used did non come across the standards for restoration, its “underground museum” has yet to open.
The Ministry of Culture, which in 1 trial fiercely defended the project, is right away suing the edifice contractor for “improper execution” of the restoration work.
Even 1 of the substitution advocates of the restorations, Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov, the slowly old manager of the National History Museum of Bulgaria, suggested final twelvemonth that coin from the programme had been embezzled.
“The 4th failure [of the programme], was of course, theft,” he said inwards an interview with the daily Dnevnik.
“A picayune fighting of fakery volition practise a lot for tourism,” Vezhdi Rashidov, hence Minister of Culture, famously remarked inwards parliament inwards 2015, responding to detractors who had defendant him of constructing a historical Disneyland together with the “Skopje-visation” of Bulgarian heritage, referencing the widely derided makeover of the Macedonian capital.
‘Fake’ castles dismissed every bit serious attractions
Not everyone agrees that “fakery” has helped the tourist industry. Tourist sector leaders together with analysts told BIRN the programme was having picayune to no effect.
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| The medieval fort of Krakra nigh Pernik has been dubbed the “cardboard castle” because of its Polymer concrete additions [Credit: New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016] |
“These ‘fake castles’ are of absolutely no significance to our business. At best, they are suitable for the amusement of local schoolchildren,” he scoffed.
Popov said the programme was designed without regard for actual tourist demands together with its goal was just “the absorption of European Union money”.
Dr Elka Dogramadjieva agrees. An assistant professor of tourism at Sofia University, who final twelvemonth co-authored a newspaper on the effects of ERDF funds on the tourism sector, she said: “The initial goal of the programme wasn’t to sponsor kitsch. Unfortunately, inwards many cases this is precisely what happened, which has compromised the thought of developing tourist attractions.”
She together with her colleagues said heritage sites should live developed, but that the existing funding system had failed “qualitatively”: it had absorbed the largest amount of coin that Bulgarian heritage had seen inwards decades, but the regime had failed to invest it wisely.
“Instead of focusing on strategic sites, funds were scattered alongside many similar projects that are of minor involvement to visitors, together with inwards about cases, of picayune scientific importance,” Dr Dogramadjieva said.
“You involve to a greater extent than than overnice alleyways together with a signpost to attract people. In general, it seems the master copy goal of municipalities has been the absorption of European money, rather than the actual final result on tourism.”
The touching on of the system is hard to measure, every bit the entirely source of information is the tourist attractions’ ain reports - a source that a 2015 audit of the programme deemed unreliable.
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| Experts fearfulness that the "weeping" walls of the of late restored Trayanovi Vrata castle are the final result of piteous character cloth [Credit: jana Punkina] |
However, it reported entirely 50,000 euro inwards turnover from ticket sales, guided tours together with souvenurs, which was 15,000 euros brusque of their describe of piece of job organisation plan, seen past times BIRN.
The fort at Krakra welcomed 15,412 people inwards 2016, but made entirely 8,000 euros from ticket sales together with tours.
However, the average ticket toll is 2 euros, hence the income does non check with the footfall figures.
One of the advocates of the castle boom, Professor Dimitrov, said the most expensive restoration project, the medieval Bulgarian majuscule of Pliska, drew 250,000 tourists inwards 2016.
Data obtained past times BIRN, however, shows that the entire Museum of Shumen, which operates Pliska together with 3 other reserves, recorded 150,000 visitors that twelvemonth – far fewer than 250,000.
In Veliko Tarnovo, the newly restored sites of Trapezitsa together with Nikopolis advertizement Istrum drew 8,778 together with 7,092 visitors for 2017, respectively.
Two to a greater extent than sites, including the pop goal of Perperikon, ignored BIRN’s asking for visitor numbers.
H5N1 tourist poll, conducted past times the National Institute of Statistics, advise that visitors select been spending less, non more, on cultural activities betwixt 2013 to 2015 – the years when most sites were opened.
Historical sites left “damaged” past times restoration
Kitsch designs together with a failure to print tourists are non the worst outcomes of the programme, according to heritage experts, who debate that shoddy piece of job has damaged about historic sites. Gabriela Semova-Koleva, of the Bulgarian branch International Council on Monuments together with Sites, told BIRN that the utilisation of cement together with other improper materials has made these interventions irreversible.
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| The create novel ruins of ancient Serdica inwards Sofia are already inwards ruins [Credit: Aneliya Nikolova/Dnevnik] |
When BIRN visited inwards January, a soft, white, mould-like nub appeared to live leaking from its novel walls.
Elsewhere, layers of bricks appeared to select fallen off, leaving the original construction exposed. Two amphorae could barely live seen nether the drinking glass of poorly placed display cases.
Stella Duleva, the architect of the project, resigned inwards protestation at the agency the piece of job was carried out.
She lodged complaints with the authorities, believing the builders used cheaper materials than the specifications she had set, including cement.
The Ministry of Culture together with the Ministry of Regional Development, which supervised ERDF programmes, found no wrongdoing on the site, however.
Duleva pointed to entire parts of the original structure, which were left unprotected later her fellowship quit, together with were visibly degrading nether the elements. Her squad believes that the white leaks from the walls are clear signs that the contractors did non utilisation the right mortar.
Two experts consulted past times BIRN – the caput of the Association of Restorers Ivan Vanev together with Ivan Rostovski, an skillful inwards the land of construction materials together with caput of the testing lab at the University of Architecture together with Civil Engineering inwards Sofia – said the white stains are belike a final result of “a defect associated with the improper alternative together with application of construction materials, specially when exposed to mutual depression temperature together with moisture atmospheric conditions”.
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| The create novel ruins of ancient Serdica inwards Sofia. Apart from the fact that the novel bricks are visibly ruined, the ancient Roman walls are likewise damaged inwards many places nether the novel construction [Credit: New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016] |
It pointed out likewise the actual construction was conducted past times a smaller company, Dano R, together with that the piece of job was approved past times Bulgarian institutions.
The utilisation of this type of consortium is 1 of the faults of the programme, Duleva says, every bit it was oftentimes far from clear who was carrying out the work.
Dano-R has denied wrongdoing. It claimed sections of the fort were left “without intervention” on the advice of a restoration expert, hence that visitors could watch the “authentic parts” of the structure, a claim dismissed every bit “preposterous” past times Duleva.
Duleva argues that the countrywide restoration programme was poorly planned together with in that location were non plenty restoration experts to consummate hence many projects inwards such a brusque time.
“In most cases, the tender procedure was weighed inwards favour of finding the cheapest builder rather than the character of the work,” she added.
Officials claim extra cash volition bargain with problems
The Ministry of Culture did non reply to requests for comment for this article; the Ministry of Regional Development declined to reply to questions virtually past times failures, but insisted that the novel 100 meg euros would live allocated differently.
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| The Archaeological Part 'New Life for the Past' inwards the town of Radnevo which abuts with a prefab neighbourhood together with a monument from socialist times [Credit: New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016] |
Public hearings virtually projection designs will “address the comments … regarding ‘fake restorations’ together with the devastation of authentic monuments received regarding the projects completed nether the Regional Development Programme 2007-2013,” the ministry building added.
H5N1 European Commission source told BIRN the restoration projects were “contributing to local together with regional increment inwards the country”, adding that “in the few cases where the terminate final result was non according to the contract, corrections were carried out”.
“The Commission works closely with Republic of Bulgaria on learning the lessons from the 2007-2013 catamenia together with on making certain the funds are used inwards the best possible way,” the source added.
These assurances, even hence practise non address the concerns of experts similar Dr Dogramadjieva, who told BIRN that the novel programme is suffering from the same pattern flaws past times failing to prioritise strategic sites together with address existent demand.
And, with all of Bulgaria’s 165 sites of national together with the world importance eligible to apply, conservationists fearfulness that to a greater extent than sites of European heritage importance are virtually to plow into “brand novel ruins”.
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| Mannequines guard the medieval fort of Neutzikon nigh the hamlet of Mezzek cheers to European Union funds [Credit: New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016] |
“We are offering our help, our expertise, but no 1 seems to hear,” Semova-Koleva of ICOMOS told BIRN. “We’re seen every bit a hurdle inwards the projects’ way.”
For to a greater extent than images watch New Life for the Past, a contemporary fine art projection past times Dimitar Solakov, 2015-2016.
This floor was produced every bit percentage of the BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting programme.
Author: Ana Blagova | Source: BIRN via Balkan Insight [September 06, 2018]
Sumber http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com
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