site.btaKazanlak Municipality Not Taking Over Management of Buzludzha Monument, Conservation to Be Carried Out Still

The project for the conservation of the Buzludzha Monument will be carried out, even though the Kazanlak Municipality will not take over the monument's management from the Stara Zagora Regional Administration, said Stara Zagora Regional Governor Metodi Markov and Kazanlak Mayor Galina Stoyanova during a press conference at the National Press Club of BTA here on Wednesday.

Markov and Stoyanova signed an agreement according to which the Stara Zagora Regional Administration will become the main partner and executor of the project activities. The project is part of the concept for Integrated Territorial Investments, with the Kazanlak Municipality as leading partner. It will be implemented together with the municipalities of Pavel Banya and Maglizh.

Markov recalled that a referendum was held in Kazanlak on November 17, where residents of the municipality were asked whether they supported the local administration taking over the management of the monument for a period of 10 years. Due to low voter turnout, the referendum was non-binding, and the Stara Zagora Regional Administration was forced to withdraw from the initial agreement on the project. As this would have put a stop to the whole project, urgent meetings were held with the responsible institutions to find a solution.

According to the new agreement, Kazanlak Municipality will remain the lead partner, as it is the eligible beneficiary of the project. However, as the main partner the Regional Administration will carry out all activities for the development of the working project, construction activities and control. This will be carried out in close cooperation with the local administration in Kazanlak, Markov emphasised. He added that the Buzludzha Project Foundation will also remain a partner and will work on preparing the tasks and criteria, as well as on communicating the project with the public and the media.

After the completion of the project, the state must decide how to continue the management of the monument. Markov stressed that since it is a cultural monument of national importance, it is most logical for the Culture Ministry to take over the management. He pointed out that the status of the land under the monument, which is located on two properties owned by the Agriculture Ministry, is also to be settled at a later stage, expressing hope that this will happen as soon as the end of February 2025.

Stoyanova emphasised that the agreement is the best way to solve two problems that affect society, which are the implementation of the projects of the municipalities of Kazanlak, Pavel Banya and Maglizh, and the preservation of a monument that currently needs emergency repairs. She pointed out that neither the state nor Kazanlak Municipality will spend funds from its budgets for the project. She thanked Markov for using all opportunities to make the state take up its functions to take care of such an important national monument.