site.btaSofia City Hall, Culture Ministry Launch Temporary Archaeological Conservation to Prepare Downtown Sofia Finds for Winter

Sofia, August 25 (BTA) - The Sofia City Hall and the Ministry of Culture are launching temporary conservation of open-air archaeological finds in downtown Sofia to prepare them for the coming autimn and winter. This transpired at a news conference held jointly Monday by Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova and caretaker Culture Minister Martin Ivanov.
  
Conservation measures will be applied to a large ancient Roman complex of buildings and streets dating from the end of the 3rd to the beginning of the 4th century. Standing in the elements for two years now waiting to be properly displayed in what would be Sofia's Serdica Ancient Cultural and Communication Complex right under the windows of the government headquarters and the President's Office, the finds are soaked by unsesonably wet weather through the outgoing summer.

Many experts are of the opinion that the situation in the open-air archaeological zone is already critical. Parts of the finds that are covered remain in a slightly better condition.
 
For a third year in a row now this exceedingly important project of Sofia's archaeological heritage, begun in parallel with the construction of the underground train service, cannot be completed. The Ministry of Culture succeeded in providing European funds for displaying the finds but the project cannot be finished due to the constant appeals of the contract award procedure by failed applicants, Fandakova said.
   
"Ivanov is the last person to blame for the present condition of the Largo. He is also the first of the recent ministers of culture to make a personal commitment to this project which is a national treasure," the Mayor added.

The sides have agreed about the measures they will undertake together over the next twenty days or so to enable the so-called Largo to weather the autumn and winter and avoid any more risks for SofiaÒs archaeological wealth.
   
The Sofia City Hall and experts from the Museum of Sofia History will undertake the temporary conservation. The Ministry of Culture will be responsible for pumping out the water and the municipalityÒs Green Systems division will clean the grass in the site. The existing cover that allows the walls to "breathe" and prevents mold, will be replaced with new cover.  The site will also be reinforced with sandbags.
   
Conservation activities at the site are due to start Tuesday or Wednesday.
   
The Sofia City Hall has invested about 6 million leva in the excavations and reinforcing the construction of the Largo, Fandakova said. She hopes the site will be prepared for the winter by September 15.
 
Once ready, it is expected to become SofiaÒs greatest attraction.