According to the Cultural Heritage Act, the museum is a cultural and scientific institution, and the Sliven Regional History Museum has been paying extremely close attention to education in recent years, said Museum Director Dr. Nikolay Sirakov during a local conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Friday.
He pointed out that in addition to a modern interactive base, renovated with European funds, the museum also has an educator working with children’s groups on various educational initiatives. The focus is primarily on the game form of working with children, so that they can more easily absorb theoretical knowledge of history, traditions, and culture, Sirakov emphasised, adding that they also organize lectures and activities in schools and kindergartens. “We also have a scientific group of an associate professor, a doctor and a doctoral student, whose fundamental task is to work with older children from vocational high schools and students,” Sirakov said.
He emphasised that the Sliven Regional History Museum is an annual host of an international student internship, in partnership with the New Bulgarian University. Students from Bulgaria, France, Poland, Belgium, Mexico, the USA, Germany and Brazil have done their internship in Sliven and, specifically, at the museum, Sirakov pointed out, adding that field, anthropological, ethnological and cultural research is carried out here by the students.
BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
