site.btaVasil Levski Museum's Exhibition in Lovech to Be Renovated with over BGN 81,000 from Culture Ministry

The permanent exhibition of the Vasil Levski Museum in Lovech will be renovated under a project worth more than BGN 81,000, BTA learned from Elena Georgieva, who is in charge of Work with the Public at the Lovech Regional History Museum. The funds are provided by the Ministry of Culture.

The Vasil Levski Museum has the richest collection of the revolutionary 's personal belongings, she recalled. Among them are his sabre, original photographs, documents, the printing press he used, and other artefacts. "It is a paradox that of the two sites related to Levski's activities - the Kukrin Inn [where he was captured by the Ottoman authorities] and the museum in Lovech, it is the museum that has the richest collection but it is the inn that gets the most visitors. Which goes to show that there is potential for attracting new visitors and turning the site into a modern attractive centre,", Georgieva told BTA.

According to her, the permanent exhibition tells the story not only of Levski's work but also of  the national liberation struggles in general, as well as of the Russo-Turkish wars on the territory of Lovech. Translation into foreign languages is also planned, as the Museum aims to attract foreign visitors.

Georgieva added that since its establishment in 1954, the Vasil Levski Museum has undergone several changes to the exhibition, with the last one in 2008. According to her, this project will provide an opportunity to create a new concept and design of the permanent exhibition, incorporating modern technologies to enrich the educational programmes and the visitor experience. "We aim to reach out to students and youth, the local community, tourists, history and heritage professionals and researchers, and people with special needs. The Lovech Regional History Museum team will have the opportunity to get sustainable results including cultural events, lectures, and workshops for the local community," explained Georgieva.

She also said that a meeting has already been held to set the project timeline. A thematic-exhibition documentation for the implementation of the project is to be prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Culture for review and approval by August. The thematic-exhibition plan will be developed by a team of designers and museum specialists. Renowned specialists in the field of the National Revival will be involved, including Prof. Plamen Mitev from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and Prof. Vera Boneva from the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in the capital. They will work with museum specialists Silviya Georgieva (Museum Director) and Teodor Tonchev (curator at the Museum). The project should be completed by November 2025.

Partners in the project's implementation are Lovech Municipality (assistance in legal matters) and the Vasil Levski Primary School in Lovech (educational programmes).