The Restoration of the Buzludzha Monument would Cost the Bulgarian State EUR 7.5 Million

Politics » DOMESTIC | December 10, 2018, Monday // 14:29
Bulgaria: The Restoration of the Buzludzha Monument would Cost the Bulgarian State EUR 7.5 Million

The renovation of the Buzludja monument would cost 7.5 million leva, the roof of the building urgently needs to be repaired, it should be declared a monument of culture and decided which state structure will govern it. The owner can then apply for European funds for its reimbursement. Its future functions must be publicly discussed. One of the possible options is to become a modern museum. That would take 4-5 years.

These recommendations and findings are provided by the Europe Nostra cultural heritage organization and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in a study on the future of the so-called "flying saucer" of Buzludzha Peak. The monument, built in 1981, entered the list of the seven most endangered cultural monuments in Europe in 2018. For decades, the "flying saucer" has been abandoned and collapsing. However, the futuristic building is very popular with foreign tourists. Photographs appeared on the covers of many travel magazines, and the world media dedicated many materials to the monument.

Despite the interest from Bulgaria and abroad, the government is not taking steps to restore the monument to Buzludzha. According to the Europe Nostra report and the European Investment Bank, the first steps the cabinet should take is to decide which institution will be responsible for the monument. It is logical that it is the Ministry of Culture. The building is currently managed by the district government of Stara Zagora.

According to the study, the building should be declared a cultural monument. The culture agency explained that the procedure had begun, but it is not clear when it will end.

After these issues have been resolved, the two organizations have recommended that the "flying saucer" be repaired urgently - to fix the roof and close the windows so that the mosaics in the building are not damaged by the weather. According to the report of the two organizations, this would cost about 500,000 euros.

The entire reconstruction of the building could be applied for funds from the European funds. The amount of the refund is set at € 7 million. It is possible to apply for a loan from the European Investment Bank or other similar financial institutions.

What will be the future purpose of the Buzludzha monument should be decided after a public discussion. However, it is recommended that whatever is done with it is not related to political ideologies - the "flying saucer" is one of the symbols of the Socialist Party. It is proposed to become a modern museum. According to the Europe Nostra study and the EIB, the management of the future museum can be given to a private organization in order to be more efficient.

At present it is not clear whether the Bulgarian authorities will comply with the recommendations of the experts.

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