Museums in Bulgaria insist on receiving 50% more money next year for the maintenance and modernization of the fund storage and exhibition halls, as well as for raising wages in the sector, as there is a mass departure of specialists. At the moment, there is a serious imbalance between education and culture, the chairman of the Association "Bulgarian Museums" Boris Hadjiyski told BNR.

"A 50 percent increase in funds for museums and art galleries could be used to modernize the material and technical base of museums and galleries, mainly exhibition halls and repositories, because we are lagging behind in this regard. Museums and galleries preserve and preserve over 8 million movable cultural assets. We would like them to be taken care of in the best possible way, and this is done with serious investments. We would also like to modernize our exhibition halls," he said.

The other request is for salary increases, Hadjiyski added. According to him, this money will be to catch up the backlog over the years for these workers.

"We are confident that the standards will be increased," he also said about their meeting with Finance Minister Asen Vassilev. Boris Hadjiyski was categorical that they do not agree with a possible "miserable increase" in the standards of Bulgarian museums. And he added: "We are the custodians of the nation's memory. We are the custodians of the national identity. And this national identity must be protected with all our might. This is good for all of us."