"Discovery of Bulgaria" Project
Project initiators: The High Anthropological School
and the Fund for Cultural Initiatives «World as mirror for
Moldova»
Partners: Historical Museum in Silistra,
Archaelogical Institute in Shumen, branch of the Bulgarian
Academy of Science; Archaelogical Museum in Varna; Youth Research
Center «Terra M»
Project managers: N.D. Rusev and Georgi Atanasov
(leader of scientific group of the Historical Museum in Silistra,
Bulgaria). Professors and students of the High Anthropological
School take part in the project.
Project Objectives:
•
Development of co-operation between scientists and students
from Moldova and Bulgaria ;
•
Expansion of cultural
dialogue in conditions of intensified processes of the European
integration;
•
Archaeological research
of interaction of various ethnocultural components in historical
development of the region;
•
Study of history and
modern conditions of interethnic relations in Bulgaria.
The H.A.S. students excavating Veliky Preslav – the capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom |
Activities:
•
Archaeological
excavations of sites of early medieval epoch in Northeast
Bulgaria;
•
Study of traditions
of various ethno-confessional groups of the same region;
•
Sociometric
study of different generations of the Bulgarian citizens'
values;
•
Organization
of a scientific-practical seminar "Moldova - Bulgaria:
opportunities for scientific and business cooperation"
in Kishinev;
•
Edition of
a series of postcards "Unknown Bulgaria";
•
Publication
of materials about the Bulgarian expedition in newspapers,
magazines, brochures;
•
Edition of
a scientific monograph on the results of joint researches;
•
Initiating
of telecasts about Moldova-Bulgarian cultural-historical
communications, about common and particular in the modern
life of two countries;
•
Shooting of
the film «With us across Bulgaria» revealing to the Moldavian
spectators quite familiar country from unexpected perspective;
•
Participation
in informational and advertising maintenance of new youth
tourist routes across Bulgaria.
Historical Museum in Silistra – one of the partners of "Discovery of Bulgaria" Project |
Course
of the project performance:
1. Excavation on ancient settlement
of Ruino - Kartal-kale (2000-2002) revealed remains of a
fortress dated by the First Bulgarian Empire. Strength of
its walls concedes only to capital strongholds, and settlement
is the most extensive of all known today. After two terrible
fires connected with the wars of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav
and the Pechenegs' invasion, the population left these places
forever.
2. During archaeological researches
of 2001 in capital of the Bulgarian tsars - Preslava, it
became possible for the first time to discover a dwelling
of the pre-Christian period.
3. Researches of a palace complex
of the Bulgarian khans in Pliska (2002) revealed particular
design features of a spacious gallery with the floor laid
out with antique brick, while walls and the ceiling were
coated with wood. Fire destroyed underground passages several
kilometers long already during pagan period of history;
they never were restored again.
4. Excavation of a pagan necropolis
in village Mogilishte has allowed discovering some graves
of people with heads intentionally lengthened by a deforming
bandage. This peculiarity of the discovered skulls places
them closer to the traditions of the Alanian population
of the Northern Caucasus, which took part in formation of
Bulgarian ethnos.
5. Important observations have
been made concerning the life, material culture, calendar
and family holidays of the Bulgarians, Gagauz, Turks, Tatars,
Roma and Russians who live in settlements Ruino, Dulovo,
Kavarna and Tataritsa.
Archaeological excavations
on the Patriarch's church in Silistra |
Perspectives
in porject activities
The already undertaken works
have led participants to the idea to expand the research
area towards the lands laying to the north from the lower
reaches of the Danube. This is "Onglos" of the
Byzantine historians, which at the end of 7th century became
the residence of the Bulgarian khan Asparukh. Here began
their rapproachement with the Slavs, giving birth to the
history of the Bulgarian state and Bulgarian people on the
new territory. There the First Bulgarian Empire came into
contact with the nomadic world.
Already in 18th-19th centuries
the "Onglos" was inhabited by thousands of families
from the right coast of the Danube - so it gave rise to
the modern Bulgarian-Gagauz population of Moldova and the
Odessa area in the Ukraine.
Closeness of historical destinies
of this region and the northeast regions of Bulgaria does
parallel studying of the past and the present of both regions
extremely prospective. The big interest in continuation
of the initiated works in the given direction and readiness
to lead the activities of the Bulgarian colleagues was shown
by the Association "Free University of Varna".
