Sofia
ProtocolSocialist Heritage — Heritage at Risk
An expert meeting on the architecture and monumental art of 1944–1989 — what they are worth, what is destroying them, and what can still be done.
- Date
- 20 August 2015
- Venue
- ul. Krakra 11, 1504 Sofia
- Host
- Union of Architects in Bulgaria
- Organised by
- Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS
- Platform
- SocHeritage
- Conducted by
- BACU Association
- Supported by
- ICOMOS ISC20C
- Period covered
- 1933 — 1991
“Socialist Heritage – Heritage at Risk” was the current and urgent topic of a round table organised by the Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS and hosted by the Union of Architects in Bulgaria. The expert meeting offered a forum for rethinking and reassessing the architectural and monumental heritage of the socialist period. The idea for such a meeting in Bulgaria answered a need for an objective, professional approach to a subject otherwise handled through emotional and highly polarised political attitudes.
In the foreground stood the value of urban planning, architecture and monumental art from 1944 to 1989, together with their politically independent development and contribution. An important topic was the present condition of this heritage and the loss of quality through carelessness or interference driven by economic interests. The lack of public awareness of the value of the architecture of this period was highlighted as the main problem and risk. Emphasis was placed on discussing options and strategies for its conservation, at national and international level.
The event was attended by interested citizens and politicians, architects, and representatives of the UAB and ICOMOS, including members of the ISC20C SocHeritage sub-committee. The meeting gave professionals the floor to raise questions, present their work and put forward their theses.
Programme
Registration
Opening
Assoc. Prof. Stefan Belishki, President of ICOMOS Bulgaria — opening
Arch. Emilia Kaleva — introduction of the participants and context of the meeting
Panel 1 · Value and need of preservation of the architectural and artistic heritage of the socialist period
Panel 2 · Current problems and risks to the architectural and artistic heritage of the socialist period
Panel 3 · Opportunities for protection and adaptation. Strategies, actions and initiatives to overcome the status quo
Contributions
“Common places of memory are not places of shared memory.”
Her thesis held that history contains no victims and executioners, only ordinary people performing their roles. Everything beyond that is a matter of interpretation.
Speaking on urban development between 1944 and 1989, he stressed its ensemble approach and pointed to the city centres of Montana, Kardzhali, Blagoevgrad and Dimitrovgrad, and to the Duni and Albena complexes, as good examples. He supported the initiative for its potential to bridge generations and sustain continuity.
Presenting on the national idea and socialist heritage, she posed the question of whether a regime can set architecture at all.
She described the architecture of the second half of the 20th century as international in character, and proposed that socialist heritage be considered together with the architecture of the first half of the century, since it faces similar problems and is equally at risk. First, however, the public must be convinced of its value — legal protection by the state is no guarantee of conservation.
She set out the risks facing the architecture of the socialist period: the absence of awareness of its value, its association with a rejected regime, the polarisation of public opinion, and indifference.
She drew attention to the architectural complexes on the Black Sea coast built during socialism, citing Albena as an example of a synthesis of the arts that was both achieved and preserved, and Sunny Beach as bad practice and a total loss of value.
She presented the problems of a building type characteristic of the period — the Rilec hotel in the area of the Rila Monastery.
She addressed the making of monumental artworks within the architectural environment, and the problems they face today.
He presented four examples from Moldova and summarised problems and risks to the architecture of socialism closely matching those in Bulgaria.
He argued that a bad system or a dictator does not produce bad architecture, and that socialist architectural heritage is a place of memory where different perspectives on it should meet. He noted that the UNESCO World Heritage List holds only two examples of heritage from the second half of the 20th century — a gap that should be corrected in the pursuit of an objective and balanced list, one reflecting all human achievement: typological, chronological and thematic.
Proposals for two emblematic monuments at risk
Memoreality
Arch. Delcho Delchev · PhD candidate on the development of panel complexes, BAS
A new meaning and interpretation for the “1300 Years Bulgaria” monument in Sofia. The political pressure on it should be lifted, so that it can live independently and finance itself.
Buzludzha — Memory of Time
Arch. Dora Ivanova · co-organiser of the event, author of the project
A proposal to reconstruct the Buzludzha monument as a monument of national memory, telling the history of Bulgaria through the atmosphere of the existing architecture. It calls for preserving the monument in its present condition and using it as a forum for art and history.
What the participants agreed
In an intensive closing discussion, professionals, citizens and experts converged on three points.
- Continue the discussion across borders. The debate should be sustained and intensified on a multinational scale, taking in neighbouring post-socialist countries.
- A dedicated “Heritage at Risk” report. Participants expressed a shared wish that ICOMOS initiate and publish a special report on threatened post-war heritage in socialist and post-socialist countries.
- A supranational platform. The experts present largely recommended building an ICOMOS website on SocHeritage — covering SocRealism and SocModernism — to document and discuss current issues of socialist heritage at risk.
The SocHeritage platform
SocHeritage is a project conducted by the BACU Association and supported by ICOMOS ISC20C. It advocates for socialist architecture and art works to be recognised and protected as cultural landmarks and historic monuments. The focus is on buildings in the former socialist bloc, built between 1933 and 1991 in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Central Asia and other regions. The platform collects and provides information on location and site, current condition of conservation, the authors, and the planning and building history of the socialist legacy.
The site holds descriptions, ongoing projects and initiatives, and information useful for conserving valuable landmarks across the socialist bloc — case studies sorted by country, articles, documents and publications. It is a virtual library of research papers, articles by renowned authors and historical studies for understanding the architecture of the period.
The Working Group on SocHeritage invites architects, urban planners, historians and art historians, conservationists, artists, activists and anyone interested to contribute and broaden the platform. Send information on neighbourhoods, buildings, monuments, parks and cultural landscapes or any relevant architectural elements — always including the address — or post it on your own social media using the hashtag below. Everything collected is published on the website and included in an interactive map, credited to the contributor.
#SOCHERITAGE