The official start of the “Rediscovering Bulgaria” expedition took place in Sofia. The expedition has been organized by the “Cultural Projects” Association, kindly supported by Chevrolet Bulgaria, Sofia Auto, United Bulgarian Bank, Auto Group 5 and the BULPHOTO Photo Agency.
This initiative aims at bringing to public attention of historical points of interest, which are not very well-known and which need to be made more popular. The “Rediscovering Bulgaria” expedition includes a mobile team of cameramen and journalists, mounted on an off-road Chevrolet Captiva car, which will visit interesting places in Bulgaria, difficult of access. The best photographic shots and journalistic hits will be published into Bulgarian and foreign mass media.
The team of the expedition relies on the outstanding Bulgarian historians prof. Valeria Fol from the Center of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and prof. Hristo Matanov from the Sofia University, for the authentic information and the selection of the sites.
“The culture- and historical memory stems from every mountain peak, from every valley, from every village and town. Do we really know our homeland? I suppose that very few people would dare give a positive answer. The “Rediscovering Bulgaria” expedition represents a new viewpoint toward the ever mysterious past of Bulgaria. It is a duty-act in respect to our ancestors and to the next generations” says prof. V. Fol. “We are searching for the authenticity in history in order to light its flame” adds prof. H. Matanov.
Iliyan Popov, a CEO of “Sofia Auto” said: “Bulgarian people love freedom. Spartacus was Bulgarian... Although he still did not call himself like this at that time, and Bulgaria still existed under the name of Thrace. Thrace and Dacia, the former provinces of the Roman Empire, are nowadays part of a union, which is not an empire.” – this is a part of the greeting of Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament, upon an official meeting in Sofia on the occasion of the admission of Bulgaria into the European Union. I am citing the words of an outstanding foreigner, written into the preface of a new book, which comprises the efforts and the work of many Bulgarian researchers. This issue has been made by the “Tangra TanNakRa” all Bulgarian foundation. It comprises interesting texts and original conclusions, as well as lots of professional photographs of exceptional quality. The impartial reader would see the direct cultural, philosophic, religious and moral relation between Thracians, Bulgarians, Slavs... I would like to add just one thing to the words of Mr Josep Borrell. The love of Bulgarians/ Thracians/ Slavs for freedom and their thousand-year old system of values have actually changed the development and hampered all kinds of empires because our ancestors and we ourselves have never accepted oppression and we have always struggled against it. I was happy to visit together with my family and friends some of the tombs in the Kazanlak region last summer. I would like to share some impressions of mine concerning one of them – the tomb within the Ostrusha mound (dated to the 4th c. BC ca) – which has been photographed also in the digest of the “Tangra TanNakRa” publishers. It consists of two perfectly well shaped blocks of limestone. The one of them has been formed as a roof and the other – as four walls of a house with one entry at quite a low level. The two blocks “fit” one over the other. They have been perfectly well smoothed like a present-day mineral plaster and they weigh over 100 tons each of them. From my point of view a few technological questions with no answers also arise up from this point: where and how have these blocks been cut down so skillfully, how have they been humped up to there, and by what means have they been mounted the one over the other. The nearest find of this kind of limestone is situated at tens of kilometers away, there are no remains of any kind of stone processing around this site, and, naturally, there is no way which could enable the access of a present-day crane with the respective capacities.
Sofia Auto did its best to assist the expedition because there is one thing we all believe in. The more Bulgarians see with their own eyes and get familiar with the relics of the thousand-year old history of their motherland, the more they will feel themselves as part of a nation living on the territory of ancient Thrace – the land of wisdom, which used to be the home of Orpheus – one of the wonder-workers and the wise men of the world.
The photo-reporters of the BULPHOTO agency as well as Bulgarian cameramen and journalists, fond of history and nature, will do their best to give publicity to the places and points of interest, which are of important relevance to the Bulgarian historical memory. In one year the best photographs of the mobile team will become part of an exhibition in the open in Sofia, which will be arranged with the kind assistance of Sofia Municipality.
“Rediscovering Bulgaria” is a natural continuation of the photographic competition bearing the same name, organized by the “Eight” magazine and the UBB, which is a part of the “Bulgarian Capitals, Strongholds and Relics” project. I would like to thank our partners from “Sofia Auto” who make it possible that this undertaking should reach far beyond the initial plans. I hope that after the beginning of the project the people from different parts of the country will themselves look for the organizers in order to make more popular the historical points of interest and archaeological sites in their region - those which are not very well known. There is a considerable number of towns and villages, which have their own stronghold, sanctuary, ancient settlement or tumulus. I would be glad if the UBB and “Sofia Auto” contribute to the preservation of the cultural and historical heritage of the local communities with this initiative” says Lyudmil Karavassilev, UBB’s Public Relations and Sponsorship Manager.
The expedition will include numerous short 2 – 3 days’ trips, taking photographs of the sights, interviews with researchers, who have been engaged with the respective sites, and with local ethnologists and natives. The expedition will rely upon partnerships with the mass media. Materials and photographs will be published there. The plans of the expedition include about 40 sites within our country which are of little popularity but quite interesting.

About the organizers:
It was “Sofia Auto” – a dealer of “Chevrolet” - and the United Bulgarian Bank through their initiative of “Bulgarian Capitals, Strongholds and Relics”, which helped remarkably for the start of the campaign, organized by the “Cultural Projects” Association. The only thing, which distinguishes the automobile’s serial model, are the special BF Goodrich tyres, customized for all kinds of terrain and imported by “Auto Group 5”.

The expedition is still open to more other sponsors too, who would make possible that it should be extended to a longer period of time, and cover even more historical sights in Bulgaria.

 

The expedition’s car Chevrolet Captiva on the road to the Water Cave in the canyon of Rusensky Lom

 

Vladimir Todorov, Marketing/ PR Manager of “Chevrolet Bulgaria”; Nelly Kondova, Brand Manager of “Auto Group 5”; Iliyan Popov, President of the Board of Directors of “Sofia Auto” JSC; Evgeny Dimitrov, President of the “Cultural Projects” Association and Director of BULPHOTO Agency; Professor Valeria Fol; Professor Hristo Matanov; Lyudmil Karavassilev, Public Relations and Sponsorship Manager of UBB. (From the left to the right)

 

The expedition’s car Chevrolet Captiva on the road to the medieval fortress-town of Hotalich near the town of Sevlievo