neli vasileva | University College London (original) (raw)
Architecture I History I Cities
Supervisors: Adrian Forty
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A monument embodies a desire to preserve in time something as fragile as human memory, capturing ... more A monument embodies a desire to preserve in time something as fragile as human memory, capturing it in solid material to fix it, so it can remain unchanged for posterity. A network of monuments to events and individuals from a nation’s historical past, especially when they go back to its origin, would serve then to establish a national identity, to anchor it in the present and claim its existence. But a nation’s historical past is only remembered according to particular interpretations usually serving political needs and this would apply even more to a communist regime that seeks to re-construct history in a way best serving its purposes to construct a new social order.
The communist regime in Bulgaria produced in the period 1944 – 1989 an astonishing quantity of monuments commemorating individuals, historical events and ideals. These monuments were erected in all parts of the country to serve the established narration of the nation’s historical past and to guarantee its permanence and presence in everyday life. But the practice of constant reinvention of historical narrative is not unique to the Communist Party. After the fall of the regime a new identity and historical narrative were needed.
This report addresses the way in which the monuments constructed in Bulgaria during the communist regime reveal a continuing process of rewriting history and argues that despite the intention for permanence, they are unstable and reflect the instability of what is considered historical truth or worthy of remembering. Five examples are explored in the context of the Bulgarian Communist Party politics on historiography, culture, and education, as well as contemporary debates on the legacy of the regime to outline not only how historical narrative was inscribed in monuments, but also how it can be distorted within shifts of political power and how these monuments perform their task today. By adding another dimension – the interaction between a monument and its visitors, the agency of the public is acknowledged in the process of evolution of their significance.
current condition: monument to Todor Zhivkov, Pravets khan Asparuh, Isperih monument to Zahari St... more current condition: monument to Todor Zhivkov, Pravets khan Asparuh, Isperih monument to Zahari Stoyanov, Medven steel 23 23 44 23 44 44 44 five pointed star replaced by a bravery order
A monument embodies a desire to preserve in time something as fragile as human memory, capturing ... more A monument embodies a desire to preserve in time something as fragile as human memory, capturing it in solid material to fix it, so it can remain unchanged for posterity. A network of monuments to events and individuals from a nation’s historical past, especially when they go back to its origin, would serve then to establish a national identity, to anchor it in the present and claim its existence. But a nation’s historical past is only remembered according to particular interpretations usually serving political needs and this would apply even more to a communist regime that seeks to re-construct history in a way best serving its purposes to construct a new social order.
The communist regime in Bulgaria produced in the period 1944 – 1989 an astonishing quantity of monuments commemorating individuals, historical events and ideals. These monuments were erected in all parts of the country to serve the established narration of the nation’s historical past and to guarantee its permanence and presence in everyday life. But the practice of constant reinvention of historical narrative is not unique to the Communist Party. After the fall of the regime a new identity and historical narrative were needed.
This report addresses the way in which the monuments constructed in Bulgaria during the communist regime reveal a continuing process of rewriting history and argues that despite the intention for permanence, they are unstable and reflect the instability of what is considered historical truth or worthy of remembering. Five examples are explored in the context of the Bulgarian Communist Party politics on historiography, culture, and education, as well as contemporary debates on the legacy of the regime to outline not only how historical narrative was inscribed in monuments, but also how it can be distorted within shifts of political power and how these monuments perform their task today. By adding another dimension – the interaction between a monument and its visitors, the agency of the public is acknowledged in the process of evolution of their significance.
current condition: monument to Todor Zhivkov, Pravets khan Asparuh, Isperih monument to Zahari St... more current condition: monument to Todor Zhivkov, Pravets khan Asparuh, Isperih monument to Zahari Stoyanov, Medven steel 23 23 44 23 44 44 44 five pointed star replaced by a bravery order