Български
History of the Museum
The Regional Historical Museum – Plovdiv is a scientific and cultural institution with a mission to search for, research, preserve and present the cultural and historical heritage of Plovdiv and the region. The history of its establishment spans several stages.
On May 6, 1948, by resolution No. 93 from a session of the Politburo (PB) of the Central Committee of the BRP, the proposal to transform the former People’s House from before 1923 in Plovdiv into a Museum of Anti-Fascist Resistance was approved. Subsequently, it acquired the name Museum of Capitalism and the Workers’ Revolutionary Movement. The first exhibition was opened in 1954 in the building at 14 Angel Bukoreshtliev Street.
Since 1974, the museum has also been responsible for the ‘Bratska Mogila’ Memorial Complex.
Following the beginning of democratic changes, the museum was renamed the Museum of Modern History of Plovdiv in 1990.
A document from a meeting of the City People’s Council in July 1948 envisioned the opening of a Revival Museum in the house of Hristo Danov. Following the restoration of Dimitar Georgiadi’s house, completed in 1959, the decision was made for the Museum of the Revival and National Liberation Struggles to be housed there. The official opening of the exhibition took place in 1961.
On May 22, 1975, a new department of the museum with the exhibition ‘Book Publishing in Plovdiv and the Region’ was opened in the house of Hristo G. Danov.
On 19 September 1985, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia, the exhibition ‘Unification of Bulgaria in 1885’ was opened, also as a department of the Museum of the Revival and National Liberation Struggles.
In 1993, the Museum of the Revival and National Liberation Struggles and the Museum of Modern History of Plovdiv merged under the name Historical Museum – Plovdiv. Since 2006, the museum has acquired the status of a Regional Museum.
Today, the museum develops active scientific, exhibition, and educational activities. It organizes academic forums, temporary exhibitions, creative workshops, and educational activities for children and adults.
The museum funds hold over 60,000 exhibits, revealing the rich history and culture of the city through the centuries. Notable among them are unique collections of cold and firearms, orders and medals, military gear, personal belongings, printed editions, clothing, urban household items, photographs, documents, and works of art.
The Regional History Museum – Plovdiv has three permanent and three temporary exhibitions, located in various landmark buildings across the city:
The ‘Unification of Bulgaria in 1885’ Exhibition is located in the building of the Regional Assembly of Eastern Rumelia, at 1 Saedinenie Square. It was opened in 1985 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia – an event that became a national symbol of our modern history. The exhibition covers the period from the signing of the Treaty of Berlin in 1878 to the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. Two temporary exhibitions are also housed in the same building: ‘Plovdiv on the Path to the Modern World’ and ‘The History of the 9th Infantry Regiment’.
The ‘Bulgarian National Revival’ Exhibition is located in the Architectural and Historical Reserve ‘Old Plovdiv’. It is housed in the Dimitar Georgiadi House at 1 Tsanko Lavrenov Street – a cultural monument of national significance. The exhibition traces the history of Plovdiv from the 15th to the 19th century across an area of 825 square meters.
‘Book Publishing in Bulgaria during the Second Half of the 19th and the Beginning of the 20th Century’. The exhibition was opened in 1975 in the home of the founder of modern Bulgarian book publishing, Hristo Gruev Danov, at 2 Mitropolit Paisii Street. It traces the stages in the development of education based on the publishing activities of Hristo G. Danov and Dragan Manchov. The role of the city of Plovdiv as a center of Bulgarian education and culture during the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century is highlighted.
The temporary exhibition ‘The Soul of the Japanese Doll’ is displayed in the building of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at 14 Angel Bukoreshtliev Street, and the fourth permanent exhibition of the Regional Historical Museum – Plovdiv is currently being prepared there.
The BNT documentary series ‘Discover Plovdiv’ includes short documentary videos dedicated to the historical, architectural, and cultural landmarks of Plovdiv. We present to you the episode dedicated to the Regional Historical Museum beneath the hills. The BNT team decided to feature three of our sites – the ‘Unification of Bulgaria in 1885’ exhibition, the ‘Bulgarian National Revival’ exhibition, and the Hristo G. Danov House-Museum, home to the ‘Book Publishing in Bulgaria during the Second Half of the 19th and the Beginning of the 20th Century’ exhibition. The episode was filmed in the summer of 2022, premiered on January 27, 2023, and anyone can watch it on the BNT YouTube channel.
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