E-mail: marina_klyaus@mail.ru
Tel.: +7 (495) 938-08-51
32a, Leninsky av., Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
PhD in History, Senior Researcher, Center for European Studies, N. N. Miklukho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences
This article is based on the author’s research and reflections on the role of ethnographic museums in Bulgaria and the problems they face. Special attention is paid to the stages of museum business development, the processes of anthropologization, and the implementation of modern museum communication resources. Bulgarian ethnographic museums respond to social challenges and endeavor to include representatives of the cultural heritage, members of vulnerable social groups and immigrants in their activities. Along with innovations, museums do not neglect traditional collections, but on the contrary, attach new importance to existing ones. Museification of the intangible cultural heritage is also an important part of museum activities.
There is an ongoing debate over the role of ethnographic museums in shaping the future of the cultural heritage, as well as over their selection and development of its diverse forms. The new museology obliges museums not only to remain a repository of exhibits and visualizations of national culture and memory, but also to create a new environment of dialogue concerning the importance of artifacts of the past in modern times. To do this, museums strive to use cultural and anthropological tools in their activities and build effective relationships with individuals and communities
Anderson B. (2016) Voobrazhaemye soobshchestva. Razmyshleniya ob istokakh i rasprostranenii natsionalizma [Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism]. V. Nikolaev (transl.). Moscow: Kuchkovo pole. In Russian.
Boneva V., Rusev R. (2017) Regionalnite istoricheski muzei v kulturnata infrastruktura na B”lgariya [Regional History Museums in the Cultural Infrastructure of Bulgaria]. Sofiya: Institut za prilozhna muzeologiya. In Bulgarian.
Dimitrova S. (2024) Novata ekspozitsionna politika na REMO «Et”r» — Gabrovo [The New Exhibition Policy of REMO “Etar” — Gabrovo]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 101–109. In Bulgarian.
Iliyeva E. (2024) Arkheologicheskite ekspozitsii v nastoyashcheto: otv”d v”zkhishchenieto k”m predmetite [Archaeological Exhibitions in the Present: Beyond Admiration for Objects]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 43–54. In Bulgarian.
Kazalarska S. (2024) Otnovo za Novata muzeologiya: teoretichni obrati i vliyaniya [Again about the New Museology: Theoretical Turns and Influences]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 84–100. In Bulgarian.
Kis’ov I., Raychev M., Milanov Z. (1972) S”vremenni problemi na b”lgarskoto muzeeznanie [Contemporary Problems of Bulgarian Museum Studies]. In: P”rvi kongres na B”lgarskoto istorichesko druzhestvo [First Congress of the Bulgarian Historical Society. 27–30 Jan. 1970]. Vol. 2. Sofiya. In Bulgarian.
Miladinov P. F. (comp.) (2018) Kulturnata pamet v”v vremeto i prostranstvoto: Sbornik posveten na 65-godishniya yubilei na prof. d. izk. n. Simeon Nedkov [Cultural Memory in Time and Space: Collection Dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of Prof. Dr. Simeon Nedkov]. Sofiya: Universitetsko izdatelstvo «Sv. Kliment Okhridski». In Bulgarian.
Milkova L. (2024) Interdistsiplinarni modeli za prepodavane s muzeini kolektsii v”v vissheto obrazovanie [Interdisciplinary Models for Teaching with Museum Collections in Higher Education]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 10–26. In Bulgarian.
Mishkova I. (2015) Obrazovanie v muzeya. S”stoyanie i perspektivi v B”lgariya [Museum Education. Status and Prospects in Bulgaria]. Sofiya: Gutenberg. In Bulgarian.
Nenov N., Trifonova-Kostadinova S. (2024) Nedost”pni muzei? Obshchuvane s auditorii i predstavyane na nasledstva [Inaccessible Museums? Communicating with Audiences and Presenting Heritage]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 4. Pp. 558–574. In Bulgarian.
Nedkov S. (1998) Muzei i muzeologiya [Museums and Museology]. Sofiya: LIK. In Bulgarian. Nedkov S. (2004) Ideyata za b”lgarski etnografski muzei [The Idea of Bulgarian Ethnographic Museums]. URL: https://old.fair.etar.bg/konferencii/k2004/ glava1.pdf (access date: 15.09.2025). In Bulgarian.
Nedkov S. (2006) Istoriya na muzeinoto delo v B”lgariya [History of Museum Work in Bulgaria]. Sofiya. In Bulgarian.
Pirgova I. (2020) Dinamika na muzeinata interpretatsiya [Dynamics of Museum Interpretation]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2020. No. 3. Pp. 341–366. In Bulgarian.
Radonov Z. (1971) V”znikvane i p”rvonachalna deinost na d”rzhavnite muzei v B”lgariya (1878– 1944) [The Emergence and Initial Activities of State Museums in Bulgaria (1878–1944)]. IDA. 1971. No. 22. Pp. 249–262. In Bulgarian.
Radonov Z. (1974) Mezhdunarodni kulturni vr”zki i izyavi na b””lgarskite muzei v minaloto (1878–1944 gg.) [International Cultural Relations and Performances of Bulgarian Museums in the Past (1878–1944)]. Istoricheski pregled [Historical Overview]. 1974. No. 4. Pp. 57–67. In Bulgarian.
Silyanovska-Novikova T. (1972) Osnovi na muzeeznanieto: Lektsii i izsledvaniya. [Fundamentals of Museology: Lectures and Research]. Sofiya: Nauka i izkustvo. In Bulgarian.
Stancheva S. (2014) Muzei i natsiya: reprezentirane na natsionalna identichnost v b”lgarskite istoricheski muzei [Museum and Nation: Representation of National Identity in Bulgarian History Museums]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2014. No. 4. Pp. 443–445. In Bulgarian.
Stoyanova I. (2024) Natsionalniyat istoricheski razkaz za B”lgarskoto v”zrazhdane: s”vremenna reprezentatsiya v Natsionalniya istoricheski muzei [The National Historical Narrative of the Bulgarian Renaissance: Contemporary Representation at the National History Museum]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 27–42. In Bulgarian.
Sharenkova-Toshkova R. (2020) Etnografskite muzei na kr”stop”t: kriticheska refleksiya v postvremena [Ethnographic Museums at a Crossroads: Critical Reflection in Post-Times]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2020. No. 3. Pp. 385–404. In Bulgarian.
Shkafar B. (2020) S”vremenniyat etnografski muzei: na kogo prinadlezhi? [The Modern Ethnographic Museum: Who Does It Belong to?]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2020. No. 4. Pp. 490–504. In Bulgarian.
Vasileva M. (2024) A sega nak”de? Novite muzeini publiki i partn’ori — analizi i komentari [And Now Where? The New Museum Audiences and Partners — Analyses and Comments]. B”lgarska etnologiya [Bulgarian Ethnology]. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 71–83. In Bulgarian.
Vasileva S. (2019) Muzeite i upravlenieto na kulturnoto nasledstvo prez 70-te godini na KHKH vek [Museums and Cultural Heritage Management in the 1970s]. LiterNet. 2019. No. 12. URL: https://liternet. bg/publish19/s_vasileva/muzeite.htm (access date: 10.09.2025). In Bulgarian.
Vodinchar E. (2022) Muzeinata institutsiya v Narodna republika B”lgariya: ideini, kulturni i obrazovatelni politiki [The Museum Institution in the People’s Republic of Bulgaria: Ideological, Cultural and Educational Policies]. Debati v muzeologiyata. Muzei i obrazovanie [Debates in Museology. Museum and Education]. Comp. by S. K”nev, E. Vodinchar, T. Petev. Sofiya: BAN «Prof. Marin Drinov». Pp. 11–27. In Bulgarian.
V”lchev V. P”rvite b”lgarski vestnitsi prez v”zrazhdaneto (1848–1878) [The First Bulgarian Newspapers during the Renaissance (1848–1878)]. Vestnik MGUP [Bulletin of Moscow State University]. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/journal/n/vestnikmoskovskogo-gosudarstvennogo-universitetapechati?i=977140 (access date: 15.09.2025). In Bulgarian.
Vukov N., Kazalarska S., Mishkova I. (comp.) (2016) Debati v muzeologiyata. Muzeyat otv”d natsiyata? [Debates in Museology. The Museum Beyond the Nation?]. Sofiya: IK «Gutenberg». In Bulgarian.
Klyaus M. P. Bulgarian Museums in Search of a New Identity: Their Historical Path and Challenges of the Twenty-First Century. Traditional Culture. 2025. Vol. 26. No. 4. Pp. 141–155. In Russian.