Photo: “For the Truth”.
The municipality of Tryavna is still unsure who will finance the renovation of the town’s clock tower, which has been in urgent need of repair since January last year.
In response to questions to the Ministry of Culture, forwarded to the municipal administration in Tryavna, on how a contractor for the repair work will be selected, it writes: “The contractor for the repairs will be selected in accordance with the rules of the funding institution and, if this is the Municipality of Tryavna, through the relevant procedure under the Public Procurement Act.”
This response leaves no doubt that the Renaissance town is unaware of how the urgent repair of the tower’s load-bearing beam will be financed.
The same response, received shortly before Christmas, also states that on December 23, 2025, the Ministry of Culture will review the “Project for the renovation of the bell tower, roof, internal staircase and facade restoration of the Clock Tower, a cultural asset of national importance.”
Discrepancy in the information
The discrepancy in the information that “Za Istinata” received at almost the same time from the Municipality of Tryavna and the Ministry of Culture, instead of providing clarity, raises new questions. If the Municipality of Tryavna submitted the tower renovation project on December 23, 2025, why did they report that on December 5, 2025, an opinion was issued stating that “The Ministry approves: “Design permit and investment project for the repair of the bell tower, roof, internal staircase, and facade restoration of a single immovable cultural property of national importance – the Clock Tower.”
The investment project is in the “technical” phase and consists of the following parts: architectural survey, architecture, structural opinion, and conservation and restoration, the ministry writes to “Za Istinata,” specifying that the issued opinion sets out specific requirements regarding the qualifications of the persons who will perform the conservation and restoration activities and the preparations that will be used for the facade and wooden elements.
From all this, it is not clear what will happen after the project for the repair of the tower was submitted by the Municipality of Tryavna on December 23.
Search the State Archives
The questions from “Za Istinata” were also forwarded to the National Institute for Immovable Cultural Heritage (NIICH). However, they replied that information about requests for the renovation of the tower, the actions taken so far, the deadlines, and the procedures for starting the renovation requires a special search procedure, and referred us to the State Archives.
This is confusing, as the questions are not related to archival materials, but to the current state and repair procedures. The response cites Article 19 of the Cultural Heritage Act, but only two paragraphs of it can be related to the current state of the tower: the preparation of projects and proposals to the minister for determining conservation regimes. It is not clear why the same article is used as an argument for restricting access to information.
Incidentally, the Institute traditionally refuses to provide specific information on the progress of procedures for the restoration and renovation of immovable cultural heritage sites. At the end of June 2025, information was also refused on the progress of the coordination procedure for the project to repair the Kolyu Ficheto bridge over the Rositsa River in Sevlievo. The structure in question is in a dilapidated state, dangerous to cross, and in urgent need of repair for years, but this has not happened.
Legal framework and responsibilities
“The responsibility for the maintenance of a given site lies with its owner, as does its preservation and restoration,” says the Ministry of Culture.
This is regulated by the Cultural Heritage Act, the main piece of legislation governing the rights and obligations for the protection of cultural monuments in Bulgaria, including those of national importance. The law clearly assigns responsibility for maintenance to the owner (Art. 71, para. 1), regardless of whether the monument is of local or national importance.
“Owners are obliged to carry out, at their own expense, the necessary activities for the conservation, restoration, and repair of immovable cultural values.” (Art. 73, para. 1), the law is categorical, i.e., national significance does not mean state funding. Or at least it should not, according to the meaning of this legal text.
However, if a cultural asset is threatened with damage or destruction, as is the case with the Clock Tower in Tryavna, the state may intervene and carry out reinforcement or repair work (Article 74, paragraph 1), but only after consultation with the National Institute for Cultural Heritage. No one has the right to carry out repairs or restoration without the institute’s approval, which does not make them the owner or investor. The state and the Ministry of Culture exercise control and may provide financial support through programs, but they do not replace the owner in their legal obligations.
Ultimately, it is indisputable that the preservation of the Clock Tower in Tryavna as a monument of national importance is a legal obligation of the Municipality of Tryavna. Despite its commitment, the municipality is unlikely to be able to provide the necessary resources on its own, so cooperation and targeted support from the state are key to the long-term preservation of this iconic symbol of the town, built in 1814.
