European project SKIVRE – Multiplier event in Bulgaria

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Angela Ivanova in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Topic of the event “Development of skills for valorisation of the European religious heritage and good practices”

The Bulgarian capital Sofia hosted an event organized by “INI-Novation Bulgaria” OOD. under the European project SKIVRE on October 26, 2020.

Participants were representatives from different sectors such as tourism, regional development, students at the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski“, representatives of monastic shops and retailers offering monastic products, as well as other stakeholders interested in the topic “Development of skills for valorization of European religious heritage and good practice”.

The event was organized as a multiplier seminar in Bulgaria in the name of the European project SKIVRE, funded by ERASMUS+ Programme. It presented the results that the partners in the project achieved during their two years of hard work: the SKIVRE Training Program including 10 learning modules and the illustration of many good practices. They were demonstrated during the event as well as the SKIVRE’s online training platform, through which all training materials can be freely accessed by interested stakeholders for self-learning purposes (https://training.skivre.eu/main/toolbox.php).

Topics such as “Monastery production as an exciting connection between the past and the future” were presented by Ms. Diana Georgieva, as well as the results of a market analysis study conducted in 20 European monasteries by the SKIVRE project partners under the lead of Ms. Angela Ivanova from “INI-Novation Bulgaria” OOD. Video presentations of the good practices from Bulgaria “The Kremikovtsi Monastery “St. George the Victorious”, Tsurnogorski Monastery ” St. Kozma and Damian” and the German Monastery “Kloster Bronnbach ” were shown.

Dr. Wolfgang Kniejski, Managing Director of “INI-Novation Bulgaria” OOD, presented an in-depth analysis of the role of monastic products in the development of the regions and the tourism industry. Examples of good practice were provided and many questions were discussed on how to build successful cooperation and networks of interaction between the representatives of tourism and monasteries in a given region.

Additionally, the seminar included external speakers, such as Ms. Blagovesta Chifligarova, an expert in the field of tourism in Bulgaria. She shared her experience in the field of religious tourism in Bulgaria with the other participants, presenting the topic “Religious tourism and its benefits for the development of the regions.” Other external participants also got involved and introduced the audience to their good practices. Due to the great interest and the inability to attend in person, participants had the opportunity to join and participate online in the event.

SKIVRE visit in Tsarnogorski monastery in Bulgaria

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Angela Ivanova in Erasmus+, Projects, Religious Heritage, SKIVRE, Training | Leave a comment

SKIVRE Partners on a visit in Tsarnogorski Monastery, Bulgaria, Source: http://www.svetogorie.com

As part of the planned project meeting in Bulgaria organised by INI-Novation Bulgaria, the SKIVRE project team visited the Tsarnogorski Monastery “St. St. Cosmas and Damian”, also well-known Giginski Monastery. On May 8th 2019, the partners met the Abbot Archimandrite Nikanor and during the conversation, in the process of bilateral acquaintance, topics related to the aims of the project, as well as issues related to religions, Christianity and the holy Orthodox Church, were discussed.

The SKIVRE project, abbreviated as Skills Development for the Valorisation of European Religious Heritage, has the ultimate goal of developing a 10-module educational program to support the development of production and the management of various monastic products. The modules will be and uploaded on a special online platform to serve for training monks, hired workers in monasteries, volunteers, etc.

The SKIVRE team brings together representatives of various civil and Christian organizations and companies from Germany, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria and Austria. The implementation of the project is funded by the European program “Erasmus +” under funding number 2018-1-DE02-KA202-005023.

In front of the guests from Europe, the abbot of the Tsarnogorski Monastery archimandrite Nikanor talked about the ancient tradition that the Orthodox monks kept to sustain and develop their monasteries, thanks to their work and realization of products they produce. He shared the good experience of the monastery in the development of his own agriculture as well as buffalo and another livestock farming. He presented dairy and other products produced in the monastery, and shared his vision for development of pilgrimage tourism in the Pernik region.

Monastic shop in Tsarnogorski Monastery, Bulgaria

The cleric explained that the partnership with the project team will be a significant benefit for the monastery and for other Orthodox monasteries in the country, therefore, he appreciated a formal invitation for collaboration in the SKIVRE project.

SKIVRE partners expressed their interest in the initiative of the monastery to organize an exhibition event for monastic products, which since 2018 is performed within the framework of the Tsarnogorski folk fair. Furthermore, the opportunity was addressed, to jointly present the project results with INI-Novation Bulgaria at the official forum of the fair in 2020

At the end of the meeting, SKIVRE partners visited the monastery churches and chapel, and got acquainted with the history of the monastery. They have also shown interest in the story of the miraculous icon of Most Holy Mother of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. After the highly appreciated visit, the Abbot Archimandrite Nikanor expressed his invitation to all SKIVRE partners to visit the monastery again.