BULGARIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE PRESERVATION OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES
The article presents and summarizes the results of the work on the research project DN 15/4 "Creating a model for the preservation, socialization and popularization of Christian churches in Bulgaria". For the third year, a group of teachers, applicants and students of the University of Library Science and Information Technology, Sofia, Bulgaria, has been developing this research project. The article presents various actions and local policies and programs for the preservation of Christian churches, which are the result of on-site research conducted in three regions of Bulgaria. The dependence of actions and local policies for the preservation of churches on the peculiarities of the development of a particular area is revealed. In the Varna region, the role of churches in the development of tourism was emphasized; in the Smolyan region, it was found that the long-standing tradition of caring for churches is alive and maintained, which are perceived here not only as a house of worship, but also as a means to preserve the Bulgarian identity. In the Bolyarovo region, the modern development of the actions of the local authorities and the population to preserve the temples located on the border with Turkey and those remaining on the territory of Turkey was established.