History: The area of ​​Hassarya, Stalevo village, Dimitrovgrad municipality is located south of the Maritsa River, in the fertile Thracian lowland. Due to its geographical location, it has been of strategic importance from antiquity to the present day. The main roads connecting two continents - Europe and Asia - for millennia pass through these lands. We know from archeological and historical sources that the area, which includes three hills, was inhabited during the Neolithic / VI millennium BC /. Due to its strategic importance in the 7th century BC - the 1st century AD the Thracians built here a megalithic sanctuary and a fortress to protect it. The religious center and the fortress were maintained during the Roman era, when the region became part of a great world civilization. Then a temple dedicated to Apollo and Heros was built here. During the Middle Ages, today's Dimitrovgrad municipality was under the jurisdiction of Byzantium and Bulgaria. Sources claim that the fortress was named Mileona /apple/. Due to its great importance, the Bulgarian King Ivan Asen II / 1218-1241 / observed and led the battle of Klokotnitsa from the highest hill on March 9, 1230. An event that changed not only Bulgarian but also world history. According to legend, after the victory the ruler ordered the construction of a temple of "St. 40 martyrs ”. The local population still believes that God threw here on the feast of the martyrs / March 22/40 or 140 lighted torches, with which he foretold the coming of spring. Due to its historical and religious significance, the cultural center in Hassarya continues to exist in people's memory to this day. The local cultural center - community center "V. Levski »/ a unique cultural phenomenon in Europe / preserves and passes on to the next generation the legends about the area of ​​Hassarya. With this activity it preserves a small part of the world cultural heritage dating back 6 thousand years ago.

History: The area of ​​Hassarya, Stalevo village, Dimitrovgrad municipality is located south of the Maritsa River, in the fertile Thracian lowland. Due to its geographical location, it has been of strategic importance from antiquity to the present day. The main roads connecting two continents - Europe and Asia - for millennia pass through these lands. We know from archeological and historical sources that the area, which includes three hills, was inhabited during the Neolithic / VI millennium BC /. Due to its strategic importance in the 7th century BC - the 1st century AD the Thracians built here a megalithic sanctuary and a fortress to protect it. The religious center and the fortress were maintained during the Roman era, when the region became part of a great world civilization. Then a temple dedicated to Apollo and Heros was built here. During the Middle Ages, today's Dimitrovgrad municipality was under the jurisdiction of Byzantium and Bulgaria. Sources claim that the fortress was named Mileona /apple/. Due to its great importance, the Bulgarian King Ivan Asen II / 1218-1241 / observed and led the battle of Klokotnitsa from the highest hill on March 9, 1230. An event that changed not only Bulgarian but also world history. According to legend, after the victory the ruler ordered the construction of a temple of "St. 40 martyrs ”. The local population still believes that God threw here on the feast of the martyrs / March 22/40 or 140 lighted torches, with which he foretold the coming of spring. Due to its historical and religious significance, the cultural center in Hassarya continues to exist in people's memory to this day. The local cultural center - community center "V. Levski »/ a unique cultural phenomenon in Europe / preserves and passes on to the next generation the legends about the area of ​​Hassarya. With this activity it preserves a small part of the world cultural heritage dating back 6 thousand years ago.

Initiatives:

Over the years, the Municipal Historical Museum - Dimitrovgrad has traditionally organized in Hassarya various initiatives: trips of students and adults with the local Tourist Association, archeological discussions, student competitions  "The Battle of Klokotnitsa - a battle that changed world history". Two years ago, on the occasion of the 790th anniversary of the famous battle, an amateur film "Mileon" was created and a photo exhibition was made and promoted in the local community center.

Both events were purposefully presented in September during the European Heritage Days. In 2021 we decided to continue the tradition and in the Archeology Hall of the museum was presented the exhibition of The museum of Veliko Tarnovo "STEP INTO THE PAST - Military-Historical Reconstruction". In it we presented the clothes of the participants in the Battle of Klokotnitsa, what was their defensive clothes and weapons. The exhibition had great success among various audiences, with priority - student audience with a mixed ethnic population.

This year, in order to promote Hassarya among the local community, among students from the region,  predominantly of minority groups, including the village of Yabalkovo, events are planned to mark the date of the battle of Klokotnitsa / March 9 / and the 40 Saints Martyrs/ March 22 / day.

We accept, as our moral and professional duty, to initiate a project that is at a higher level in order to bring more clarity to the series of events in the historical center, which is particularly significant historically, religiously and socially on the map of Europe and the world history.

The activities in the project "Hassarya - history in every stone" are:

 Activity 1: Organizing a historical expedition to Hassarya in the village of Stalevo and a lecture by an expert in archaeology. / June 1 International Children's Day /

Activity 2: Conducting a photographic workshop titled: "Hassarya - history in every stone" in order to capture and document the area for future generations with professional photographers / September 2022 /

 Activity 3: Carrying out the initiative "Medieval warriors - demonstration of medieval fighting techniques with the European organization Bulgarian Pankration and НEMA Association. / September 30, 2022 /.

 Activity 4: Development of a project and methodology, scientific consultation, graphic design and model of eco materials on an area of ​​150 square meters for the historic town of Hassarya in the yard of Chitalishte "V. Levski ”, village of Stalevo with the help of experts, municipal services, students and volunteers from the local community. / August-September 2022 /.

 Activity 5: Production / prepress, design and printing / of a catalog in two languages ​​/ Bulgarian-English /, full color, circulation 700 pcs. with photos from the three main initiatives. / December 2022 /.

Activity 6: Training seminar on the importance of the place in European and World History. The initiative will be held with interactive methods, medieval games and fun materials for teenagers from the local primary school of predominant minority origin - in two groups of 10 children in two days with an organized trip to the Historical Museum - Dimitrovgrad. / November 1 - Day of the National Enlighteners /.

Activity 7: Promotion of the activities and results of the project. Coverage of the activities in regional and national electronic media for presentation of the results of the project and presentation of the catalog. Articles / 2 nos /, publications on the site / 2 nos /, on the spot reports /6 nos/, publications on social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, specialized scientific publications, etc. Distribution of the catalog to all Bulgarian national and regional museums and some of the tourist companies / December /.

Project budget:

Activity 1: Expedition - BGN 500

Activity 2: Conducting a photographic workshop - BGN 3,000.

Activity 3: Carrying out the initiative "Medieval Warriors" - BGN 1,500.

Activity 4: Development of model design- BGN 4,000.

Activity 5: Making a catalog - BGN 3,000.

Activity 6: Training seminar - BGN 1,000.

Activity 6: Promotion of activities – BGN 900.

Total amount - BGN 13,900.

Own contribution: Scientific and professional consultation, halls, voluntary work, historical, archeological and cultural references, logistics, accounting, coordination between cultural and municipal institutions, schools, community centers, etc. - BGN 3,000.

Total value for the project: BGN 16,900.

Sustainability:

During the implementation of the activities set in the project and after the publication of the Bulgarian-English catalog as an upgrade, the region will be popularized in historical and tourism aspect. The catalog will be distributed free of charge to all national and regional museums in the country and cultural institutions in the region / nearly 100 /.

In a set of activities and catalog, Hassarya will provoke new media interest in order to engage new audiences that remain outside the current scope of interest. They will also partially serve tour operators operating in the field of quality cultural domestic product.

- Increasing the flow of tourists will be a prerequisite for the creation of an Information Center, and one of the halls of cultural center "V. Levski ”, Stalevo can be used for the purpose. Employees there can be trained as guides, that will lead in the future to new jobs and raised living standards in the region. In addition to information about the area, people will be able to buy souvenirs, and have discussions, trainings, thematic seminars, open lessons with students, specialists or guests of the region on various historical topics, exhibitions, presentations and more.

- With the implementation of the project we believe that we will arise additional interest in many Bulgarian and international organizations related to the study, preservation and promotion of European cultural heritage. In this way there will be all the prerequisites for additional archaeological and historical research of the area. The results of this will be presented at international and national scientific conferences and conferences.

Objectives and results:

- The project aims to promote in Bulgarian and English, part of the history of Hassarya, Stalevo.

- With the photo workshop it will be possible to document and photograph the whole area professionally, something that has not been done so far. With the involvement of people, especially from the local community, people will be directly or indirectly involved in protecting the area not only culturally but also ecologically.

The creation of a model in the yard of the community center "V. Levski " Stalevo has several goals. The first is educational. The whole area will be recreated in a small space. The second is promotional.

The creation of a catalog will be the end of this project. It will be the face of future promotional activities and the main building block for future larger-scale projects.

European cultural heritage encompasses tangible and intangible heritage as cultural values. They carry the historical memory and national identity, and have scientific and cultural value. Europe's historical and cultural past dates back from the Paleolithic period to the present day. Today in certain areas, such as this area near ​​the village of Stalevo, Municipality of Dimitrovgrad - Hassarya, it can be traced historically and archaeologically for millennia.

Over the centuries, the borders and names of the countries of the oldest continent have changed. Some indigenous ethnic communities have been melted down by newcomers. However, some of their pagan beliefs and traditions, such as those of the Thracians, managed to make their way through Christianity and are still revered today.

That is why it is extremely important for us to trace and preserve this unique European identity. Moreover, with the implementation of the project "Hassarya-history in every stone" we want to continue to maintain European values ​​and create new cultural communities that have a pan-European character.

The aim of this project is to promote a seemingly small area that has eight thousand years of European history. The emphasis will be on the late Middle Ages of the XII-XIII centuries, when the battle of Klokotnitsa took place here on March 9, 1230. An event that rewrote the history of the whole world at that time, but today is somewhat forgotten in our hectic daily lives.