Rila Monastery Nature Park Management Plan - part - usaid

February 2004
4.0 Management (Operational) Objectives
The so-called management (operational) objectives are formulated on the basis of the
ideal goals and are designed to elaborate upon and further specify them. They are
realistic, adaptable and updateable, and are defined for the 10-year period of validity
of the Management Plan.
Below are the management (operational) objectives for Rila Monastery Nature Park,
as related to the respective ideal (long-term) goals:
4.1 Conservation of religious and cultural heritage
Long-term goal 4.1.1 To conserve and develop the unique Orthodox religious
and historical complex Rila Monastery and the Holy Sites around it as a center of
spiritual culture and education.
Operational objectives:
• To provide conditions around the Holy Sites for preserving an atmosphere which
does not conflict with the traditions of the Eastern Orthodox faith and is
conducive to worship, spiritual uplifting and purification of the soul:
- To bring the existing infrastructure (coffee shops, restaurants, shops etc.) around
the religious sites into harmony, in both purpose and appearance, with the
religious significance of the place;
- To introduce and impose rules regarding the variety and means of commercial
supply of goods (incl. food and beverages) in the area around the Holy Sites;
• To develop and fit out a network of trails linking the Holy Sites and providing
travelers with an opportunity to seek privacy and seclusion:
Long-term goal 4.1.2 To conserve the archaeological, architectural and
other cultural and historical components located within Rila Monastery Nature
Park as an integral part of the Bulgarian national heritage.
• To continue work on the protection, conservation and rehabilitation of historical
and cultural values of the Holy Sites within the Park;
• To undertake steps towards the study, conservation and restoration of
archaeological and historical sites outside of the Holy Sites (remnants of the early
Monastery buildings, of ancient Roman roads, etc.);
• To mark and interpret the cultural and historical sites in such a way as to provide
for their conservation while ensuring proper tourist behavior;
• To identify, examine and map the different cultural landscapes and to determine
measures for their conservation.
Rila Monastery Nature Park
Management Plan - Draft
2004 - 2013
175