This is a continuation of my Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria, series. Hope you like!
Check here for previous posts of Koprivshtitsa:
https://steemit.com/photo/@brentssanders/koprivshtitsa-train-station
https://steemit.com/colorchallenge/@brentssanders/colorchallenge-saturdayindigo-14-october-2017
https://steemit.com/photography/@brentssanders/koprvishtitsa-cemetary-bulgaria
https://steemit.com/photography/@brentssanders/koprivshtitsa-architecture-i
Koprivshtitsa is a town that has changed very little in recent decades -- except for getting a face lift -- and there is good reason for it: the Bulgarian government named it an "Architectural Reserve" way back during the Communist era and placed restrictions on what kind of new architecture can go up.
Basically, any new construction has to resemble the traditional architecture once it's done. So, now, instead of using traditional woven wood or rock walls, completely new buildings use cinder blocks. But the roofs still have to follow the style, and the buildings are plastered to look like the originals.
So, unless you live there already, there is no point in building a new house. It's important to note that most of the houses featured in this series are well kept-up structures from the mid- to late-19th century (at least the ones I took pictures of) ;)
I suspect that the money to fix them up came from so-called "Euro funds" -- money from Brussels -- via grants applied for by townsfolk whose families have lived there for generations (and who know entrepreneurship).
Whether the governmental regulations are economically feasible in the long run and whether its policies hurt or help the people who live there, I do not know. I suspect some benefit more than others ;)
(If you enjoy reading about the preservation of cultural heritage sites, as viewed by a native Bulgarian, the following might interest you: https://steemit.com/culture/@brentssanders/classical-liberalism-101-take-4-preserving-cultural-heritage-public-vs-private-sector-solutions)
Thanks for hanging in there for the Bonus! Bulgarians (especially Muslim Bulgarians, which is not the case here) have a tradition of leaving something useful for further generations, whether a bridge to help people cross the river or a convenient built-up spring for them to gather their fresh water for the day. Here is proof:
