Comenius project 2013

1. 27 October - 1 November 2013
SHIVACHEVO
COMENIUS PROJECT
BULGARIA

2. PROGRAM FOR THE MEETING IN BULGARIA
27 October – 1 November 2013
SUNDAY, 27 October
Arrival at Sofia airport:
French delegation – 12:05
English delegation – 13:00
Swedish and Finish delegations – 13:05
Departure from Sofia – around 14:00
Arrival in Sliven and check in at the hotel – around 18:00
Dinner – 19:30
MONDAY, 28 October
Breakfast at the hotel – up to 9:15
Presentations of the delegations – 9:30 – 11:30
Departure for Shivachevo – 11:45
Lunch at a restaurant in Shivachevo – 12:30 – 13:30
Project activities – 13:30 – 16:30
13:30 - 14:45
Groups I and II: A visit to a drinking water sewage works
Groups III and IV: Introduction games and taking samples of water from different sources

3. TUESDAY, 29 October
Breakfast at the hotel – up to 8:30
Departure to Shivachevo 8:45
Morning activities
Round I - 9:30 – 10:45
Group I - Experimental presentation of acid rain and its effects on plants and monuments.
Group II – Water testing. Samples of water from different sources will be tested in order to have the results compared with those from France and Sweden.
Group III – A Fair trade Workshop.
Group IV – BG trivial and BG culture:
A BG quiz
Learning a small part of a popular Bulgarian song
Learning one or two simple traditional Bulgarian folk dances (to be danced together at the farewell party)
Coffee break 10:45 – 11:15
Morning activities
Round II – 11:15 – 12:30
Groups I and II switch activities
Groups II and IV switch activities
Lunch – 12:30 – 13:30
Afternoon activities
Round I - 13:30 – 14:45
- Group I - Fair trade
- Group II – BG trivial and BG culture
- Group III – Acid rain
- Group IV - Water testing
Coffee break – 14:45 – 15:15
Afternoon activities
Round II – 15:15 – 16:30
- Groups I and II switch activities
- Groups III and IV switch activities
Departure to Sliven – 16:45
Free time in Sliven – 17:30 – 19:30
Dinner – 19:30
WEDNESDAY, 30 October
Breakfast at the hotel – up to 8:15
Departure to Plovdiv – 8:30
Arrival in Plovdiv – around 10:30
A guided sightseeing tour – the ancient Roman amphitheatre and Old town Plovdiv – 10:30 – 13:00
Lunch – 13:00 – 14:00
Free time/ shopping in the modern part of the town – 14:00 – 16:00
Departure to Sliven – 16:15
Arrival in Sliven – around 18:30

4. THURSDAY, 31 October
Breakfast at the hotel – up to 8:30
Departure to Shivachevo – 8:45
Project activities: summarizing the results – 9:30 – 10:30
Coordinator meeting – 9:30 – 10:30 to be continued after the coffee break – 11:00 – 11:30
Topics for the groups to work on:
1. Water – comparing the testing results from the three water testing workshops. Discussing water pollution, sources of pollution, ways to keep water clean/ to purify water.
2. Our water footprint – comparing the results from the Shower study and the Water Footprint research done by everybody at home. Drawing conclusions about differences between the delegations, between boys and girls, etc. Discussing ways of reasonable and responsible using of our water resources, of purifying, re-cycling and re-using water. What possible measures could be taken to prevent the lessening of global water supplies?
3. Fair trade for a fair world (discussing the situation with the Fair trade research everyone accomplished at home beforehand. Comparing results, thinking of possible solutions.
4. “MY” Bulgaria.
Coffee break – 10:30 – 11:00
Group work on the products continues – 11:00 – 11:30
Presentation of the groups’ products – 11:30 – 12:00
Lunch – 12:00 – 13:00
Departure to Sliven – 13:00
Free time in Sliven: shopping for presents/ souvenirs, sightseeing or whatever you’d like - 14:00 – 18:00
Farewell party – 18:30 – 22:00
Official part – 18:30 – 19:00
Dinner – 19:00 – 20:00
Dancing party – 20:00 – 22:00
FRIDAY, 1 November
Departure to Sofia – 6:00
Arrival to Sofia Airport – around 10:00
Departure times of the delegations:
English delegation – 12:05
French, Finish and Swedish delegations – 14:10

5. Group I
Group II
Group III
Group IV
Teachers
Students
Teachers
Students
Teachers
Students
Teachers
Students
Joan
Lindberg
Aada
Suvinen
Suzanne
Jeffery
Skiöld
Uki
Viljakka
Riikka
Poyhonen
Nhung Thi
Tuyet Le
Elina
Puolakka-
Aarikka
Kasperi
Reijonen
Joëlle
Castaing
Fatimah
Levallois
Alain
Cazenave
Clément Chetcutti
Jean-Luc Dintilhac
Max
Markensten
Brigitte Robert
Johan
Axelsson
Phil
Vickers
Ryan
Sims
Lynn
Dixon
Nathanial
Coe
Steve
Everton
Gul
Karagan
Rositsa
Nikova
Magomed Batchaiev
Valentina
Valkanova
Antoan
Peev
Teodora
Dimitrova
Trayan
Muchev
Iliya
Muchev
Sam
Clayton
Fabien
Sans
Kristiana
Mihaylova
Stela
Yordanova
Borislav
Ivanov
Craig
Deekens
Mariya
Dencheva
Simona
Obretenova
Mariyana
Sabeva
Stanimir
Azmanov
Daniel
Doychev
Martin
Hristov
Hristo
Stefanov
Ivanina
Kraykova
Iliyan
Popov
Hrisimira
Hristova
Simona
Zinova
Ivelina
Hristova
Yanitsa
Nedkova

6. Shivachevo (pop. 4,000) is a small town located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains in eastern Bulgaria. The area in and around the town has been inhabited since ancient times. Numerous archeological artifacts have been found nearby: Thracian earthenware used during funeral ceremonies were found in the yard of the present-day school. Other discoveries include a Thracian bronze helmet, Roman coins, and Byzantine coins bearing the images of the emperors Jus- tinian I and Nikiforos Foka.
During the 500 years of Turkish rule in Bulgaria, the inhabitants of Shivachevo were known for their patriotic spirit. They aided the volunteer detachments (the “haidushki cheti”) who rebelled against Turkish rule during the 19th century. In 1859, a Bulgarian Orthodox Church, St. Dimitar’s, was completed above ground despite Turkish law requir- ing Orthodox churches to be built slightly below ground. At a town meeting in 1909, thirty years after the end of the Turkish Yoke, the name of the village was changed from Terzobas (from the Turkish word for "tailor") to Shivachevo (from the Bulgarian word for "tailor"). On September 5th, 1984, the village of Shivachevo officially became a town.
Today, the area surrounding Shivachevo is a well-known agricultural center for the production of peaches, grapes, cher- ries, and apples. An award-winning cabernet sauvignon called Chateau Shivachevo is produced here. A re-vitalized green space graces the center of town with the local cultural center (the “chitalishte”) serving as a center-piece. A na- tional poetry festival is held there each year, along with all school theatre and dance productions.

7. In 1860, the first school opened in Shivachevo on the grounds of St. Dimitar’s Church. It was a humble begin- ning - the school consisted of a 5m long, 4m wide and 2m tall room on the grounds of the church. The first instructor was a man named Daskal Hristo from the nearby village of Drenta. In 1930, a cooperative building was completed with rooms designed for a shop, a cultural hall with a stage, a library and administrative offices. Four classes were held in the new building, but it was not enough for the increasing number of students. Construction of a new school building began in 1931. It was completed in 1934 and served all students in the village. In the autumn of 1944, the name of the school was changed to honor Georgi Aleksiev Karavelov, a local teacher and school director who had been killed in a field just outside of town by Bulgarian Fascists in the 1920s. A new three-story structure was finished in 1980, thus forming a school complex with two school buildings and a gymnasium.

8. The symbols of Sliven are impressive and legendary – The Blue Stones National Park, the Old elm-tree, the monument of Hadji Dimitar, the monument of the 7th cavalry regi- ment – “The Eaglet”, the Town clock, Dobri Zhelyazkov’s factory, Chintulov's songs… They combine the spirit of en- terprise, the rebellious flame, the impulse of the enlighten- ment. Even for those visitors of the town who are not ac- quainted with Bulgarian history, these symbols make sense because they are not forgotten pieces of history but repre- sent a part of the contemporary atmosphere of the town. In Sliven history and tradition meet modern dynamics and di- versity – a combination which creates the unique charm of the town in the foot of the Blue Stones.
THE MONUMENT OF HADJI DIMITAR
One cannot imagine Sliven without the presence of the legendary patriot and freedom fighter Hadji Dimitar in the central town square. One of the unique symbols of the town, the monument is a testament to the glorious heroism and the gratitude of people.
The monument of Hadji Dimitar was officially opened on 8th November 1935.
In 1993-94 the monument was completely restored by the Sliven Municipality.
THE MONUMENT OF THE 7TH CAVALRY REGIMENT
“THE EAGLET”
One of the symbols of Sliven is the monument dedicated to the glorious 7th cavalry regiment of Sliven which participated in the First and the Second Balkan wars, and in World War One. Rarely is a diminutive name used for a monument. However, the “Eaglet” is commonly known in Sliven. In 1996 the monument was renovated thanks to sig- nificant donations from different national and regional institutions and organizations
THE BLUE STONES
THE OLD ELM-TREE

9. THE TOWN CLOCK
The town clock is one of the significant symbols of Sliven with a partic- ularly attractive presence. The construction of the new Municipal build- ing with the clock tower above was finished in 1936. Three years later the mechanical heart and the round face of the town clock were placed in the clock tower. Today the town clock measures the hours and re- minds us of the passing time.
More than sixty years the town clock measures the personal and the social time of the residents of Sliven.
THE FACTORY OF DOBRI JELIASKOV
Even in the 18th and the early 19th century the woolen fabrics pro- duced in Sliven were widely spread all around the Ottoman Empire. The abundance of mountain water, the highly developed sheep- breeding in the region and the new monetary relations in Turkey influ- enced the development of one of the typical for Sliven crafts– home- spun tailoring. Dobri Jelyazkov who had left Sliven during the mass migration of its residents to Russia after the Russian-Turkish war (1828-1829), settled down in Ekaterinoslav where he got acquainted with the develop- ment of the textile industry in Russia. In 1834, after his return to Sliven, he founded a spe- cialized factory for the production of woolen fabrics. Their quality and the way they looked aroused the interest of the Turkish administration which regarded the fabrics produced by Dobri Jelyazkov as a means of reducing the import. Dobri Jelyazkov was therefore summoned by the sultan to show samples of the fabrics he manufactured. They were ap- proved and, as a result, with the famous sultan’s royal decree in 1836, Dobri Jelyazkov was allowed by the government to produce woolen fab- rics of the presented samples. The royal decree indicates: “Men like him who are in my empire, deserve my imperial goodwill.”
THE SONGS OF CHINTULOV
Sliven is the home town of the patriot Dobri Chintulov (1822-1886), a national teacher and a poet, an author of revolutionary songs which inspired the people in their struggle against the invader, and move peo- ple up to the present day as an expression of national pride and love for freedom.

10. A TOWN OF CULTURAL END EDUCATIONAL VALUES
The cultural heritage of the town is a part of the life of contemporary Sliven. There are three state cultural institutes in Sliven - a Dramatic Theatre, a Puppet Theatre and a National Museum of textile industry, as well as a range of Municipal cultural institutes. The Historical muse- um contains more than 80 000 exhibits. The Art Gallery possesses one of the richest collections in the country of more than 6000 pieces of art and three permanent expositions. The Regional library has a unique fund of more than 265 000 library units from various fields of knowledge. The “Zora” Community Centre is the oldest cultural institute in the Munici- pality with the oldest and the richest community centre book collection (with more than 125 000 volumes of literature, a valuable collection of early printed books and periodicals).
The Dramatic Theatre
The Art Gallery
The Regional Library
Young people in Sliven have the opportunity to get their education at thirty different schools, among which are: a Foreign - language school, a High school of mathematics and science, a Humanitarian high school, 7 professional high schools (of textile, of building construction, of public catering, of economics, of electrical engineering and mechanics, of chemi- cal technologies, of transport and mechanical engineering).

11. The real foundation of the museum began immediately after the lib-eration of the town from the Ottoman rule when the Com- mittee of the Moscow ethnographic society was founded on 14 February 1878 in Sliven.
The aim of the committee was to find and explore the remains of old buri- al grounds, churches, monasteries and caves in the surroundings of the town.
Ten years later, on 27 January, 1888 a learned society was founded with the aim of studying the district of Sliven in every aspect. The society had its own statute and "instruction for collecting archaeo- logical, historical and geographical material”.
The next step in the work of the museum was made in 1923 when an ar- chaeological society was founded. The aim of the society, as it was writ- ten in its statute, was to "find, store, keep and explore the monuments of the past of the Sliven district and to make people interested in them". All antiquities collected by the society were placed and preserved in the muse- um of the "Zora" Library and Community Centre in Sliven.
In 1951 the museum of the community centre was made a state property and it gradually turned into a local scientific and cultural institution, initially run by the Town Council, and since 1959 it has been run by the District Council of Sliven.
Today the Historical Museum is a respected research institute, which explores and popularises the rich historical past and cultural heritage of the town of Sliven and the district of Sliv- en. It has the following departments (sections):
 Archaeology
 History of the Bulgarian lands in 15-19 centuries
 New and modern history of Bulgaria
 Ethnography
 Archives
 Public relations
 Workshop for restoration and preservation
 Library
 Accountancy
The excellent specialists who work at the museum discover and study, preserve and popularise the historical past and the rich folklore traditions of Sliven and the Sliven district.
The museum works in cooperation with the institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Institutes of higher education and the museums throughout the coun- try. This cooperation has led to a great number of scientific initiatives - symposia, scientific conferences, expeditions, mutual scientific publications.
The Historical Museum of Sliven is an institute that is open to any initiatives aimed at studying and popularizing the rich historical heritage of the town and the district of Sliven.

12. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after the capital Sofia with a population of 339,077 inhabitants as of December 2012. It is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational cen- ter, as well as the second-largest city in the historical international region of Thrace after Istanbul. It is the tenth- largest city in the Balkans after Istan- bul, Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Zagreb, Skopje and Tirana.
Plovdiv's history spans 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settle- ment dating to roughly 4000 BC, rank- ing it among the world's oldest cities. Plovdiv was known in the West for most of its recorded history by the Greek name Philippopolis, which was intro- duced in 340 BC. Plovdiv was originally a Thracian city before later becoming a Greek and a major Roman one. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic re- gional importance, changing hands be- tween the Byzantine and Bulgarian Em- pires. It came under Ottoman rule in the 14th century. On 4 January 1878, Plovdiv was liberated from Ottoman rule by the Russian army and was within the borders of Bulgaria until July, the same year, when it became the capital of an autono- mous Ottoman region of Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, it and Eastern Rumelia itself became part of Bulgar- ia.

13. Plovdiv is situated in south-central Bulgaria on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven syenite hills, some of which are 250 m (820.21 ft) high. Because of these hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as "The City of the Seven Hills".
Plòvdiv is host to cultural events such as the International Fair Plovdiv, the international theat- rical festival "A stage on a crossroad", the TV festival "The golden chest". There are many remains pre- served from antiquity such as the ancient Plovdiv Roman amphitheatre, Roman odeon, Roman Stadium, the archaeological complex Eirene and others.
The oldest American educational institution outside the United States was founded in Plovdiv in 1860, which was later moved to Sofia – today's American College of Sofia.