SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS SPEAK! ARCH. LACHZAR KOSTOV: LOVE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE IS EDUCATED
18 June 2021
Arch. Lachezar Kostov was born in 1988 in Pleven. At the age of 18 he became a student majoring in Architecture at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". He is currently Chief Inspector at the Regional Inspectorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture. A few days ago, he graduated with honours from the master's degree programme Preservation of Cultural Heritage, with the project for socialization of the early Christian episcopal basilica located on Khan Krum Street in the historic centre of Varna.Why did you decide on this specialty and this profession?
My father directed me to architecture. And for Preservation of Cultural Heritage I was greatly influenced by Assoc. Prof. Arch. Zhechka Ilieva, PhD - lecturer at Varna Free University. You know that the love for a subject comes from the teacher. This is exactly the case here.
Do we know how to value our cultural heritage?
I think that we are not fit enough yet to value the rich cultural heritage we have, the young architect said. However, he sees a significantly better attitude towards cultural monuments than 10 years ago.
"The love for cultural heritage is educated. It is also related to the economic situation and the way of life of people, because the better the life of a person is, the more time he will have to get to know and value our rich cultural heritage ", said Arch. Lachezar Kostov.
According to Arch. Lachezar Kostov, in recent years the urban environment in Varna has been developing chaotically.
"I think there should be a slightly more general development plan. Especially in the central part of the city, which is so "complex" in historical and cultural terms. An overall vision for the streets and buildings is needed, not for each property to develop individually. That's why this chaos happens," the young architect commented.
"The city needs to grow. There is an increase in economic interest in Varna. The population is also increasing. I'm not a fan of redevelopment. In my opinion, the city should develop in width, not in height," he added.