The Upper Thracian Valley (Gornotrakijska nizina), and the land where Stara Zagora is situated nowadays in particular, haves been populated since ancient times. Archaeologists have found evidence of the presence of civilization on this territory for 8,000 years now. From ancient times until today the city has had eight different names: Beroe, Augusta Trayana, Vereya, Irinopolis, Boruy, Eski Zagra, Zheleznik. The current name Stara Zagora was adopted by the Church Council meeting held in Tsarigrad in 1871.
July 31, 1877 was a memorable date in the history of Stara Zagora. On this day, after a fierce battle, the town was burned down and razed to the ground by the Ottoman army.
On October 5, 1879, the Governor of Eastern Rumelia, Aleko Bogoridi, laid a symbolic foundation stone for the reconstruction of the town. Stara Zagora was rebuilt on plans drafted by the Czech civil engineer Lyubor Bayer and became the first Bulgarian Post-Liberation city with contemporary urban planning.
Today Stara Zagora is a beautiful and dynamically developing industrial city, an educational centre with rich historical heritage, with numerous scientific and cultural institutions. The newest and most modern museum in Bulgaria, acknowledged as the Building of the Year in 2009, is in Stara Zagora. One of the largest opera houses on the Balkan Peninsula is here also, which continues to be a major artistic stage in Bulgaria after its reconstruction in 2010.
In 2010, the Stara Zagora municipality relies on a budget (revenues and expenditures) amounting to BGN 82.8 mln. BGN 47.6 mln. of these come from the Bulgaria State Budget for implementation of delegated public activities. 31.5% (BGN 26 mln.) of the planned expenditure in the budget is allocated for education, 13.7% (BGN 11 mln.) for healthcare and BGN 6.4 mln. will be utilized for social services.
The 2010 investment programme of the Stara Zagora Municipality envisages implementation of projects of major importance for the community which will receive a total funding of BGN 9 mln. The planned activities comprise mostly repair and construction works of the street network, replacement of existing street lights with energy-saving ones, renovation of schools and kindergardens.
Overall renovation and modernization of the town’s Western quarters are in progress. In 2009, construction of the sewerage system in the Southern quarter Kolyo Ganchev was completed and now the renovation of streets and sidewalks has started. The repair works of a major transport artery in the town (the connection between Anastasiya Tosheva str. and Slavyanski blvd) are about to be completed.
In 2009, the technical infrastructure of the industrial zone in the village of Elenino was built through EU funding. The zone covers an area of 20.6 ha and is one of the 17 industrial zones that are currently being constructed in the country. It is designated for companies engaged in the manufacturing industry. The Municipal Administration is doing its best to provide optimal business conditions for all companies, but is focused on attracting small and medium-size enterprises with 200 to 1,000 employees, which manufacture end products but also implement good social and environment protection programmes.
Along with the development of the industrial zone, the Stara Zagora municipality is ready to support other large-scale projects, too, aimed at setting up new manufacturing facilities and trade stores.
Since the end of 2008, the trade centre Park Mall Stara Zagora, with a total built-up area of 30,000 sq.m. is operating successfully. In 2010, the trade center of the Galleria Malls chain will open its doors to customers. Several more multifunctional business and commercial centres are currently under construction, the most noteworthy of which are the French Carrefour, Mall Stara Zagora, City Centre Stara Zagora and a hypermarket of the German chain Lidl.
Other large trade chains have commercial stores in Stara Zagora, too. These include: the French chain Mr. Bricolage, the Austrian hardware stores chain BauMax; the German DIY (do it yourself) chain Praktiker, the German Metro, the Slovenian Mercator, the German Kaufland, etc.
The fact that large trade chains have chosen Stara Zagora for their business is proof of the high living standard of the people in the region. Another favourable factor is also the established excellent business environment in the district, providing competitiveness and equal opportunities for all players.
A major priority of the Municipal Administration Stara Zagora is to attract new foreign investments. In 2008, the total amount of the direct foreign investments in local companies reached BGN 306 mln. In reply to declared business interest, the Administration’s office provides comprehensive information to all potential investors about the business environment, the existing infrastructure and communications, the relevant regulative framework, the labour market status, etc.
The Municipal Administration has established excellent relations with the diplomatic missions of numerous countries. It is a partner in various cultural, social and economic projects with institutions and organizations from different European towns: Samara (Russia), Larissa (Greece), Drome department (France), Radom (Poland), etc. The Municipal Administration’s focus on the economic relations and collaboration with towns from EU member states with the aim of attracting funding from various donor programmes may also stimulate local economy.
Furthermore, clear rules have been established for the interactions with local entrepreneurs. In 2010, a Division “Concessions, Public – Private Partnerships and Control” will be established within the municipal administration, with the aim of improving the way municipal property is utilized and managed. The end goal is to gain maximum revenues from these properties and invest these funds for public benefit. The guiding principle is to sell and lease municipal property only through open bid tender procedures.
The Stara Zagora Municipality has ensured easy access to the services it provides. The information centre providing services to physical and legal persons is open all day long, with extended work hours and no lunch break. Citizens could also take advantage of the remote tax and local fees collecting offices. In 2010, the Municipal Administration will continue its efforts to improve the electronic access to its services, too.
The Stara Zagora Municipal Administration operates in compliance with the ISO 9001:2000 quality management standard. The quality management system was successfully employed in the administration’s activity during the past five years. In the year of 2004, the municipality’s credit rating, obtained by Standard & Poor‘s, is equal to those of Sofia and other large Bulgarian cities. The good financial discipline and the highest possible credit rating granted to a Bulgarian municipality, are the most advantageous factors for obtaining financial resources and favourable terms for projects implementation under the EU operational programs.
Stara Zagora hosts plenty of festivals and other cultural events. The annual Opera and Ballet Festival (April – June) has become traditional for the town. It gives opportunities to young talented artists to debut successfully on the Stara Zagora stage, while at the same time its popularity has spread beyond the boundaries of Bulgaria and is currently attracting the interest of many European theatre troupes and individual performers. A National Award for significant contribution to performance arts, named after the first lady of Bulgarian opera Hristina Morphova, is presented during the festival.
Stara Zagora has become a European stage for the puppet art theatre. The town hosts the International Puppet Theatre Festival for Adults “Pierrot” (September). The festival is a biennale of original and non-conventional theatre forms.
The Stara Zagora Art Gallery is hosting the Balkan Quadrinnale of Painting “Myths and Legends of my People” (December – January). The Gallery houses a permanent exhibition of some of Bulgaria’s greatest artists. At the same time, it is the organiser of tens of exhibits by famous and young Bulgarian and foreign artists.
The glory of Stara Zagora as a town of poets is now defended by the National Youth Poetry Contest “Vesselin Hanchev”, usually held in November. The event has 30-year history and offers a forum for poets of different generations to show their talent.
Other events of the rich cultural calendar of Stara Zagora include: the National Children’s Folklore Contest Orpheevo Izvorche (Orpheus Spring) (March), the Festival of Mask Games (September); the 24-hour Reading Marathon “Reading Stara Zagora” (23 April).
