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Competition for objects, representing the history of Ruse at the beginning of the 20^th century, was announced by Regional Museum of History – Ruse. The event is part of project “Objects talk”, implemented by the Ruse Museum under Programme “Knowledge and Growth” of Ruse Free Spirit City Foundation supported by Econt Foundation. The project is implemented in partnership with a number of organisations – Foundation “European Institute – Branch Ruse”, Association “Friends of the Museum”, Municipal Youth House and Arena Media.

The project includes a number of activities related to studying, understanding and visualising the recent past. The activities include the announcement of a competition for an old family object (or photograph), which is valuable to the participant and/or his/her family, making an exhibition with the received materials, conducting a discussion forum and creating a book-game.

The project focus is placed on objects as bearers of memory. Emphasis is placed on family relics which are preserved and passed down from generation to generation, giving information about the way of life and habits of their owners, provoking memories, telling family stories.

The competition is open to school and university students of different ages and with diverse interests. The participants have to provide an object, which was made or purchased by the family, acquired on a trip, received as a gift or under a will. Each artifact must be accompanied by a short annotation – information about the object, interesting facts and details, justifying its choice. The accompanying story should explain what the artifact is, what it is used for, who it belonged to, where it was found and what is the story behind it (personal view of the participants about the significance of the object). The objects should be submitted to the Museum of History. The participants should provide their full name, age, e-mail and should indicate whether they are school or university students. The received objects will be evaluated by a commission and the selected ones will be included in an exhibition at the museum.

Emphasis will be placed on objects of Bulgarians, living abroad. Every summer the children of Bulgarian emigrants come back to Ruse. What are the objects brought from their home country, which they keep in their homes? Why do they keep them? What emotions do they bring? Association “Bulgarian Museums – Chicago” will provide assistance in collecting objects or photographs from the children of Bulgarians living abroad. The deadline for participation in the competition is 30^th June.

The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by a discussion workshop, during which a guest lecturer will follow the development of the processes for preservation, protection and “offering” of cultural heritage, key moments, events, world view and traditions of the population in the 20^th century. An educational book-game will be created within the project framework.