New permanent exhibition "Pernik - the industrial heart of Bulgaria"

On January 29, 2026, the new permanent exhibition of the Regional History Museum – Pernik “Pernik – the Industrial Heart of Bulgaria” was officially opened. The exhibition was implemented under a project funded by the Ministry of Culture.

The permanent exhibition “Pernik – the Industrial Heart of Bulgaria” presents industrialization as a comprehensive process that plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the country.

The exhibition presents the parallel development of industry and the settlement of Pernik. The chronology moves along two parallel and intertwining lines:

– the development of coal mining and its key importance for the development of Bulgarian industry;

– the transformation of the village of Pernik into the industrial heart of Bulgaria and into a large city with modern urban planning and impressive achievements in various fields;

The introduction to the exhibition is carried out through the theme of the village of Pernik from the end of the 19th century. The transition to the main exhibition is marked by an arch with the inscription “God help us”, which has been a symbol of the mine for decades.

The main part of the exhibition is subject to the thematic-chronological principle. The chronological narrative develops from the first studies of the coal basin, through the heyday of the mining industry in the mid-20th century, to deindustrialization in the 1990s.

The thematic narrative places emphasis on each of the chronological periods: the mine, heavy industry, the station, the birth of the industrial city, culture, sports, education, people. Each of the main themes is developed around the core mine – industry – city – people.

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