National Identity, Cultural Memory, and the Interpretations of St. Nedelya Church in Batak, Bulgaria
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2025-07-14
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en
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This thesis investigates how national identity and cultural memory influence interpretations of
St. Nedelya Church in Batak, Bulgaria- a significant heritage site commemorating the 1876
Batak massacre. The study aims to understand how Bulgarian and international visitors perceive
the church differently, and how these interpretations reflect broader narratives of trauma,
nationalism, and historical consciousness. Using a qualitative, interpretive methodology, the
research relies on the review of relevant scholarly literature, the analysis of visitors’ reviews
from Google Maps (2018-2024), and a thematic analysis of Ivan Vazov’s poem Memories from
Batak- A Child’s Story (1891), and relevant scholarly literature. Reviews were selected through
purposive sampling, ensuring a variety of emotional, symbolic, and descriptive responses from
both Bulgarian and international visitors. The analysis highlights four major themes in visitor
interpretations: emotional trauma, national sacrifice, religious symbolism, and general tourismrelated
observations. Findings show that Bulgarian visitors commonly interpret the site through
an emotional and symbolic lens, an interpretation shaped by a national narrative of sacrifice
and collective suffering. These interpretations align with theories of prosthetic memory
(Landsberg, Marschall) and lieux de mémoire (Nora), suggesting that the church functions as a
ritualized site of national mourning. In contrast, international visitors often engage with the
church in aesthetic or historical terms, reflecting John Urry’s concept of the tourist gaze and
highlighting the absence of shared cultural memory. Vazov’s poem exemplifies prosthetic
memory by inviting readers to emotionally identify with the trauma of Batak, even if they did
not experience it firsthand, reinforcing the church’s role as a site of national mourning. The
thesis concludes that interpretations of historical sites are deeply conditioned by national
identity and emotional attachment to the past. While St. Nedelya Church serves as a powerful
memory figure for Bulgarians, its significance is often less emotionally resonant for
international visitors. This research contributes to heritage and memory studies by illustrating
how collective trauma is spatially and emotionally transmitted, and suggests future research
through ethnographic interviews and comparative studies of similar heritage sites in postconflict
regions.
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