Location: Bankya, Bulgaria
Season: May 25, 2026 to June 7, 2026
Session Dates: 245 May - 7 June, 2026
Application Deadline: April 25, 2026
Deadline Type: Rolling
Website: https://www.bhfieldschool.org/program/medieval-fresco-photo-expedition
Discount for AIA members: 5% discount off the regular admission fee
Program Type:
Field School
RPA Certified:
No
Affiliation:
Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF); New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria and Center for Field Sciences, USA
Project Director:
Ivan Vasilev, CEO of the Balkan Heritage Foundation and medieval archaeologist;
Project Description:
The “Fresco-Hunting” Photo Research Expedition to Medieval Balkan Churches and Chapels, organized by the Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF), began in 2008 as a combination of an international field school and a research expedition aimed at studying and documenting medieval ecclesiastical wall paintings in the Balkans. By 2009, the project’s scope expanded to include the study and documentation (textual, graphic, photographic, and video) of not only the churches’ wall paintings but also their architecture, historical and archaeological context, and the cultural values associated with them. Advocacy for the preservation of these monuments among local stakeholders became an integral part of the project, yet the team chose to retain the original project title.
Since its beginning, the Expedition has been conducted annually for two to three weeks (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic). The focus has primarily been on understudied and/or abandoned late medieval and post-medieval (14th – 17th centuries) Christian temples in the Nishava River Basin in Bulgaria and Serbia, as well as the Iskar River Gorge in Bulgaria. In recent years, specialists from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, the USA, Canada, and Japan, alongside students from around the globe, have contributed to enhancing and expanding the existing database of drawn and photographic records for over 30 monuments. The Expedition’s ultimate goal is to publish a comprehensive corpus that encompasses more than 50 sites and to develop further projects aimed at supporting the most endangered among them through conservation, restoration, management improvement, and fundraising initiatives.
So far, our efforts have successfully raised public awareness, resulting in the protection of some documented sites. One book and several articles represent the current outcomes of the Expedition. Unfortunately, many more churches remain in critical condition, awaiting either improved circumstances or further deterioration.
The project’s foundation is based on education, research, and historic preservation, fostering a symbiotic relationship among researchers, conservators, students, and local communities.
In 2026, the project envisions expanding the database established during previous seasons by creating new records through the documentation of the architecture and frescoes (along with their condition) of at least six medieval Christian Orthodox chapels or small churches in Western Bulgaria and Eastern Serbia. Additionally, the project will focus on collecting new data regarding their history, artifacts, and surrounding environment.
The Field School is comprised of:
The fieldwork activities include:
Period(s) of Occupation: Late Medieval Period (13th to 17th century): Late Byzantine, Post-Byzantine, Early Ottoman.
Notes:
The "Fresco-Hunting" Photo Research Expedition to Medieval Balkan Churches offers a unique opportunity for students and volunteers to document abandoned medieval churches and chapels, along with their frescoes, in western Bulgaria and eastern Serbia. Participants will also visit various monasteries, museums, and archaeological sites in Bulgaria and Serbia, including the capital city, Sofia. The expedition and the field school are coordinated by the Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF).
Participants will receive training in survey management, digital photography, architectural surveys, iconographic programs, technical drawing, and the use of a dumpy level. They will also learn to develop archives of digital images and receive a theoretical introduction to Byzantine art, architecture, and religious iconography, as well as photographic techniques for documenting cultural heritage, including photogrammetry and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI).
Project Size: 1-24 participants
Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full session (Two weeks)
Minimum Age: 18
Experience Required: All candidates should have some familiarity with the basic principles of photography and DSLR cameras.
Room and Board Arrangements:
Accommodation: Participants will stay at Hotel Central, located in downtown Sofia, and Hotel Happy in Dimitrovgrad, Serbia. Rooms will accommodate two to three beds and feature bathrooms with showers, WC, TV, and Wi-Fi.
Hotel Central in Sofia is easily accessible by metro and taxi from Sofia Airport. Additionally, all participants will receive a complimentary drop-off transfer to Sofia Airport on the last day of the project. Single rooms are available upon request for the duration of the field school at an additional cost of 700 EUR. Prices for extra nights in standard single rooms start from 85 EUR at Hotel Central and 65 EUR at Hotel Happy.
Meals: Three meals per day are included in the reimbursement payment. Meals are typically served in the hotel restaurant, except for brown-bag lunches provided when participants are on-site or during excursions. Requests for vegetarian and vegan options will be accommodated. Participants are responsible for covering any costs related to additional days at the project hotels, single room accommodations, and any meals, beverages, services, or products not included in the project package.
Academic Credit:
*IMPORTANT NOTE*
Enrollment in the Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) through the Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF) does not include academic credits.
Аs part of the BHF–CFS collaboration, US credit units are available to all students. To obtain US credits and certification, apply and enroll directly through the CFS portal; the tuition fee is included in the CFS admission fee: https://www.fieldsciences.org/programs/
For students attending European universities, ECTS credits are also available for an additional fee. To receive ECTS credits, enroll directly through the BHFS and declare your request for credits during the enrollment process. New Bulgarian University grants 6 ECTS credits to students for attending this field school. Transcripts of Records (ToR) are available upon request for an additional tuition fee of 400 EUR for EU students and 600 EUR for Non-EU students.
Balkan Heritage Foundation
7 Tulovo St., Floor 4, Apt. 6
Sofia
1504
Bulgaria
Phone: +359 988 250 901; +359 898 681 366 (both available on WhatsApp)
