LET'S NOT
GRIND THE PAST
The project “Let’s Not Grind the Past Away” is implemented with the financial support of the The Headley Southeast Europe Cultural Heritage Fund, under the auspices of the Balkan Museum Network, and in partnership with the BalkanARHitrav Center for Sustainable Spatial Development. The project focuses on researching, documenting, and providing a contemporary interpretation of endangered rural cultural heritage, with special attention to the last remaining watermill in the village of Senokos on Stara Planina. As part of the project, a series of educational, research, and field activities has been planned, connecting theoretical knowledge with practical work. Around 20 students from diverse educational backgrounds are involved in the project, including architecture, archaeology, ethnology, civil engineering, conservation, as well as visual media and documentation. This interdisciplinary composition enables the cultural heritage to be examined from multiple perspectives and supports the development of a comprehensive approach to its protection and presentation.
So far, an educational seminar was held at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. During the seminar, students had the opportunity to learn about watermills as a specific form of vernacular architecture, their historical, technological, and social significance, and contemporary methods of cultural heritage research and protection. The seminar served as an introduction to understanding the site and as preparation for the next phase of fieldwork.
The central part of the project is the planned field visit to Senokos, where students and experts will work together on documenting the watermill and its immediate surroundings. Field activities will include architectural and archaeological documentation, the creation of a 3D model of the structure, site survey, mapping of collapsed structures and remains of the former watermill system, and the collection of data relevant for the future protection of the site. Following the fieldwork, the next steps will include processing and systematizing the collected documentation, producing technical and presentation materials, and publicly presenting the results through exhibitions, lectures, and other forms of communication with both professional and wider audiences. In this way, the project “Let’s Not Grind the Past Away” aims not only to contribute to the preservation of a threatened structure, but also to develop a model of interdisciplinary collaboration, education, and the active involvement of young people in the care of cultural heritage.
