Today, the mobile exhibition “The City of Black Gold” of the Regional History Museum – Pernik was opened in the Stone Hall. The exhibition is realized with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
The exhibition was presented by Desislava Milanova, curator at the Regional History Museum – Pernik, who spoke about the history of coal mining and the objects that have preserved the memory of working underground.
The exposition traces the beginning of organized coal mining near Pernik in 1891 and its impact on the development of the city. It presents a number of first achievements – the first electric light bulb in 1895, the first power plant in 1899, the first street with electric lighting in 1903, and the first workers’ quarter with a modern urban plan in 1927.
Among the exhibits are a Davy miner’s lamp, a mining telephone, an interferometer for measuring methane and carbon dioxide, protective equipment, coal samples and models of mining facilities.
A highlight of the exhibition are the archival photographs, which bring faces back to the objects and turn technology into part of a human story – about labour, risk, everyday life and the development of an entire city. An educational presentation in Bulgarian and English is also included.
The exhibition can be viewed in the Stone Hall of the SCI CC "The Palace" until October 15, 2026.
