Emilia Kaleva

Emilia Kaleva is a Senior Assistant Professor at the Department of History and Theory of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) in Bulgaria. She specializes in the conservation of architectural heritage, with particular focus on 20th century Bulgarian architecture and socialist-era monuments.

Her academic background includes a Doctor of Architecture degree from UACEG (2017) and a Master of Architecture degree from the same institution (2006). She has participated in significant professional training programs including ICCROM's "Conservation of Built Heritage" (2012) and specialized courses on new technologies in cultural heritage.

Dr. Kaleva's research interests focus on the preservation of Bulgaria's architectural heritage from the second half of the 20th century, contemporary architectural creation in historical context, and the management of historical and cultural values. Her work addresses critical questions about the value, risks, and conservation strategies for socialist-era architecture that has often been neglected or undervalued.

She is an active member of several professional organizations including ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), specifically its 20th Century Heritage Scientific Committee (ISC20C), DOCOMOMO, and the Bulgarian Architects Chamber (KAB). Notably, she serves as an ICOMOS International expert for World Heritage.

Dr. Kaleva has participated in numerous research projects including "New Architectural Heritage," an initiative for identifying, protecting and promoting significant examples of Bulgarian architecture created after World War II; "Bulgarian Architecture After World War II," a research project she led from 2020-2021; and the decade-long "Nasledstvo BG" research project. She was also involved in the Getty Foundation-funded "Preservation and Management Plan for the Buzludzha Monument" (2020-2022) and the ATRIUM project on Architecture of Totalitarian Regimes in Urban Management (2011-2013).

As an educator, Dr. Kaleva teaches courses including "The Architecture of Bulgaria in the Second Half of the 20th Century: History, Evaluation, Conservation," "Preservation of Architectural Heritage," "Cultural Heritage Preservation," and "Management of Historical and Cultural Values." Her teaching covers conservation of architectural heritage for 4th and 5th year architecture students, as well as specialized courses for urbanism, landscape architecture, and construction project management students.

She is a co-founder of the "New Architectural Heritage" foundation and Heritage.bg, demonstrating her commitment to practical heritage conservation efforts beyond academia.