Island "St. St. Kirik and Julita" is public state property and since 2012 is under the management of the Ministry of Culture. The department recalls this fact in connection with inquiries regarding the status and future development of the island, which is among the most significant archaeological sites in the country and has a key place in the heritage of the Black Sea as an area of cultural exchange.
The official information emphasizes that the earliest known traces of Greek presence in the region were discovered on the island, including remains of several ancient pagan temples from different historical periods. This turns "St. St. Kirik and Julita" into a unique archaeological territory of exceptional scientific and cultural value.
As early as 2011, the Ministry of Culture developed a comprehensive concept in the form of a technical and economic justification, which provides for the island to develop as a leading destination with a museum of Black Sea civilizations and the exhibition of archaeological structures in a park environment. The building fund of the island is planned for use as spaces for individual exhibition elements, including those related to contemporary art.
The main building - the old Maritime School - is determined to be the central core of the future museum. At the end of 2025, after a 15-year break, the reconstruction of this historical building begins by concluding a contract for structural reinforcement worth 1.87 million leva.
The museum complex will be managed by the Center for Underwater Archeology (CPA) in Sozopol - a secondary budget officer to the Ministry of Culture, which is at an advanced stage of approval as a regional center under the auspices of UNESCO. Underwater heritage will be the main focus of both scientific activity and the museum work of the future institution.
By decision of the Council of Ministers, the port area of the island will be managed by the State Enterprise "Port Infrastructure" under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport. The decision is coordinated with the competent institutions, including a positive opinion from the CPA, with the aim of ensuring full public access to the future museum and providing a permanent base for the center's vessel. The legislation requires state ports to be managed by a specialized enterprise, and cultural institutions have neither the authority nor the funding for port activity.
The development of a new detailed urban plan is forthcoming, which will include a comprehensive concept, communication solution and urban scheme, corresponding to the museum and research functions of the island, as well as the work of the tourist terminal. According to the established principles, only the renovation and restoration of existing buildings will be carried out, without the construction of new volumes, and the conservation regimes will meet the requirements of the Cultural Heritage Act.
Island "St. St. Kirik and Julita" near Sozopol will again be returned to the management of the Ministry of Transport and Communications in order to develop the tourist infrastructure and unload the fishing port in the city, announced at a briefing in January the then-Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadzhov.