16
For three days, the mining town of Pernik lived and breathed kukeri. The 29th International Festival of Masquerade Games Surva 2023 officially closed there yesterday, with a record number of participants from Bulgaria and abroad, Pernik municipality say. The festival featured masquerade groups coming from Greece, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, north Macedonia, Montenegro and Croatia.
More than 10,000 survakari, kukeri, babugeri, jamali, people from all kinds of masquerade groups took part in the procession in Pernik’s central square Krakra Pernishki, making Surva the biggest masquerade festival in Europe, the organizers from Pernik municipality say.
The big winners at the 29th edition of the festival are: The survakari group from Batanovtsi village and the kukeri group from Umenie-2003 chitalishte (community culture club) in the town of Yambol. The gold medal for children’s group went to the children from Kosharevo village, Pernik district. The cup of the Federation of European Carnival Cities (FECC) was awarded to the survakari group from Yardjilovtsi village in Pernik district.
Next year will see Surva’s 30th edition in Pernik, and for the second time the mining town will play host to the convention of the Federation of European Carnival Cities. The first time Pernik hosted such a forum was almost two decades ago, in 2004, said FECC President Lars Algell, who was an honorary guest at the masquerade festival in Pernik.
Some facts about the past and present of Surva:
It has been organized since 1966, and has held an international status since 1985. In 1995, Pernik became a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities. On 26 June, 2009, Pernik was declared European capital of survakari and kukeri traditions. And in 2014, the town and the Surva festival were among National Geographic’s pick for best winter trips. Since 2008, the international masquerade festival has been an annual event, taking place over the last weekend of January.
Text and photos: Gergana Mancheva
Early in the morning, young men and women gather in the meadows to play with the sun. "It is believed that the sun dances and shimmers on Enyovden at sunrise, because it is the longest solstice of the year". This is the most important thing to know about..
Today is Bulgarian Folklore Day, designated as such by the Ministry of Culture in 2019. The idea for such a day belongs to Chinary folklore ensemble, with the support of the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices , percussionist Stoyan..
On June 3 at 18.00 in Art Gallery "Circle" in Kardzhali the photo exhibition "Ethnopalitra - the faces of Balkan folklore" will be opened. The exhibition is the work of journalist and historian Georgi Kulov. The exhibition is inspired..
sunshine, cloud, rain and thunder
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy