The first thing anyone notices upon arrival in Garvan village are the beautiful and well maintained Dobrudzha-style houses. The village lies at the heart of Dobrudzha, the “granary of Bulgaria”, not far from the town of Silistra, and has a population of no more than 300 permanent residents. There are also several families from abroad who have settled here, who very much enjoy the beautiful landscapes, the peace and calm, but most of all – that living in Bulgaria is so cheap.
But why is the village Called Garvan (meaning raven)? Here is the surprising answer from Dimitar Nedelchev, former mayor deputy, who has lived in the village for many years:
“Garvan actually comes from the word karvan or karun, or something of this kind, which means “big snow”. Interestingly, there are several villages in this country called Garvan. Even in Romania, across the river, I went there two-three years ago, and I saw the sign of the village – it says Garvan.”
“The village came into its heyday after the wars of 1918-1920, i.e. after World War I and the first Balkan war. That was when houses of this kind started to be put up, and this continued for many years. People started to buy more modern equipment, like iron ploughs, threshing machines and other kinds of farming machinery. The primary occupation people traded in was farming, and most of all grain production,” Dimitar Nedelchev says.
People in Garvan and the surrounding villages have their own dialect and traditions. They call themselves grebentsi (from greben, comb) because of one peculiarity in their clothing. Once, young women would put what was known as “resin kachul” on their heads, shaped like a rooster comb. Regrettably, no “comb” anywhere in the region has come down to us so see can actually see what it looked like. However, there is a real, functioning mill in the yard of the Dobrudzha museum-house in the village. While he is showing us how it works, Dimitar Nedelchev explains:
The engine was made in Munich at the turn of the 20th century. The Garvan mill is a centerpiece during the wheat and bread festival taking place every year in the yard of the Dobrudzha house, and marking the start of the harvest season for the entire region.
What to see nearby:
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: Veneta Nikolova
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