From watermelon madjun to Dervishovden - Bulgaria's newest Living Human Treasures

published on 12/11/24 8:25 AM

Nominated and listed in the National Representative Elements on the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage - National System Living Human Treasures - Bulgaria 2024.

Photo: Ministry of Culture

Eight authentic Bulgarian traditions and skills, passed down through generations, have been added to the National Representative List of Bulgarian Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming part of Bulgaria's Living Human Treasures.

"This year the initiative was a great success. We received 22 nominations from different parts of the country and all of them were very interesting," said Silva Khacherian, Director of the Directorate for International Cooperation, European Programmes and Regional Activities at the Ministry of Culture.

Ms Khacherian is one of the initiators of the biennial nomination campaign, which is part of UNESCO's Living Human Treasures pilot programme. The idea is to document an element of the country's intangible cultural heritage and, above all, to encourage its bearers - the people who keep folk traditions and skills alive. Nominations can be made by community groups, museums and individuals throughout the country.

These are the new living human treasures of Bulgaria:

The traditional wedding from the village of Ribnovo, group winner of the nomination - the inhabitants of the Rhodope village

A documentary about the wedding tradition of Ribnovo

Authentic folk choirs from the village of Vrav, Vidin region, performed by the authentic folklore ensemble "Dorticum"

Vrav on the Danube - the difficult life in a village from Bulgaria's Northwest

Young master Boyan Minchev is a third generation confectioner who has preserved the knowledge and skills of traditional confectionery making in the Gabrovo region.

Halva, boza, cham zakaz

Preparation of the traditional Kyustendil Zelnik by the women's group at the community centre in the village of Zhabokrat.

Zelnik, skrob, wholegrain pizza and boza - the villages around Kyustendil as an alluring gastro destination

"Dervishovden" presented by the Dervish group in the village of Tserovo. The celebration takes place on Midsummer's Eve, when the whole village gathers in the square to watch the kukeri performances.

The dervishes in the Bulgarian lands – legends and mysteries from Bivolyane village

Cooking of white halva for the Midsummer's Day, presented by the authentic folklore group at the Community Centre of the town of Borovo, Ruse region.

The secrets of white halva and how a dessert preserves old Bulgarian customs

Making watermelon honey (madzhun) in the village of Smilets, Silistra region - a 200-year-old technology presented by the women of the local community centre.

Decorating Etropole "pleskani" Easter eggs using an ancient wax technique, presented by the Etropole Historical Museum.

Maria Malcheva and the cornucopia of painted Easter eggs from Velingrad

"The new Living Human Treasures will be published on the website of the Ministry of Culture, where all the nominations have already been uploaded. Anyone can contact the nominees, visit them and see their work first hand. What they do is not only extremely interesting, but also educational. They have great potential for local tourism, for Bulgarians and foreigners interested in this kind of thing," says Silva Khacherian.

The winners received a certificate for their contribution to the preservation and promotion of Bulgaria's national cultural identity personally from Deputy Minister of Culture Kalin Veliov, as well as the assurance that they will receive state support to continue improving and sharing their skills, Silva Khacherian told Radio Bulgaria.

"The idea is that these people in the community - or the group and individual bearers, as we use the terminology from the UNESCO Convention - preserve these elements, their traditional knowledge and skills, on a daily basis. They make sure that they pass on their knowledge to the young, so that the tradition continues. That is what this initiative is all about. On the part of the Ministry of Culture, we are supporting these bearers of our intangible cultural heritage with various programmes that they can apply for in order to prepare projects and acquire what they need to keep the tradition alive," concluded Silva Khacherian.

On 17 December, the exhibition "Living Human Treasures - Bulgaria" will open under the dome of Sofia's Largo. It will showcase the 44 elements of Bulgaria's intangible cultural heritage listed between 2008 and 2024, including the latest additions this year.

Photos: Ministry of Culture, Veneta Nikolova, BTA, Etropole History Museum

Publication in English: E. Radkova

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From watermelon madjun to Dervishovden - Bulgaria's newest Living Human Treasures

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