site.btaOver 90 Participate in Competition for Authentic Folk Costumes at 2023 Rozhen Folklore Fair

More than 90 participants took part in the competition for authentic men's, women's and children's folk costumes at the 2023 Rozhen Folklore Fair. They showed an incredible palette of dyes, embroideries, colorful aprons, multi-colored fabrics, preserved and passed down from generation to generation, said the Heritage in the Future Foundation, organisers of the festival.

Three-year-old Yoanna Georgieva from the village of Milkovitsa won first place in authentic children's costumes. First prize for authentic women's folk costume went to Maria Poppalova from Smolyan for her grandmother's traditional Rhodope costume. In second place, the jury placed Nevenka Kostadinova from Bosilegrad, Serbia, who came for the first time to the Rozhen Folklore Fair. Two third places were awarded - to Stamatka Kirilova from the village of Sokolovo, Municipality of Balchik, and to Sevda Apostolova from the village of Beden, Municipality of Devin.

In men's costumes, the first place went to Gerasim Gerasimov from the village of Kitovo, Vidin Municipality, and the second place went to Ivaylo Mihailov from the village of Blateshnitsa.

After a spectacular Rhodope evening, in which hundreds of bagpipes and the voices of the best Rhodope performers rang out over the mountain, on Sunday the folklore competition continued, as well as historical re-enactments, an arts and crafts exhibition, a mobile museum exhibition, a specialized exhibition of purebred animals, culinary demonstrations with farm dairy and meat products, workshops and activities, etc.

The Rozhen Folklore Fair by tradition, combines ethno-cultural traditions with animal husbandry, which is a primitive Rhodope livelihood and is the basis of folk life, folklore and crafts.

The festival marks 125 years since its beginning and has become a symbol of the strong faith in the roots, traditions and spirit of the Bulgarian nation. The first get-together of the local families divided by Bulgaria’s then border with Turkiye was initiated by Father Angel Indzhov of Dolno Derekoy in 1897. 

The Rozhen Folklore Fair was restored in 2015 by the Heritage in the Future Foundation, and since then it has been organized by the Rozhen Heritage in the Future Association in partnership with the Municipality of Smolyan.

BTA is one of the media partners of the event.