Chitalishte "Drastar-2012" will participate in the Festival of the folklore costume in Jeravna, 2013

The festival of the folklore costume in Jeravna - the hearth of spirituality and a return to the roots of the Bulgarians

 

In August, 23rd to 25th, the architectural reserve the village Zheravna will host the 6th Festival of folklore costume. So far the Festival is unique in Bulgaria and is gaining more and more popularity and fans. The Festival is held each year on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the third week of August (the Holy Vergin feast). From 2009 got international. The first edition was in 2008 financed by the "Bulgare" Foundation, the Municipality of Kotel, the Mayor of Zheravna village and donors.
In 2013 Chitalishte "Drastar-2012" Silistra will take part in the Festival - a challenge and a test of our perseverance and ambition to represent and distribute the traditions of our Silistra region. On August 24, the second festival day, we will present authentic Dobrudja' dances - "Chesta", "Raka", "Sborenka", "Opas" and "Pravo horo". We are enthusiastic and full of willing to sink the atmosphere of the festival and to get closer to the Bulgarian time over 150 200 years ago and touch to what our nation has kept for generations as traditions.

  

The Festival is a sort of "time machine" that participants and guests fond of native folklore, carried for three days back in time and far from civilization. The fair is held outdoors in the pine forest of "Dobromeritsa" near Zheravna. Song contest and dances, dancing and fire dancing mummers, freestyle wrestling and presentation of folklore customs from different parts of the Bulgaria - it welcomes everyone standing in the village in those days. Masters of various crafts displayed their wares in stalls makeshift bazaar. The Festival has strict rules - the main condition and compulsory pass for entry into the Festival area is folk costume. Thousands of patriotic people in costumes from different parts of Bulgaria together will be immersed in the magic of the latest edition of the Festival of folklore costume in Jeravna this year 2013.

 See photos from the Festival in 2012. 
The Festival web site: www.nosia.bg
The "Bulgare" Foundation web site: www.bulgare.net
 

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About the Zheravna village (Website)

In the heart of Stara Planina mountain, 640 meters above the sea, is situated the pearl of the Kotel Balkan - village of Zheravna. In 1958 the village was declared a museum reserve. Here was born one of the giants of Bulgarian literature - Jordan Jovkov, autor of the masterpiece in the Bulgarian prose-collection of stories dedicated to Zheravna - "Staroplaninski legendi" (Balkan Legends). Zheravna is home to a number of heroes for national liberation and spiritual - Sava Filaretov, Todor Ikonomov, Rayno Popovich, Vasil Stoyanov and many others. Zheravna is architectural museum reserve, one of the wonders of the Bulgarian master builder. Most of the houses are completed architectural images with unique artistic form. Generally preserved authentic Renaissance look of the village - narrow cobbled streets, one-or two-storey wooden houses surrounded by stone walls. Particularly impressive are preserved to our days over 200 old houses built before and during the Renaissance. Typical of them are made of wood, but are built on stone foundations, some of the most interesting from among them are two floors. Part of the wooden houses are more than 300 years. Each one of the oldest buildings is a unique monument. Renaissance artist worked on the houses of oak boards, with wide porches and to 2 meters deep eaves. 172 houses in the village have been declared architectural monuments. In the vicinity are a lot of sources, most of which were taken into the spout of water fountains with melodious names: Krincha, Starcha, Zaykovka built since time immemorial.

**********What is interesting in Zheravna?§ The Church "St. Nicholas ", built in 1834, in which it is arranged rich collection of icons, stone sculptures and church plates.§ The House Museum "Jordan Jovkov": The birthplace of the great Bulgarian author (1880 - 1937) is located on the square "Goliamo bardo".  Exhibition, composed of his papers, manuscripts and photographs, tells the life and work by Jordan Jovkov. Focus of the exhibition is the pen with the writer wrote "Balkan Legends" stories, inspired in part by the author's homeland.§ The House Museum "Sava Filaretov": Exhibition "History Zheravna."§ The House Museum "Russi chorbadzhi": In the house can be seen the exhibition "Life and Culture of the Renaissance Zheravna (XVIII - XIX century)." Representing different crafts during the Renaissance practiced in Zheravna. Huge impression handlooms and fine linen fabrics that local women from Zheravna tissued with mastery. The house was declared an architectural monument in 1978.§ The Art Gallery: Located in the school building, built in 1867, the Gallery stocks has more than 450 works by local and foreign artists. Thera are organized annually visiting exhibitions of artists or exhibitions of ethnographic museums in the country. 

 § The Park "Dobromiritsa": located close to the village, where every year during the second half of August, has conducted the National Festival of the folklore costume.
§ Near to the village of Zheravna are the historical sites "Iglikina poliana", "Haydushki izvori" and  "Charmanat". Nearby is Medven  village - the birthplace of  bulgarian writer Zahari Stoyanov.