Vidin (Видин) beautiful port city on the Danube
Vidin (Видин) beautiful port city on the Danube is across the river from Rumania and also close to Serbia. It has an attractive city centre and a lovely promenade along the bank of the Danube.
DEVETASHKA CAVE in BULGARIA and BELOGRADCHIK Town
Bulgaria Travel Guide Video: Visit Devetashka Cave with me and then drive to Belogradchik Town where we will visit the famous Belogradchik Rocks and Belogradchick Fortress. Subscribe to explore Belogradchik with me in the next Bulgaria video.
Buzludzha, Former Communist Headquarters, Bulgaria.
All photographs by Nicola Miller:
The House of the Bulgarian Communist Party is the largest monument in Bulgaria. It is located on mount Buzludzha (1441 m) in the Balkan Mountain. It was erected for the 90th anniversary of the Buzludzha congress, where the Bulgarian Social-Democratic Workers' Party, the predecessor of the Bulgarian Communist Party, was founded. 16 million leva were collected as both voluntary and obligatory donations for the construction of the monument. Eventually, 14 186 000 leva were spent (approximately $ 13 500 000 of those days). The rest was spent on the construction of three kindergartens. It took military construction units almost seven years to complete the monument. Altogether more than 6000 workers and experts took part in the construction work. More than 20 leading Bulgarian artists, worked for 18 months in order to complete the interior decoration. Verses of The International and The Worker's March were inscribed on the entrance of of the meorial. The interior used to be partly covered in marble. The staircases were decorated with red cathedral glass. In the 15 meter-high main hall of the memorial a 500 sq.m. fresco present portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin and the Bulgarian communist leader Todor Zhivkov. The dome of the structure was covered with thirty tones of cooper. Two 12m stars of ruby glass was built-in on the top of the 70m high pylon of the monument that symbolizes a waving communist flag. Buzludzha stars were made in the Soviet union, and they were three times bigger than those in Kremlin. The monument was inaugurated by Todor Zhivkov, himself. In a hole left deliberately in the building's walls, he laid a glass bottle that contained a message to the future generations, explaining the historical significance of Buzludzha. On 10th of November 1989 Zhivkov stepped down after 35 years in power. Immediately afterwards, Politburo ordered the removal of his portrait from the memorial. In 1991 the monument, which still belonged to the ex-communist party, was ceded to the state and was abandoned, looted and left to self-destruction.
Information taken from: nikolamihov.com/forget_your_past.html
Buzludzha Monument - communist conference center in Bulgaria
Part of our trip through Bulgaria in 2011.
In the middle of Bulgaria we found mysterious building called Buzludzha. It was conference hall
for communist government. Buzludzha is a massive rotund built on top of 1500 m hill. Many people died during constructing. Last conference took place in 1989. Inside you can find big wall mosaic presenting faces of Marks, Engels and Zivkov.
FROM KUKERI TRADITIONAL BULGARIAN RITUAL -PHOTOS FROM PESHTERA VILLAGE AND CITY OF ZEMEN
Kukeri (Bulgarian: кукери; singular: kuker, кукер) is a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with costumed men performing the ritual. Closely related traditions are found throughout the Balkans and Greece (including Romania and the Pontus). The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals (sometimes double-faced) and large bells attached to the belt. Around New Year and before Lent, the kukeri walk and dance through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, and happiness to the village during the year.
The kukeri traditionally visit the peoples' houses at night so that the sun would not catch them on the road. After going around the village they gather at the square to dance wildly and amuse the people. The ritual varies by region but its essence remains largely the same.
The custom is generally thought to be related to the Thracian Dionysos cult in the wider area of Thracia. Similar rituals can be also found in much of the Balkans.[1] The name kuker has been derived from Latin cuculla hood, cowl or cucurum quiver (shortened from a koukouros geros).[2] The corresponding figure in Greek-speaking Thrace is known as Kalogeros rod-carrier, also shortened to cuci, in former Yugoslavia known as didi, didici, in Bulgaria as kuker or babushar, as momogeros in Pontic Anatolia. In Romania, this figure mostly appears together with a goat, known as capra, turca or brezaia
Kuker is a divinity personifying fecundity, sometimes in Bulgaria and Serbia it is a plural divinity. In Bulgaria, a ritual spectacle of spring (a sort of carnival) takes place after a scenario of folk theatre, in which Kuker's role is interpreted by a man attired in a sheep- or goat-pelt, wearing a horned mask and girded with a large wooden phallus. During the ritual, various physiological acts are interpreted, including the sexual act, as a symbol of the god's sacred marriage, while the symbolical wife, appearing pregnant, mimes the pains of giving birth. This ritual inaugurates the labours of the fields (ploughing, sowing) and is carried out with the participation of numerous allegorical personages, among which is the Emperor and his entourage
Capra (goat) is a Romanian New Year dance that dates back to 1,600 BC. In Greek mythology, bacchantes would don the skins of sacrificed goat. For Romanians, the death and resurrection of the Capra reflects the death and rebirth of vegetation. Capra's chiseled wooden mask has a movable 'clamping' lower jaw and its horns are either of wood or from a goat, ram, or stag. The horns are adorned with girls' beads and kerchiefs, ribbons, multi-colored tassels, mirrors, ivy (plant considered sacred to Dionysus, used in thyrsus staves), basil (a symbol of love in Italy and Romania), natural or artificial flowers etc. Depending on the local tradition, Capra's body may be made of either carpet or red cloth with various adornments sewn on: traditional colorful cloth, embroidered handkerchiefs in Suceava, beaded ornate women's textile girdles in Bacău, reed seed heads in Botoşani and Iaşi, goat pelts in Vrancea and in Mehedinţi, fabric ribbons or colored paper in Neamţ and in Giurgiu etc.
References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kukeri.
1.^ Jump up to: a b Kernbach, Victor (1989). Dicţionar de Mitologie Generală. Bucureşti: Editura Ştiinţifică şi Enciclopedică. ISBN 973-29-0030-X.
2.Jump up ^ W. Puchner, Studien zur Volkskunde Südosteuropas und des mediterranen Raums, 2009, p. 180 fn. 32.
3.Jump up ^ W. Puchner, Studien zur Volkskunde Südosteuropas und des mediterranen Raums, 2009, p. 276.
External links[edit]
Startsi-Kukeri-Mummers of Karlovo Region, Bulgaria. Kukeri Foundation. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
Kukeri (in Bulgarian). The Bulgarian Traditions. Retrieved 2006-08-10.
Category
Travel & Events
How to make Rakia in Bulgaria traditional
Rakia is the traditional spirit distilled by thousands, if not millions of Bulgarian people every year. Traditional Rakia is essentially home made brandy, quite often made from plums or grapes, but can be made from almost any surplus found around the Bulgarian home. The distillation of spirits is quite legal in Bulgaria and there are usually a few stills around to take your mash to for distillation. This short film shows one way of making the basic mash for Bulgarian Rakia. If you want to know about making Bulgarian red wine have a look at the inbulgaria.co.uk website where you will find all sorts of short films showing how to make traditional Bulgarian products.
Chilingira Hotel (Vacha Dam,Rodopite)Bulgaria with Daniel Dimitrov
Chilingira Hotel Complex with breathtaking location on beauty reservoir Vacha deep in Rodopi Mountains,Bulgaria next to Town of Devin
Bulgarian Alcohol - Rakia, Menta & Mastika - Taste Test!
First time tasting Bulgarian alcohol! Here we feature: Rakia, Menta and Mastika!
Rakia
Rakia or Rakija (/ˈrɑːkiə, ˈræ-, rəˈkiːə/) is the collective term for fruit brandy popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50%).
Menta
Menta is a sweet mint liqueur prepared from natural ingredients like spearmint oil. It is a refreshing drink popular in Bulgaria in the summertime. It is a component of some cocktails as the traditional Cloud (in Bulgarian - Облак) where it is combined with Mastika.
Mastika (Similar to Ouzo and Sambuca)
Mastika is a liqueur seasoned with mastic, a resin with a slightly pine or cedar-like flavor gathered from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region.
Video Title: Bulgarian Alcohol - Rakia, Menta & Mastika - Taste Test!
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The Devil's throat cave / Пещера Дяволското гърло
The Devil's throat (Dyavolskoto garlo) cave is situated right next to the famous Trigrad Gorge about 2 km north of Trigrad village in the Rhodope mountain, Bulgaria. Dyavolskoto garlo cave was formed by the river falling under the ground from 42 m height, which has shaped a big hall called Buchashtata zala (The Roaring Hall). Its length is 110 m, the width is 40 m and the height reaches 35 m. Many legends were bequeathed to us by the ancient peoples who used to inhabit these lands thousands of years ago: the most popular one of all claims that the Devil’s Throat was the cave which led Orpheus to the Underground Kingdom where he tried to save his beloved Eurydice.
Interesting fact is that after calculating the capacity at the entrance and at the exit, the water does not split anywhere, but it takes very long time for something to come out at the exit. It is believed that the water dives very deep down and up, maybe a couple of times, thus creating an air balloon somewhere.
It is a dangerous cave. Two divers attempted to investigate the water and lost their lives. Because of this and also due to the shape of the old entrance which looks like a Devil's head, the cave is named Devil's throat.
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Пещерата Дяволското гърло е разположено в непосредствена близост до известното Триградско ждрело на около 2 км северно от с. Триград в Родопите. Пещерат е образувана от река, падаща под земята от височина 42 м, която оформя голяма зала, наречена Бучащалата зала. Дължината на залата достига 110 м, ширината е 40 м, а височината й достига 35 м. Много легенди са завещани от древните народи, които са обитавали тези земи преди хиляди години, като най-популярната от всички твърди, че Дяволското гърло е пещерата, която отведе Орфей до подземното царство, където той се опита да спаси любимата си Евридика.
Интересното е, че след изчисляване на капацитета водното течение на входа и на изхода, се стигна до извода че без да се разделя никъде на водата и отнема много време, докато излезе на изхода. Смята се, че водата се гмурва много дълбоко и пълзи както надолу, така и нагоре, може би няколко пъти, като по този начин създава въздушен балон някъде. Местните хора казват, че каквото се пусне по течението или не излиза изобщо или излиза след часове, дори дни!
Пещерата е опасна и е отнела животи. Двама гмуркачи се опитали да изследват къде се върти течението толкова време и изгубват живота си. Поради това и също поради формата на стария вход, който прилича на дяволска глава, пещерата е наречена Дяволското гърло.
Music:
Falling (Ft. eSoreni) by Sappheiros
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Batak Lake, Bulgaria
The Batak Reservoir is located in the Rhodope Mountains and is the third largest in Bulgaria. It attracts many tourists and fishermen, and the resort Tsigov Chark was built on its shore. The lake is situated just above the historic town of the same name.
There is a hydro-electric power plant at Batak, and it is close to Pazardzhik and Plovdiv.