This month the Artplay center for design and architecture in Moscow is featuring a photo exhibition with the motto “Ancient customs and traditions in Bulgaria”. The display has been prepared by the Bulgarian Association of Professional Photographers /APP/. More about the event from Lilia Yotova, APP chairperson.

„We have had a very positive response that has even gone beyond our expectations. It features Bulgarian traditions and customs and is the work of fourteen photographers: Alexander Mihailov, Ani Petrova, a photographer at the Bulgarian National Radio, Atanas Turpanov, Bogdan Stoykov, Vladimir Machokov, Evgeni Dimitrov, Ivan Vasilev, Yordan Yordanov, Petar Abadzhiev, Radila Radilova, Stefan Markov, Tihomira Metodieva, Tsvetan Tomchev and myself, Lilia Yotova. This exhibition has become possible thanks to the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Moscow and our partners from the National Association of the Professionals in the Photo Industry (Russia) with whom we have signed a memo for cooperation. Their representatives were our guests last April with an exhibition and master classes and they invited us to mount a display in Moscow. We decided to focus on Bulgarian traditions and customs. We have our representative in Moscow who acquaints visitors with various customs seen in photographs.”

“Ancient customs and traditions in Bulgaria” is a colorful array of the Bulgarian unique habits and ways captured in thirty photographs. They have been taken in various parts of the country and the initial material exceeded 100 photos. What has been most interesting for Russian viewers we learn from Lilia Yotova:

„There are a few photographs from Kukeri (mummer) festivals. We included two photographs from the chain dance in Kalofer on Epiphany when men dance in the icy river. They impress Moscow viewers quite a lot. We show many customs and folk costumes from the Rhodope Mountains. The Orphic Mysteries Festival in the village of Trigrad /South Bulgaria/ is very interesting. It reenacts the myth of Orpheus who descends to the underground kingdom. According to popular belief, the Devil's Throat Cave is the entrance to the kingdom of Hades, where Orpheus descends to seek his beloved Eurydice. Throughout the day, there are Kukeri masked games, a procession with Bulgarian bagpipes and fire dancing. The festival ends as everybody gathers with torches in the cave.”

The Association of Professional Photographers has 17 members. The organization works for their presentation abroad, copyright protection, exchange of experience with foreign colleagues and upgrading of qualifications. Its main goal is to bring together professional photographers in Bulgaria in a single community. Candidates are asked to send a portfolio and recommendations for the association to ensure that its members are professionally proficient. Some of the photographers lecture to students at universities and colleges.

Currently, the organization is also preparing other projects, but the priority is that "Ancient customs and traditions in Bulgaria" should be shown in other countries as well. "This wonderful exhibition will present Bulgaria in a very good light on the eve of its EU presidency", Lilia Yotova contends.

English Daniela Konstantinova