Today, a day after 24 May when Bulgarians celebrated the Slavic script and culture, a Bulgarian government delegation is in the Vatican for the traditional audience with the Pope. It is a symbolic way to reproduce the mission of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius who in 9 c. visited Rome hoping to receive the papal blessing and permission to translate the Holy Scriptures in the language of the Slavs.

By tradition the Bulgarian delegation to the Vatican brings a few gifts from Bulgaria. It is hardly accidental that today Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has with him along with other official gifts, roots of oil-yielding roses – 33 in all that should be planted in the Vatican gardens. The rose plants have come to Urbs Aeterna from the Bulgarian Valley of Roses as our forefathers called the area of Kazanlak that offers superb conditions for growing the attar-yielding crop.

Now the rose fields around Kazanlak are in full blossom adding splendor to the landscape. This spring is warm and producers have good rose yields. Against this breathtaking background the town of Kazanlak hosted the competition for the nomination of the Rose Queen. This is one of the oldest beauty contests in Bulgaria which marks its 50^th anniversary this year. It is part of the Rose Festival which was held for the first time in Kazanlak 115 years ago. It is curious that along with rose-picking the people of Kazanlak do not forget another landmark anniversary – of the first workshop for string musical instruments in Bulgaria which opened shop in 1918. The workshop of Georgiev Brothers laid the beginning of violin-making in this country and of a luthier school which boasted skilled and famous luthiers throughout the 20 c. “This year the Rose Festival opened with the contest for the nomination of the Rose Queen and there are other highlights in the program too,” says Srebra Kaseva head of office of the Kazanlak Mayor:

“It opened on 18 May with a show for the nomination of the Rose Queen. Mihaela Hazdhieva from the High School of Mathematics is the winner and was crowned as a queen. This year the event is different from any other time because apart from the nomination of the queen, we have invited all holders of the Rose Queen title over the past 49 years to come for the culmination of the festival on 1 June. Most of them will fly thousands of kilometers because they live in various parts of the world. We have also invited their runners-up. The idea for the first contest for the selection of Rose Queen dates back to 1970. It came from renowned artist Tenyo Pindarev. The competition for the most beautiful girl is our symbol; she is an ambassador of the town throughout the year. In different years the queen would travel to Japan and China to take a message from the residents of Kazanlak about the beauty of Bulgaria, the diligence of Bulgarian women and the vital spirit of our people. Let us not forget that the rose is one of the most recognizable symbols of Bulgaria present on the signs, logos and emblems of this country.”

Along with the glory of Bulgarian roses, there is an increase in the visits of tourists, especially from the East, who come especially for the Rose Festival in May. More from Srebra Kaseva:

"The rose, as a symbol of Bulgaria, is the most popular flower among foreigners who visit the Rose Festival. Going to Kazanlak, they are in a hurry to go around the rose fields, pick up some roses and enjoy the fragrance of the Kazanluk rose. Today, everyone is in a hurry to take a picture of the beauty of the Rose Valley and of the Rose Queen but the oldest postcard from the city dates back to 1901. It has captured the picking of rose blossoms and the girls who would come to Kazanlak literally from all over Bulgaria to help in the rose-picking process. It was a time of fun and merry-making, and during rose-picking many girls met their future husbands. This way this activity was an emblematic event not only for Kazanlak but for the whole of Bulgaria too. It was a place and a time when the joyous side of Bulgarians prevailed. Kazanlak was also a town of love because many young families were made here and then started to various parts of Bulgaria. "

English: Daniela Konstantinova

Photos: kazanlak.com and archive