For the 8^th successive year, Bulgarians will sit down on a colourful traditional rug, next to people from Serbia and Macedonia, to share the most palateful rakia from the last harvest and the most delicious zelnik (a variety of banitsa with a filling of cabbage, spinach or leek) but also to hear one another’s stories in which each shall discover a piece of themselves.

During the Balkanska Cherga (Balkan Rug) Festival, from 22^nd to the 24^th of September, the locals will open up their hearts, giving their best – displaying rugs, expertly woven, cooking food, as delicious as they remember their grandmothers cooking, dancing and singing, and taking part in the contests and the games together with the guests to the festival.

“It is a festival we organize to preserve tradition, the ways of our grandparents, their dancing and singing, and show them to the younger generation so they may pass them on to their own children,” says village mayor Kliment Terziiski. “We have folklore ensembles coming to the festival from Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia because our folklore, our traditions are similar – like the colourful rug with the same patterns. That is the reason why we called the festival “Balkan Rug”. The festival has been growing with every passing year with more and more ensembles from across Bulgaria wishing to take part.”

During its first years there were mostly older people coming to the festival, now there are children singing and dancing on stage, as well as people in their 20s and 30s, the mayor says.

On the second day of the festival, the longest rug of zelniks from Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia – 80 metres - will be rolled out in the village square.Half of the zelnik dishes will be given out to the guests at the festival, the other half will be sold at a nominal price. There is a reason why the exposition bears the name of artist Vladimir Dimitrov-the Master – one of his models would often bake banitsa for him, with a filling of sauerkraut and leek, which he adored. Vladimir Dimitrov-the Master lived in Shishkovtsi for 32 years and he would say: “If there is heaven on Earth, it is Kyustendil region, and its heart in Shishkovtsi.”

“The competition is called “The Master’s zelnik” and it is a special kind of banitsa made using dried out filo pastry,” Kliment Terziiski says. “Older people know that to get the best zelnik, - and in the region of Kyustendil it is truly the best - you have to dry out the pastry. Once you have rolled out the dough, leave it out to dry, and only then go on to make banitsa or zelnik.” 

If you are still wondering where you can spend the upcoming long weekend, listen to what Shishkovtsi’s mayor has to say: Come and see something ancient, something wonderful – in Shishkovtsi you shall be most welcome!