Old icons from the Rhodopes will visit Museum of Adrianople spring of 2012

The exhibition "Icons of the Rhodopes XVI - XIX centuries" of the Regional History Museum in Kardzhali will visit the museum in Edirne in spring next year Our cultural institution is a partner in a project launched in Edirne Museum. It is called "Museums on the River Arda" and will last 12 months. There are workshops and exchange of museum professionals, training of students in the field of restoration and conservation of movable cultural monuments, museum exhibition of traditional crafts of Edirne region of Kardzhali and exhibitions in Edirne, Kardzhali and Momchilgrad. Photos of exhibitions will be of significant historical sites in the regions of the two museums.
A publication and dissemination of brochures, catalogs, CD and DVD materials on project activities.

National Skilled Children “Chudomiriada 2010”

National Skilled Children “Chudomiriada 2010” festival took place in Kazanlik for the fourth time. Students from “Palitra” Fine Arts School within Kardzhali United Children’s Complex participated to the “Our Kids” Paint competition.

The monument of Orpheus in Kardzhali



The monument of Orpheus has placed at the entrance to the Rhodope town.
Kardzhali is an emblematic town, which, according to legends, is the place where Orpheus was born, it’s also the place where he lived and created art.

About Kardzhali, Bulgaria

Kardzhalian region
Distance: To the Greek and Turkish Border - 50km, To the Capital Sofia - 250km,
In the heart of the Eastern Rhodopes, on the both coasts of Arda river is set up Kardzhali – famous for its interest Past and rich History. Three millennia it was a cradle of different civilization and cultures. Once this land has met Thracians, Hellenes and Romans, Slaves and Proto – Bulgarians, Byzantines and Latines. Kardzhali is situated in the most South Eastern part of the country – with rolling and very folded relief, soft transitional Mediterranean climate and natural resources. At a distance of 20km from Kardzhali is situated one of the remarkable Bulgarian monuments – Perperikon. According to the scientists it is an unique Thracians Castle, dated from 5-th to 4-th centuries BC The monument is impressive for its enormous size - 80m long, 30m wide and 8m high. There are 15 separated rooms, skillful cut into the rock - the throne-room, leaving rooms, corridor and stairs. The experts think that this magnificent complex can be compared to such World famous monuments as Mickena, Delphy or Krith.
The Stone Wedding or the Stone Pyramids are near the village of Zimzilen. They can be reached through the Prostor Park or through Solishte – under pick Ivanci – Panchevo – Kurdjali. There are colored in pink Pyramids – resembling men, women, horses, birds and etc.
In the area of Kardjali there is one of the natural phenomenon “The Stone Mushrooms” the reserve of very rare plants “Valchi Dol” and the bed of unique flower “Silivriak” or so called “Orpheus Flower”. The fields of snow drop red peony, blue juniper and etc.
Here are build tree artificial lakes – “Kardjali”, “Studen Kladenec” and “Borovica”, inhabited by river-fish.
One of the most important Medieval monuments is set up also in Kardjali – The Church “St.Joan Precusor”.
A very rich collection of 30 000 exhibits is preserve in the local Historical Museum. Belonging to different epochs, some of them are unique historical and cultural monuments.

Don't lose the most valued features!

We were born so innocence but why we can’t keep that feature?The aim of our existence in this world is the creating generation, and this to have a child is the biggest happiness for everyone. Every small human creature that was born contains the meaning of all human life. The children were born filled with purity, innocence, love and goodness. Unfortunately with the time these characteristic features are corrupted . It is a pity that created so good creature but then everything is curved. Everything about us – spite, envy, cruelty, treachery, corruption, succeeds to penetrate and capture so good human creature that came into the world. Everyone tries to keep the childhood of self to the way of the life but it is too difficult of attainment. Not many these who succeed to keep it but they pay a high price for that. The age really changes beyond the human being. From one purity and innocence child’s face during the different stages change the different masks. While I run through my life and the moment when I stop to look around I see the ocean from the surrounding masks round me and some of them are so merciless. One advice from me to these who succeeded to keep the innocence child in themselves: look round carefully when you stop while you walk hurry in your life. And to you -masked I can say only this: Don’t forget to remove the masks because with the years your mask will grow together with your real face and one moment you will lose your individuality. And you will stop to exist and you will be simply a drop from the huge ocean. …Don’t let this world to cheat you.

Caricatures against bullets



Toward the end of 1992 year I boarded plane with my documents proving out that I am a scholarship student from an airfield Istanbul for Baku, the capital of the former Soviet Republic Azerbaijan. There I had taken in the State University for foreign languages.
I was excited from the coming changes in my life. I had great and rather vague expectations. The first disappointment met me on the international airfield of Baku. At time of the communist regime at our place The Soviet Union was painted in bright colours. But here, in the capital of one from its republics (although then it was former republic already) and at exactly to its international airfield the beautiful picture, which has represented consciously by the regime in Bulgaria, evaporated instantly.
The international airfield was a building, which looked like more of some village bus stations. Neglected, everywhere flying junk and full chaos in the traffic by personnel, passengers and luggage.
After some hours quest for my luggage I succeeded to find it and to get into one old car ‘ Moskvich ‘ which I went to the city. The Azerbaijan language is Turkic. It is closer to the Turkish language, which the Turks speak in Kardjali than literary Turkish. Exactly for that I succeeded to make a bargain with the taxi driver for 2000 roubles (then about 2 dollars).
While I was trying to understand from where we pass I noticed that the taxi driver has got many golden teeth. Later I understood that the number for the golden incisors isn’t sign for social position. Sooner they believed that the gold purges away them.
Already I am in Baku, where I will spend six years of my life.
I rented a flat next to the underground “20th January”. It turned out that I have come opposite the American embassy. At first sight the measures for the security diidn’t focus attention but the adjusted armoured cars for city circumstances, dozens of cameras and fence resembling to the castle wall everything this wouldn’t be hide. It was 1992 year, in that part of the world, and especially in Caucasus there was chaos. The transition period from the Soviet republic to independent Azerbaijan has just begun. The country was in military conflict with Armenia for the autonomous area Nagorno-Karabakh. Hundreds of families had forced to run away from there and to seek refuge in the capital. While the Azerbaijan was at war with Armenia for Karabakh, the reconnaissance systems of the neighbour countries Iran, Turkey, Russia and also the western countries made “ plays on the silent front “ between themselves in the country. The political passion of the Azrbaijanis often turned into attempts for military coup. From time to time someone came to the fore and said that he has announced autonomous republic in some part of the country. By one such situation in the country, after the former secretary- general of the Soviet Azerbaijan and the general from KGB Haydar Ali sat on the presidential chair with coup d’etat again, in Baku had declared commandant time. To 3 000 000 habitants of the city, except the deputies of the forces for security had forbidden to go to the street from 7 p. m. to 7 a.m. Against non-observance of commandant time could shoot on sight. At day I was in the University on lectures and before 7p.m. I had to be in my lodging. In this time there wasn’t the Net, there weren’t satelitte televisions and mobile phones. The TV channels were two – the one was the state Azerbaijan and the other the Russian channel – “ORT”.
In the small bachelor’s rooms the commandant time pushed me to my claustrophobia more. In order to I run away from it and to don’t “make friends” with some bullet keeping the forbiddance at night, I decided to draw caricatures.
After times the commandant time was countermanded and I stopped to draw. But I keep them to remind me how I have done the caricatures against bullets.

The Stone Wedding

This is a natural phenomenon near the village of Zimzelen, 5km away from Kardzhal (Bulgaria). It is popular with tourists because of its beauty and majesty. Nature has left a very impressive stone formation, which resembles a gathering of people, animals and birds. And just because it is an ancient Bulgarian place, there is an interesting legend told in connection with this place:A handsome young man fell in love with charming lass from the near-by village. But - because she always wore a kerchief - he had seen only her captivating eyes; he had never seen her face because of local custom. He loved her very much and became ill from the pain. His father was worried and went to the lass's family to save his son's life. He bought her, according to the custom in those ancient days, for a lot of gold. A cheerful wedding began. The wedding guests took the lass and set off for Zimzelen. Riding a mule, the bride dressed in her fine new gown, was thinking about her native home but was happy to marry the young man. The father-in-law walked next to her with his son (the happy bridegroom) and all the wedding guests from the two villages. As they passed through the clear stream, a sudden gust of wind blew away the bride's kerchief. The father-in-law saw and was awe-struck at the beautiful face of the young lass. But that lasted just for a moment. He came 'round and evil thoughts entered his mind. The wind understood him and got furious. A storm began and then the worst thing happened -- the bride turned into stone, as she was all dolled up, on her mule. After her, the father-in-law and the wedding guests were turned into stone too. The young man could only stand in the terror and agony of the moment, but soon he began to wail and begged the storm to turn him into stone too. So it happened. He turned into stone but even today, there's a puddle shining in front of him. The village old people say the drops in this glimmering puddle are his tears.

Old weddings

How are young people married one time? Where are they introduced?
One time the parents didn’t ask the boy and girl whether they want or don’t want to marry. Then the parents determined who would be the future wife or husband of their children. The adults made a "bargain" ... This happened when youth became 12 - 13 years. The boy and girl are married without they met ago. But sometimes they met on working-bees or when the girl went to the local fountain for water, there were occasions when the girls gathered on the meadow and sang songs beating a tin-box. But eventually the word of the parents was a law.
The old wedding ceremony includes beating drums in the village. Folk dances are performed and henna rituals also take place.