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XV International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva" |
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XV International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva"
23 January 2004
The International `Surva` Festival of the Masquerade Games preserves, continues, develops and popularizes the authentic masque customs, Bulgarian traditional mask games like unique original event in the European masque-carnival tradition. With its character of a competition the event becomes a meeting and review of the live carriers of the traditional young men's masque customs, mostly popular like `Survakari` and `Kukeri`.
The festival has been organized since 1965 under the patronage of Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. Since 1985 the festival has an international status and in 1995 Pernik becomes a member of the Foundation of the European Carnival Cities (FECC), seated in Amsterdam - Holland, unifying the carnival countries form all over the world.
The traditional masquerade games at Bulgarian folklore present a ritual blessing for health, fruitfulness and happiness. The roots lead to the ancient heathenish times - to the culture of the authentic, probably Thracian population of the Balkans but they also bring into themselves the many Slavic characters. All of the customs are related to the forwarding of the old and meeting of the new year and also with forthcoming awaking of the nature. The symbolism is orientated towards the sending off the evil powers, towards the wish for fruitfulness, health and fertility of people and animals.
The festival is organized always in January on every second year by an Organizational Committee - based on a wide society roots and the leading part of the Pernik Municipality. Traditionally at the festival take part for 3 500 participants of 90 masque groups form Bulgaria and guests form Europe, Asia and Africa.
The XVth issue of the International Masquerade Games Festival attracted 5000 guests. 257 of them were foreigners and 9 foreign groups presented their own traditions at the area of the carnival customs. The Bulgarian groups who presented traditional customs on the square counted the number of 99.
Guests form North Ireland, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Autonomic Republic of Krim and Macedonia arrived for those days at the town of Pernik. The traditions of Macedonia were presented by the groups from Strumitsa, Kavadartsi and Prilep. The guest group form North Ireland performed on January 23rd at the Center for Open Air Events at the district of Izgrev. They presented to the audience their special customs celebrated between the Christmas days and the New Year dressed in a costumes made of straws which is a part of an old Ireland tradition like hat crochet and the duel symbolizing the forthcoming resurrection. The group from Ireland which participated at the festival for the first time also performed on January 24th at Meshtitsa. On the same days their customs showed the guest from Poland at Batanovtsi and the Hungarian guests performed at Divotino. The Greek participants made their presentation in Svetlia and the Macedonian bear men were guests at Kladnitsa.
At the XV International Festival for Masquerade Games the jury was formed by the following members - Prof. Todor Djudjev - the chairman, doc. Georg Kraev, doc. Irena Bokova, Tsvetana Manova, Elena Ognianova and Elena Temelkova.
The major award of this year's event was adjudged to the group from the village of Liaskovets. The award of Pernik Municipality took the group form village Gabrov Dol and the award of the Ministry of Culture was given to the Silistra's village - Belitsa. The award of Roatary Club was for the participants from Bankso. The cable television `Krakra` gave another distinction for the performance of the Kosharevo's village group. Also for the first time there was an award given by the Ministry of Economics and it was for the group of Yardjilovtsi - for preserving the traditions. The International federation for Carnival Games gave crystal bolls to the participants from the villages of Veselinovo, Velkovtsi and Noevtsi..
The awards for fully performance took the groups from Elov Dol, Krupnik, the Pernik district Bela voda, Rakilovtsi, Meshtitsa, Koshov-Turia, Rakovski, Varnentsi, and the Ivailov grad's district - Ladja.
The awards for masques and costumes were for the participants from Karavelovo, Chergan, Vresovo, Sushitsa, Kalugerovo, Sadovik, Kovachevtsi, Sirishtnik, Svetlia and Divlia. Distinctions for children's groups were for the youngest participants from Zemen, Gigintsi, Selishten dol, Kralev dol and Kopanitsia.
From the groups that presented spring and winter customs were awarded - 144th Secondary School from Sofia for the custom `Vasiliovden`, the group from the district Tsarkva for the custom `Sirni zagovezni`, The group from village Drugan for `Vuchliatsi`, the participants from Nova chernia for `Valianka` and the group from village Veseliovo fro the custom `Babin den`.
The award of the Center for preserving the wild fauna `Daral` was taken by the Pernik's group `Surva`.
In the games of the Survakari and Kukeri, the most varied personages, wearing unique masks, costumes and bells of multiple tones, combine dancing and music in a joyful original theatre. These traditions are alive to these days in almost all ethnographical regions of Bulgaria. And in the days of the Festival their capital city is Pernik!
Vanya Ivanova
Balkanfolk, January 2004
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