Book collects memories of old traditions from town of Elin Pelin
The intriguing memories of the elderly residents of the town of Elin Pelin have become part of the book "Town of Elin Pelin – Folk Traditions" by Pavel Kanev. In it he explores local folklore traditions and culture. Concerned about the lost continuity between generations, Pavel Kanev decided to publish his archive in a book.
For more than 30 years the author has been recording the memories of various generations about everyday life and customs. In his latest local history research, he also published photos of typical exhibits from the museum collection in Elin Pelin. The book collects valuable knowledge about history and traditions of the Shopluk region. Elin Pelin is the writer’s hometown, where he completed his elementary and secondary education and then continued at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," majoring in history. Pavel Kanev is the curator of the Municipal Museum Collection. He is a contributor to the municipal newspaper and is chairman of the local history club. He is the author of a number of articles about local history. Here's what he said about the recently published book:
“It came out in September this year and is a continuation of ‘Elin Pelin – Past and Present’, published back in 2010, which focuses on the history of the town, while this year's book is in the field of material and spiritual culture. The material part deals with agricultural labor, commerce, household work, architecture, clothing, etc. There is a section on folk medicine, the festive calendar, songs and dances. A dialect dictionary and photographs are also valuable. Ever since I started working at the museum collection 30 years ago, I've been looking for valuable photos. I hope the book would be useful to everyone who is interested in the past and the traditions of the population in our city. Many traditions are also characteristic of all ethnographic Bulgarian areas, not just of Shopluk. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mayor of the town Ivaylo Simeonov and his associates for their assistance and understanding in collecting the history included in these two books. Nowadays, young people rely mainly on foreign memory; they rely on the computer. The things I present in the book are nowhere else to be found. I have collected stories from people who had experienced everything I have described. This is a link with our ancestors. I hope another book about the traditions of all settlements in the municipality of Elin Pelin, accompanied by interesting geographical, historical, and ethnographic information would also be published.”
English: Alexander Markov
Photos: elinpelin.org
Properties in Elin Pelin district
Check out our offers from Sofia
Read more news
More News
An unconventional museum has opened in Sofia. In it, visitors immerse themselves in the world of illusions. Unlike conventional museums, where visitors cannot touch the object, this fascinating place allows visitors to touch everything, as well as to take photos everywhere in the space.
“The Museum of Illusions in Sofia is part of a European group of museums founded in...
The future seaside garden of the resort of Lozenets will be connected with the Black Sea town of Tsarevo. This is what the mayor of Tsarevo municipality Georgi Lapchev told the Bulgarian National Radio. These were our long-term plans which we have already started to implement as a whole, he explained.
The cycling lane is expected to be extended from Tsarevo to Arapya in 2020, and c...
The 760th anniversary of the creation of the famous pre-Renaissance murals in the Boyana Church and 40 years since its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is marked this year. On this occasion, the National Museum of History and its "Boyana Church" section are holding an international conference dedicated to this iconic monument. The Boyana Church of St. Nicholas and St. Pant...
A total of 660 stories of noble Bulgarian families of industrialists, bankers, merchants, politicians and intellectuals and their homes have been collected by Mariana Melnishka in two volumes entitled “Houses tell stories” and “Houses keep telling stories”. Opening their covers, readers feel like entering a time machine, as the original chronicle takes them on an architectural walk across Bulgaria...