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