site.btaHajduk Relics Collector Yanev: Three Centuries of Bulgarian History Cannot Be Told in Single Textbook Paragraph

Three centuries of Bulgarian history cannot be told in one paragraph in a textbook, says Yordan Yanev, a collector of Hajduk relics, in an interview with BTA on the occasion of a newly unveiled exhibition created by the family of Yanev and Emiliya Mourzova. The exhibition, on display at the Hadzhi Dimitar House - Museum in Sliven, presents an impressive collection of objects related to the Hajduk movement and Bulgarian history. 

It is the result of the long-standing dedication of the family, who have devoted their lives to collecting, preserving and reviving Bulgarian traditions and the spirit of the Bulgarian Revival.

"When you open a textbook - three centuries are reduced to a few paragraphs. We want to show the human side of history - the pain, the hope, the struggle," explains Yanev and tells BTA's Sabina Stefanova about the beginning of his patriotic activity. It all started in 2015, at the folk costume festival in Zheravna. It was there that he met the members of the Haiduti association and, in his words, "found himself". Since then, he has been collecting authentic objects from the era - weapons, clothes, personal belongings and documents.

Over time, he became actively involved in reenactments and continued to add to the collection. "To collect something and display it, you first have to read it, make sense of it, make knowledge out of it. This is not just a hobby - it is a mission," he says, adding that history is not just a collection of facts, but you have to "understand what people felt back then."

The collection spans nearly three centuries of Bulgarian history. In order to collect it, he and his wife Mourzova have made many personal sacrifices. "I sold farmlands, I gave away my father's estate so that I could put this collection together. This is the price I pay - but I do it willingly. I hope that one day, our efforts will bear fruit, that they will inspire young people," says Yanev.

For him, this activity is much more than just collecting. "I come home from work and start working with the exhibits, with the preparations for the reenactments. It is all part of who I am," he says.

He and his wife are active participants in historical reenactments, patriotism lessons and educational initiatives in the municipality's schools. Yanev's dream is to visit all secondary schools in Sliven and tell the students about history as it is.

The family rents authentic costumes for weddings, proms and other events. They also organize patriotic concerts and lessons on patriotism as an alternative to foreign holidays, such as Halloween.

"The most important for us are the children. If we have to leave them something - let it be roots, knowledge, and self-awareness," Yanev says.

Asked if he believes the Bulgarian nation will survive, he replies with concern: "In 20 to 30 years, we may be lost if we do not do something. The young are abroad, they will come back only to sell their land. This is a new form of slavery that we do not understand." 

"The most valuable quality of Bulgarians is that they love their people - but at the same time, they often run away from themselves. We need to return to our roots so that we do not lose ourselves as a nation," he adds in response to a question about Bulgaria's future. "The most important thing is not to give up. To keep the Bulgarian spirit - not by compulsion, but by choice," he concludes.