site.btaTraditional Bulgarian Embroidery for Fertility to Decorate Kyustendil

Authentic Bulgarian embroidery [shevitsa] from the sleeve of an antique women's shirt will decorate the central square in Kyustendil on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The idea and design are by Kyustendil artist Evgeni Serafimov.

In 2016, Serafimov and collaborating artists recreated one of Vladimir Dimitrov's self-portraits in the central square of Kyustendil.

"We haven't done anything this big in a long time. We will do it again in the square, on an area of 1,200 square metres," Serafimov told BTA. This time, the direction is different: the participants in the project will recreate an authentic symbol with a sun in the centre that turns into a loaf of bread, and the sun's rays into blossoming branches.

"The message is fertility, and I believe this symbol is very appropriate for the holiday when Kyustendil celebrates bread in honour of the Virgin Mary," Serafimov said. "I am pleased that the project is being implemented right now. The idea is six years old, but I am happy that this project is being implemented at this very moment, because on August 15 this year the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary will be celebrated for the first time as an official holiday in Kyustendil," Serafimov added. In January, the municipal councilors adopted a decision declaring August 15 a public holiday in Kyustendil.

"We have this tradition of people gathering in the church in the centre, from the villages and the town, to bring bread in honor of the Virgin Mary. Over the years, this has evolved into the Panagia cultural forum, and now it is officially becoming a city holiday," recalled Serafimov, who is also a municipal councilor.

The embroidery itself, which will be recreated, is an ornament that was embroidered on the sleeve of a woman's shirt with wishes for fertility, the author of the idea explained. "We are raising this symbol as a format and 'sewing' it onto the shirt of the city, onto its chest. Panagia and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a holiday that honours the feminine, thus this feminine embroidery. This beautiful message of fertility is connected to the fate of our city," he added.

The symbol will be unveiled on the Feast of the Assumption with a performance that will refer to the harvest, the Master and his reapers. It will feature dancers from the Partnyori dance group and anyone from the community centres in the municipality who has authentic Kyustendil folk costumes and men's costumes in their collections. The embroidery itself will be covered with a thick layer of straw and will be revealed by gathering the straw with pitchforks and rakes, accompanied by a cappella performances.

This is the time of year when new bread is baked from the new wheat, Serafimov added. The participants in the performance will reveal a symbolic haystack, on which the Kyustendil rural horo dance will be performed. The aim of the project's authors is to embellish and enhance the festival. "Our idea is to reaffirm once again the name of Kyustendil as a place for festivals, a place for art," said Evgeni Serafimov.

The project is once again being implemented by the New Masters school, whose representatives will paint the ornaments. "All children from Kyustendil who wish to do so will have the opportunity to put a brush to the tiles," added Serafimov. He expressed his gratitude to architect Stoyana Chavdarova, who applied the ornament on a large scale to the tiles in the square, which will be used for a modular network. The sketch will be made by Lily Serafimova, Evgeni Serafimov's wife.

"This ornament, which has come down to us from the 19th century, has been repeated many times by different women, who have changed it a little. They added something, developed it. Time has made this symbol the work not of one person, but of many people. I strongly believe in the collective form of creativity. Here, in a way, each participant will experience the project and bring a piece of themselves to it. I hope the message will reach all Bulgarians, wherever they are, for new wheat, new bread, and fertility," added Serafimov.

The project is funded by the municipality of Kyustendil. "I am very grateful that the municipal department of culture and spiritual development recognized my idea and with their support, this year's celebration will be truly festive," said Evgeni Serafimov.

Acrylic paints will be used to implement the project, which begins on August 10. Serafimov said that the artwork will last between one and two years.