site.btaSofia Honours Craftspeople with First-Ever Ceremony for Issuing Master Certificates

Professional qualification certificates for craftsmen and apprentices, issued under Bulgaria’s Crafts Act, were presented for the first time during a special ceremony at Sofia City Hall on Friday, ahead of June 29, celebrated nationally as Craftsmen’s Day (Petrovden or the Feast Day of St. Peter).

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev awarded the certificates and praised the honorees for preserving traditional skills in a time of rapid technological change. “We often speak of the professions of the future - AI, new technologies - but many of your crafts are part of that future too,” he told the audience, which included representatives of the National and Regional Craft Chambers and Intercoiffure Bulgaria.

Terziev encouraged the craftsmen to pass their knowledge to younger generations, saying, “True mastery is when you teach others to surpass you, so these crafts don’t disappear.”

Certificates were awarded in fields such as artistic knitting, jewelry-making, photography, and hairdressing. Among the recipients were Milena Voyvodova, Zoya Angelova, Daniella Zaharieva, and Javier Alencastre González.

Krastyu Kapanov, honorary chair of the National Craft Chamber, emphasized that the master certificate guarantees the quality of both products and services and is officially recognized across the European Union.