As part of the festive program for Razgrad Day, January 28, two exhibitions organized and prepared by the Regional History Museum were opened in the Ethnographic Museum: “Paftite – a universe of signs” – collection of RHM – Ruse and an author’s exhibition of the master weaver from Razgrad Detelina Dacheva “Bulgarian costumes and their modern variants”.

Among the guests in the crowded hall were the mayor of Razgrad Dobrin Dobrev, the chairman of the Municipal Council Galina Georgieva and the director of the museum Tanya Todorova.

“Pafts are one of the most beautiful elements in the folk costume of the Bulgarian woman – a symbol of femininity”, said Prof. Rositsa Angelova PhD, head of the Department of “New and Latest History” at RHM – Razgrad, at the opening. And she recalled a curious fact – that pafti were first worn by men, but with the fall of Bulgarian lands under Ottoman rule, Bulgarians as a whole lost their statehood, and the man lost his social role of protector and the woman became the one who brings life, continues the family and thus preserves Bulgaria. And quite logically, during the Renaissance, pafts gradually became an indispensable part of a woman’s costume and determined her social status as a married woman.

The curator of the exhibition Iskra Todorova – an ethnographer at the Regional History Museum – Ruse, told about the exquisitely made pafts of different metals, with different shapes and decorations, how important a sign they are in the national costume and about the universe of signs in the pafts.

“Besides their extraordinary beauty and jewelry in the workmanship, which is a sign not only of the social status of the women who own them, but also of their material condition, pafts are also carriers of magical codes. By wearing them, women believed that the pafts also had a protective function after the vow given before God and the marriage altar. We have tried to tell about the multi-layered symbolism of the pafts in the exhibition board”, said Iskra Todorova.

The master tailor Detelina Dacheva thanked the team of the Regional History Museum for the opportunity and assistance given to her to present her author’s exhibition of Bulgarian folk costumes from various ethnographic areas to friends in her native Razgrad. And she told about the coded messages in their exquisite embroideries, about the beliefs that the costume protects against evil spirits and magic, and that if a part of the embroidery is cut off, it gives access to evil forces to the person. Detelina Dacheva emphasized that she is not a collector and costumes made by her have connoisseurs in our country and many countries around the world.

Players from “Ludogorche” to the Kapan ensemble presented a special greeting to those present at the ceremony.

The exhibition “Paftite – a universe of signs” will remain in Razgrad until the end of March, and “Bulgarian costumes and their modern variants” – until February 20.

Due to the already expressed interest in viewing the exhibition, this can be done after prior registration on tel.: +359 895 71 12 57 и +359 878 90 14 31. Working hours are from 08:30 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday.

You can see more photos on the Facebook page of RHM – Razgrad: https://www.facebook.com/regionalhistorymuseumrazgrad/