As part of European Heritage Days 2021, experts from the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with the Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, members of the team working on the project "Policies for the Preservation and Socialization of (Intangible and Movable) Cultural Heritage" – developed within the framework of project BG05M2OP001-1.001-0001 "BUILDING AND DEVELOPING A CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE "HERITAGE BG," funded by the Operational Program "Science and Education for Smart Growth," gave presentations related to cultural heritage. The event was held online and broadcast live on the Facebook page of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
On September 18, 2021, Prof. Albena Georgieva, PhD (IEFEM – BAS) gave a presentation entitled "The Bulgarian Masquerade." She showed the diversity of names and practices of masquerading in Bulgarian lands, emphasizing the enduring and surviving characteristics that remain to this day. The presentation offers an interpretation of the symbolism and meaning of masquerading, reveals its magical role in the past, traces its development to the present day, and also shows the different roles, scenes, participants, and their motivations. Special emphasis is placed on the main "weapon" of the masked figures—laughter and its purifying power.
Link to the presentation by Prof. Albena Georgieva, PhD:
https://www.facebook.com/iefem/videos/1087487705407813
On September 18, Senior Assistant Professor Dr. Elena Vodinchar (IEFEM – BAS) gave a presentation entitled "The Cultural Biography of Museum Objects," illustrating selected moments from the "life journey" of several museum objects. A museum object is a movable cultural object, removed from its original environment and transferred for storage in the museum space. Its journey to the museum is long, interesting, and unique. Researchers define it as a "life destiny," a "biography" that has cultural dimensions and meanings. By answering the questions of who, when, where, and how the object was made, we can learn about the craftsman and the techniques they used, the development of the craft and the worldviews of the people involved in this activity, the historical period, and much more. That is why every object in the museum is a cultural treasure with a unique biography.
Link to the presentation by Assoc. Prof. Elena Vodinchar:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=381587413468882
