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New Tendencies in Bulgarian Culture
Some interesting finds of gold and bronze collections date back to that time, too, for example the treasure from Nagy St. Miklos, rings of Bulgarian rulers and nobility, burial sites of army leaders and khans, the sword of Khan Kubrat, the golden treasure accompanying his burial, etc. A number of scientists have devoted their lives and exerted a lot of effort to revealing this layer of our history of culture, about which very little is known. The pro-Soviet and pro-Slavic policy was a great obstacle in doing serious historic research. The names of Ivan Venedikov, Slavi Donchev, Peter Dobrev, Yordan Vulchev, and those of the late Stanishev and D. Sussulov are well known for their contribution to the world science with a number of hypotheses and facts about the original homeland of the so-called “horseback” tribes, their culture, religion, and language. The very fact that the name “Bulgaria” was preserved in the Balkans shows that the ethos from the steppes of Central Asia had a strong cultural identity. Very little has reached our time from the Slavic culture as it served late kin-tribal relations. One can learn about it from Byzantine chronicles and some inscriptions in the Cyrillic alphabet. The adoption of Christianity marked a new epoch in Bulgarian history. Besides the pre-Christian monuments in the capital Pliska and the Madara Horseman (the biggest bas-relief in Europe)quite interesting are the early churches and buildings, which can be found in Veliki Preslav as well as in many early mediaeval towns along the Black Sea coast and in the country’s inland. The 9th century - called “Golden Age” of Bulgarian culture, is considered to mark the beginning of the Bulgarian literature as well. Besides the translations of Christian religious texts, apologies, prayers and church songs were created, too. Some of the names that are emblematic to national culture include Cherorizets Hrabur, identified by some scientists as Tsar Simeon I, Joan Kukuzel the Angel Voice - a singer and composer of many marvelous religious songs, the disciples of the brothers Cyril and Methodius - Kliment Ohridski (of Ohrid), Sava, Naum, Gorazd and Angelarii, canonised by the Orthodox Church for their spiritual contribution to their people. The various ethnic groups that form the Bulgarian nation add to the richness of its culture. Many holidays, customs and songs, fairy tales, sayings and riddles have been preserved and are unique in Bulgarian and European culture as a whole. The early Christian monasteries are very interesting in cultural and architectural respect. The most imposing of them is the Rila Monastery dating back to the 10th century - a stronghold of Bulgarian spirit and literature. The combination of Central Asian, Thracian and Early Christian elements on the domes and the columns in the churches, in the construction of the buildings, and in the layout of the early fortresses and settlements is unique of its kind. All of them show the fine taste of the Bulgarian rulers, their profound knowledge and skills to intertwine elements from different cultures without showing any uncivilised eclecticism characteristic of countries at a low level of their civilisation. Some Roman buildings, mainly Christian Orthodox churches from the period of Byzantine domination (11th and 12th centuries) are also preserved. They are being used even today, after a certain cultural assimilation and with some new icon paintings. The cultural development of the country after its liberation from Byzantine rule is overwhelmingly rich and shows the unique Bulgarian identity. The magnificent fortresses in Vidin, Cherven, Beroe, Sredets, Assenovgrad, Belogradchik and many other Mediaeval Bulgarian towns are still preserved and nowadays are being used as the settings for the shooting of historical films. University students, archaeologists and architects carry extensive research work there. They are remarkable not only for the scale of their construction but mainly for the extraordinary mastership of their builders and the strategic location chosen in such a way as to completely merge with the landscape. There are magnificent frescos in the churches and the monasteries from that period. The wall paintings in the Boyana Church near Sofia is compared to the best Renaissance models, though actually preceding them with a century and a half. The hesichastic monasteries, among which the Ivanovo, the Aladzha and the Bachkovo Monasteries, are stunning examples of the mastery of their builders, icon painters and wood carvers, of the brilliant combination of the surrounding landscape with the location of the religious building. The restored archaeological complex of the ancient capital Veliko Turnovo is very imposing, indeed. There is the Tsarevets Hill with the incredible town layout, the walls, churches, turrets and everyday life facilities. The churches and monasteries nearby the town, as well as the nearby village Arbanassi are stunning for their uniqueness and bespeak the erudition and mastery of the Bulgarian rulers, their intellectual superiority and Renaissance way of thinking. Some of the frescos found in the Bulgarian churches and monasteries of that period depict diabolical, theatrical, dancing and Bogomil scenes. Considered a heresy, these frescos are material evidence of the cultural history of Bulgaria, an unwritten textbook about the unknown aspects of Orthodoxy. |
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