On September 6, for the seventeenth time, the International Fair of Traditional Crafts in the “Etar” Museum opened. The event is held under the patronage of the Chairperson of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Tsveta Karayancheva, and with the support of the Municipality of Gabrovo and the Ministry of Culture. In the welcome speech to the official guests, visitors and participants, the Mayor of Gabrovo, Tanya Hristova said:

“Happy holiday of the Union of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia, an act that I believe fill all Bulgarians with pride and respect for the determination of our ancestors to uphold the unity of their people.

Thank you for the honor of being with you again at this unique place, as well as for the opportunity to share and immerse myself in the special atmosphere of the 17th International Fair of Traditional Crafts.

We live in a time where the human hand is gradually and purposefully displaced by new technologies, smart applications and artificial intelligence. Our lives are inevitably subjected to new trends, we use in our daily life things that are primarily made by machines and are designed to satisfy our consumer demand.

No matter how much we are facilitated, they cannot be compared to a human-made article or object. 55 years ago, it was the first time a water wheel had moved into this place so that the master carpenter could begin to sculpt his marvelous walnut-tree bowls and the voice of the fulling mill resonates with his constant thud.

The air here is special, because the “Etar” Museum is the place that fulfilled the dream of one great Gabrovo citizen whose cause was to preserve traditions and crafts, so that we and those after us would know how warm the fire in the hearth is, what the smell of lyutenitsa (“vegetable relish”) and smoked plum is, or how the gabrovo simid (“type of bagels”) smells. Everything created here has a soul, carries the aroma of times gone by, tells a story about itself, weaves an invisible thread that will always connect us to the earth and remind us who we are.

I would like to thank everyone who through their dedication and efforts has succeeded in making this event an emblem of the “Etar” Museum, so that the interest for it grows with every passing year. Thanks to all the craftsmen and artists gathered here from near and far and because of their creativity and skills we immerse in the magical world of crafts.

Good luck!”

Greetings from the stage were also delivered by Mrs. Tsveta Karayancheva, Chairman of the National Assembly, Mrs. Amelia Gesheva, Deputy Minister of Culture and Prof. Svetla Dimitrova, Director of the “Etar” Museum.

Photos of the opening are available here.