The vibrant palette of Bulgarian traditional costumes comes to life in the latest exhibition at the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv. The exhibition, “The Beauty of Bulgaria – 55 Portraits in Traditional Costumes,” will open on 16 November at 12:00 noon at the Museum’s Branch at 20 Saborna Street. Admission is free.

Fifty-five dolls, dressed in miniature reproductions of traditional men’s and women’s costumes, faithful in spirit and detail to the originals, will showcase the richness of Bulgaria’s ethnographic heritage. “Each doll recreates the distinctive clothing, colours, embroidery and jewellery characteristic of different regions across the country, revealing the unique beauty and diversity of local traditions,” explains the Museum’s Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr Angel Yankov.

The exhibition also highlights the diversity of traditional Bulgarian attire, from the three main types of women’s folk costume – dvuprestilchena (double-apron), sukmanena (sukman dress) and sayana (saya coat) – to the two principal types of men’s costume: belodreshna (white clothing) and chernodreshna (dark clothing). Far more than an element of everyday dress, traditional folk costumes convey information about the wearer’s origins, place of residence, age and social status.

The exhibits were donated by Rumyana Gercheva, a master craftswoman affiliated with the Regional Chamber of Crafts in Shumen. Inspired by Hristo Vakarelski’s ethnographic map of 1942, she set herself the ambitious task of bringing to life the ethnographic regions outlined by the researcher through miniature representations of traditional costumes from across the entire Bulgarian ethnic territory.

In her work, Gercheva combines various traditional techniques, including felt-making, needle lace (kene) and embroidery. “With meticulous attention to every detail and to the distinctive regional characteristics, she creates dolls with individual faces and unique identities, transforming them into true ambassadors of Bulgarian culture,” comments Grozdelina Georgieva, a curator at the Museum.

Gercheva’s creations have been presented at numerous craft fairs and exhibitions and have won admirers both in Bulgaria and around the world.