Presentation of the International Photographic Exhibition “National Dress: A Source of Pride and Heritage” at the Etar Open-Air Museum
A team of the State Institute for Culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consisting of Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova – Director of the Institute and experts, visited the Etar Open-Air Museum. During the visit, fruitful meetings were held with the Director of the Museum – Prof. Svetlana Dimitrova, with the management and experts from the complex. Future opportunities for partnership, joint initiatives and exchange of professional experience aimed at the preservation and modern presentation of Bulgarian traditions and cultural heritage through the Institute’s programs were discussed.
The specific occasion for the visit was the presentation of the International Photographic Exhibition “National Dress: A Source of Pride and Heritage”, initiated by the Global Public Diplomacy Network – GPDNet in partnership with 17 member states, including Bulgaria. The exhibition, presenting the richness and symbolism of traditional costumes from different regions around the world, will remain at the Etar Museum until the end of March next year.
The exhibition includes selected photographs that reveal the diversity of national costumes as bearers of history, identity and spirituality. Among them, four artistic photographs of Bulgarian folk costumes, provided by the collection of Svetoslav Petrov and taken by Petya Dobreva, stand out, which present the uniqueness and colour of Bulgarian traditional culture.
The premiere of the exhibition took place during the 9th General Assembly of GPDNet in Doha, Qatar, in May 2024. It is visiting Bulgaria for the third time, after its first presentation was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October during the international conference "Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans - Achievements and Challenges in the Modern Era", and for the second time it was shown at the Regional History Museum - Burgas with the support of the Municipality of Burgas.
During the visit to the region, the Director of the State Institute for Culture and the team also visited the Museum of Humor and Satire - Gabrovo, as well as held a meeting with the Director of the Art Gallery "Hristo Tsokev" - Gabrovo - Mr. Evgeni Nedev. Prospects for future joint projects uniting contemporary fine arts and the rich cultural and historical heritage of the region were discussed.