BDB supports opening of unique museum in Rhodope Mountains

When the whistle blows, it is as if the mountain is singing. For centuries, the Rhodope bagpipe has filled the souls and expanse of the Rhodopes, and its sound can be recognized among its many sisters from our and other lands.

It already has its "home" in the village of the famous folklorist Apostol Kisiov. It was he who revived the bagpipe tradition, created, led and conducted the legendary 100 Kaba Bagpipes.  Exactly 50 years ago, in 1972, at the Rozhen Festival, Kisiov created and conducted a true miracle – an orchestra of 300 bagpipes and a folk choir of 3,500 people. The inspired work of the folklorist explains the desire of his successors to create the first Bagpipe Museum – a place that should tell and preserve this tradition.

The collection of bagpipe-related exhibits has been going on for years in the Probuda Community Center in the village of Stoykite. The fund will continue to be enriched. Donors are from all over the country and the Bulgarian Development Bank provided financial support for the creation of the exhibition itself.

The museum combines traditional exhibits with interactive elements. This creates an emotional connection through the audio-visual presentation. The idea here is to present everything related to the bagpipe art – workshop, videos of the preparation of the materials for the making of the bagpipes, literature from music school teachers, photos, autobiographies, music that can be listened to. Among the exhibits is the first bagpipe of Apostol Kisiov.

If you happen to travel to Smolyan, Pamporovo or Shiroka Luka, do not miss visiting this exhibition and remembering that the bagpipe sound sends the power of Bulgarian music and tradition into space as part of the musical recordings aboard Voyager, a spacecraft launched in 1977.