THE EXCURSION TO MOUNT SHIPKA THROUGH STUDENTS' EYES
05 April 2024
This year Bulgarian and foreign students, as well as lecturers from Bulgaria, Japan, Russia, Poland and Ukraine took part in the traditional hike to Mount Shipka, organized by the Student Council at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar".
The first destination was the town of Tryavna, where the associate of Vasil Levski - Angel Kanchev, the poet Pencho Slaveykov and the first Bulgarian professor of chemistry Pencho Raykov were born. For nearly a decade, Petko Rachev Slaveykov taught at the Tryavna school (established in 1839).
The first museum the group visited was the Daskalovs House. Here, in 1963, the only museum of carving art was opened, presenting the development of the oldest Renaissance carving school - the Tryavna school, starting with the earliest shepherd's carving, passing through the carving that decorates the wood in the architecture of the houses and you get to the deep and plastic carving with which the first masters of Tryavna decorate church iconostases and bishop's thrones.
The history of the establishment of the Daskalovs house was interesting. At the consecration and on St. George's Day in 1808, the craftsman Dimitar Oshanetsa and the apprentice Ivan Bochukovetsa made a bet and for six months they worked on magnificent sun ceilings in the two rooms of the home. They created wonderful ceilings - suns, which are still admired today.
The students also saw the restored carving workshop, tracing the preparatory process of wood carving and carving tools. They were greatly interested in the woodcarving collection - sculptural figures of Bulgarian kings, bas-reliefs of Bulgarian revolutionaries, revivalists, the work of one of the famous Tryavna woodcarvers, Gencho Marangozov.
The Slaveykovs House, the Old School, also known as the Slaveykovo school - one of the first secular schools on the territory of Bulgaria, the Clock Tower, built in 1814, as well as the churches "St. George" and "St. Archangel Michael" attracted the students and were also visited.
On March 3, the group from VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" climbed Mount Shipka. A wreath was laid as a sign of recognition and gratitude to the liberators and the Bulgarian volunteer force that participated in the defense of the mount. The poem "Oh, Shipka!" was heard everywhere. The organizers from Kazanlak had included it in a film about the historical events 146 years ago and projected it on big screens at the mount. Flags were flying, "Long live Bulgaria!" sounded. The students were congratulated on the national holiday by the rector of the university - Prof. Dr. Petar Hristov.
After Shipka, the students went to the "Etara" Ethnographic Museum to experience the traditional crafts and lifestyle of the Bulgarians. In the old part of "Etara" they saw not only the preserved Renaissance architecture, but also numerous workshops where master-craftsmen work to this day, keeping traditional Bulgarian crafts alive.
Upon arrival in Varna, the president of the Student Council Velizar Chander and Dorothea Nikolaeva thanked the management and everyone for the participation, the good organization and the patriotic spirit that brought them together in Shipka.
The traditional march to Shipka will continue to be part of the student initiatives in the future.
