The village of Golemo Buchino is situated in Pernik Municipality. It is in the region of Lyulin Mountain and not far from the capital Sofia.
One of the survakari in the village – Vasil Slavchev – recounts that he keeps masking for already 19 years. He started participating in the group in 2000. When a child, he disguised as a young ‘gypsy’. Later he became a bell-wearer and continues like that already about ten years.
“I am a native inhabitant of Buchino – both my mother and my father are from there. I have lived in the town (Pernik), but have grown up in the village. I am one of those who manufacture many masks. The important thing is to find feathers. We buy the glue, this is the easiest. We prepare the construction and then glue the feathers one by one. It is quite a work! We make it mainly in December. The masks with feathers are easily ruined. It is rather rare that someone would go out with one and the same mask for two successive years. Some 3-4 years ago, I made a mask with wolves in the front – two wolves. There is no such beauty! It is still available. But I have glued it with a shoemaker’s glue. I gave about 250 lv. for that mask and glued the feathers of 14 turkeys on it. A friend gave me seven turkeys, from another place I took four more and from still another – three more. An artist made me the pattern – he drew it and I glued it. An exceptional work! That mask, how many pictures were taken of it! It is quite a trouble, but it is somewhat a disease, fellow! Anyone who gets caught cannot get away!”
I also make belts and masks for the little children in the group. The year that passed, I made some for four children. They are with thin sticks not to be heavy, for the children are young. We help then so that they do not give up and keep on participating.”
The Golemo Buchino survakari group comprises about 80 persons. The participants are mainly local people, who live in the village or whose origin is from it, although living in the town. Most of them are young people, and the oldest are about 60-years. About 15 children participate in the group, among whom there are 2-3-years old and they go with their mothers.
The survakari costumes are from rags, and the masks are manufactured from birds’ feathers. In the past, they used more leather, but some changes took place afterwards.
On 13 January, the survakari start preparing from the very morning. Everyone arranges his bells and fixes his belt or mask. They get ready the torches and the fire in the center. The villagers cut wood and arrange the fire. When the fire kindles, the survakari start towards the square. There the musicians play and people dance chain dances – hora. On the night of 13 January, the merriment lasts until one or two, and sometimes even until three-four in the morning.
In the morning of 14 January the survakari with the bolyukbashiya (the leader) ahead start visiting the houses in the village. In the group there are a ‘bride’, a ‘bridegroom’, ‘sponsors’, a ‘bear’ and a ‘bear keeper’, ‘gypsies’.
“There is a ritual in every house; this is the ‘wedding’ of Vasil and Vasilka. And we jangle for good health and for fertility. They give us money, meat, pickles, rakia (brandy) and some sweets – chocolates, candies. They also give us dried meat, prepared at home. We gather all those things and organize a banquet in the evening of 14 January. And all the money we invest in the group – everything!
We bought clothes and a hat for the bolyukbashiya. We especially went to buy the hat from the Guards. We buy bells for the bell-wearers. There is a bell-manufacturer in Daskalovo (Tsarkva quarter). We go and order bells to him. Our cassock (for the priest) is bought from the Sofia Seminary – with a cross, a gospel, with everything. We gave 570 lv. for it. A bell costs 200-300-400 lv. I have bells up to No 24. Some have Turkish ones, which have remained from their grandfathers and grand-grandfathers – everything is preserved. My bells are “Angel’s”. They are from the very beginning, when the master Angel produced them. This was 50-60 years ago. They were arranged – like a piano, fellow! Only tan-tan-tan… This is the idea. Otherwise, one rings in one way, the other in another… Nothing happens. These are my bells; I keep them and do not give them to anybody. When I hang them on the belt, I do not take them off. Afterwards for a week I cannot move, I am all aches and pains – my arms, my legs!
My bells weigh about 45 kg and the mask 30 kg more. There were some occasions at the festival in Pernik when I go out in 12 o’clock and I present on the square at about 5 p.m. But this can never be too heavy for me. I should put on God knows how much in order to feel it heavy. The energy holds me: adrenaline! That is adrenaline!”
Recorded in 2019.
