Between presence and disappearance of traditional Bulgarian textiles of Stoianovca, Republic of Moldova

PI: Marina Miron | Collaborators: Elena Chevdari and Alexandra Cholcovan
Project ID: 2022SG10 | Location of Research: Stoianovca, Republic of Moldova
Host Institution: Asociatia Obsteasca Stoianovca ZaEdno / NGO Stoianovca ZaEdno

The dataset in this collection documents the traditional process of wool processing and the weaving of a carpet using two techniques specific to the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Moldova, carried out in the village of Stoianovca, Cantemir District, during the period May–November 2023. Since wool processing has always been a collective activity, several bearers of traditional knowledge were involved in this process. The carpet weaving took place in the old traditional house of the Caradjov family. Mrs. Ekaterina Chevdar and Mrs. Sofia Bahova led the weaving process, with the participation of Mrs. Irina Bishir, Mrs. Sofia Minceva, and Mrs. Olga Bezvoleva.

In contemporary lifestyle, there is less and less time left for the activities of the past, practiced in traditional communities. The convenience of supplying all the necessities of life greatly reduced the practice of traditional occupations and broke the link between generations ensured by the transmission of knowledge from mother to daughter and from father to son. Starting with the second half of the 20th century in the Republic of Moldova, little by little, the objects made for the needs of daily life; the textiles of the traditional house, even the traditional costume migrated from real life to museum halls or their funds.

The importance of the topic addressed is explained by the fact that on December 1, 2016 the file “Traditional techniques for making bark in Romania and the Republic of Moldova” was entered in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The art of choosing carpets in Bulgaria (where the former Bulgarian Transdanubian colonists settled in Bessarabia after 1812 came from) is an old craft, and Bulgarian carpets are well known in the world. The recognition of this element of heritage is evidenced by the fact that the Bulgarian carpets from Ciprovtsy were included in the List of Intangible Heritage protected by UNESCO in 2014, that is, only two years before the Republic of Moldova, and their production is still at a high quality level. But Bulgarians from the Republic of Moldova risk losing their knowledge of weaving systems and techniques, that were actively practiced still in 1980’s, when objects made by women (килими / carpets, черги / rugs, йоргани / quilts, пешкири / towels etc.) became part of the dowry (чеиз / cheiz) of their daughters. Being the result of the traditional art of the population of the Carpatho-Balkan region, the interior of Bulgarian houses from the beginning was similar to the local Moldavian interior in some elements, especially in terms of textile decoration. The entire interior of the house, especially the guest room, has been colourfully decorated with homemade products. In addition to decorating the bed with quilts and woven pillows (възглавници / vazglavnitsi), homemade woolen carpets (килими / kilimi) were hung on the walls.

In the second half of the 20th century in Bulgarian villages, as well as throughout the territory of the Moldovan SSR, the use of standardized plans for the construction of private houses begins, which generates a deviation from the traditional interior planimetry. There is a change in the internal organization and decoration of the interior of the house, as a result there have been borrowings from the Russian language to name several elements of the house and interior. The introduction of new ways of furnishing the interior of homes gradually led to the exclusion from them of objects woven in domestic conditions. Thus, there is a loss of names of objects, used until then in everyday life in the active vocabulary of Bulgarians. Since the 2000s, the process of transmitting knowledge and weaving techniques in home conditions was interrupted due to the active development of the exodus of representatives of the young generation from the villages of Bulgarians in the Republic of Moldova. At the beginning of the 21st century, there are still woven objects in daily use in Bulgarian villages, there are still people who know the methods, but no one actively practices weaving or transmits its skills to the younger generation.

The collection documents the entire process, from sheep shearing in May, through wool processing during the summer, to carpet weaving carried out between August and November 2023. It includes video materials, audio recordings, photographs, a scientific study, and written texts that document in unprecedented detail the entire process of wool processing and carpet weaving among the Bulgarians of southern Moldova.

The overall narrative of the process is presented in a 54-minute documentary film entitled “Between the Threads of Time: The Traditional Bulgarian Carpet from the Village of Stoianovca” (ID 2022SG10-P02-0852).

Methodology

The implementation team collected the data for this collection during fieldwork conducted between 6 May and 5 November 2023, covering the entire period of wool collection and processing, as well as the weaving of the carpet. Most of the data collection was carried out “in real time” as the team could not expect the women—bearers of traditional knowledge—to adapt their working schedules to the project timetable, nor to slow down or repeat specific sequences. Nevertheless, the team was deeply humbled by the women’s generosity in sharing their experience and knowledge, in demonstrating and explaining techniques, and in discussing broader issues such as the sale of traditional carpets in Western European countries in the early 2000s. The exodus of the younger generation, the interruption of intergenerational knowledge transmission, as well as their personal experiences and emotional responses related to the project.

The vast majority of the data collection took place in the 103-year-old traditional house of the Caradjov family in the village of Stoianovca, Cantemir District. Primary data regarding the presence of traditional textiles in museum collections were gathered during visits to the Museums of History and Ethnography in the village of Corten and the town of Tvardița (Taraclia District), as well as during a visit to the Museum of Cultural Heritage in the town of Taraclia.

Selected Assets

The following assets provide an overview of the project’s documentation and public engagement efforts.

Acknowledgements

Institutional support for this project was provided by the NGO Stoianovca ZaEdno (2, Hristo Botev str., Stoianovca village, Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova). The researchers express their gratitude to the residents of Stoianovca village, Cantemir District, for their hospitality and patience during the documentation of the traditional wool processing and carpet weaving processes. As well as to the local authorities of the village for their support, and to the teachers and pupils of the “Ivan Vazov” Gymnasium for their active involvement in the children’s competition organized within the project. Moreover, this project would not have been possible without the contributions of research assistant Viorel Miron and local experts Alexandra Pinzari and Irina Ciobanu.