The catalog unites the folklore, rituals and traditions of Bobov Dol and Rajan

Bulgarian and Serbian municipalities with a joint strategy for the development of cooperation and tourism

A catalogue brings together the richness of folklore, rituals and traditions of Bobov Dol and the Serbian municipality of Rajan. The Cultural Directory is part of the activities of the joint project of the two municipalities "Folklore in the cross-border region - the key to European cultural identity." It is funded by over BGN 286,000 from the Bulgaria-Serbia Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014-2020 managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. The Bulgarian and Serbian edition gives every visitor to the border region the opportunity to get acquainted with folklore, local crafts, traditional musical instruments, rituals, customs, legends and monuments of cultural and historical heritage in both municipalities.

The project has prepared a strategy for the development of cross-border cooperation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage for tourism development for the period 2022-2025. The goal is to support the local community and cultural centers in their efforts to preserve cultural heritage and be cross-border cultural exchange supported. The Action Plan envisages creating conditions for establishing effective partnerships between stakeholders and citizens, creating specialized web pages, databases and an online catalog of civil society and business structures interested in developing cross-border cooperation between the two municipalities. It is planned to create a common cultural calendar, organise joint cultural events, consolidate the tourist offer, produce joint advertising material, organise exhibitions and festivals.

During the implementation of the project last year, two three-day folklore festivals were organised on both sides of the border. Thus, the municipalities - partners in the project presented to each other their intangible cultural heritage as a step towards the implementation of the joint strategy for promoting cultural cooperation.

In Rajan, volunteers from the local craft association and agricultural cooperative presented the making of pottery for making dishes and bread, which is made only in this part of Serbia. Local clay and ceramic sand are used to make them. The local craft is included in the National Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Serbia. In Bobov dol the folklore of the region was presented by the dance groups of 4 community centers of the municipality.

The project provided sound, stage and music equipment for the two municipalities, which is used to conduct various cultural programs.