VENETS: the Belogradchik journal for local history, cultural heritave and folk studies

146-153

Authors: K. Kirilov

The tubes are cylindrical or conical cavities coming from the core to the surface of white sandstones, located not far from Belogradchik, in the skirt of Venets, the mountain of Belogradchik. Around and within the cavities one can observe dispersed metallic (Fe) particles. These strange formations were first discovered and announced to the public by the author of the present article. In his opinion they have an artificial origin.

180-199

Authors: M. Ighile

The oral poet, Egogo Alagiebo, the blind minstrel of Benin City, whose portrait forms the basis of this paper, clearly represents a creative phenomenon which is of immense relevance to both the past and the present, with striking implications for the future. His songs, most of which are embellished by proverbial and philosophical expressions, continuously strike the reflective and critical consciousness of not only the customers of the Airport Road Post Office, but indeed the entire Benin community. This paper examines the artistic personality of Egogo Alagiebo, within the conceptual framework of oral literature and cultural studies, and submits that the poet, x-rayed in terms of his mien, career, popularity, attitude to life and living, is indicative of a certain level of uniqueness -- in relevance and intensity-- that makes him truly influential.

211-228

Authors: N. Nikolov

Bulgaria is a nation marked by deep social and political metamorphoses. As part of the post-communist transitional democracies and full member of the European Union, Bulgaria is officially considered a “consolidating democracy” and its progress is periodically assessed alongside other East and Central European states. What is argued in this paper is that the rights and freedoms belonging to all democratic citizens are not automatically transferred with the regime change. It will be shown that freedom is a cultural experience, deeply connected with national identity and a sense of historical self-consciousness. It will be shown how a distinction between political liberty and cultural freedom can help make sense of Bulgaria’s rather complex contemporaneity, its totalitarian past and its crisis of national identity.

244-248

Authors: B.V. Toshev

In this article a letter (1898) by Ivan Savov to Hristo Chenopeev, f. non-commissioned officers in the 15th infantry Lom regiment in Belogradchik, and eminent Macedonian revolutionaries, is presented. This is not an un-known letter. However, it was published in Illustration Ilinden, a magazine which is now hard to avail in Bulgaria.

256-256

Authors: B.V. Toshev (Ed.)

Painter: Ivan Shikerov