XIV International Festival of Masquerade Games

The festival serves as an expression of the most vital and stable traditions of the masquerade rites, reviving the games of the masked as a blessing ritual for health, fertility and well being. The festival is also a sort of a review of the winter and pre-spring masking customs that have their place and life today.

As a result of this combined preparation no two identical masks can be seen among thethousands masks shown on the festival - each mask is an original artistic creation of the national genius.

 Join us in our parades in the streeets of Pernik.

And have fun.

Welcome!!

The INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE MASQUERADE GAMES "Surva", Pernik will have its 14-th issue within the period from 18.01 to 20.01.2002. The festival is held every two years and is organized under the aegis of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. It is widely supported by the public. 

The festival has already found its place as a colorful and spectacular manifestation of the typical beauty of the Bulgarian traditions in Bulgaria, Europe and all over the world.

Pernik is the national representative of Bulgaria in FECC / the Foundation of European Carnival Cities/

The masked participants are called kukeri, kukove, survakari, starci, babugeri, dzhamailari, kamilari, etc. They are dressed in fur hides or in traditional women's costumes. All participants wear heavy strings of bells and rattles on their waists, and on their heads they wear grotesque masks made from hides, horns, wings, textile and wood. The participants prepare the costumes them-selves but they do not only implement typical traditional elements but also add on a personal touch of creativity and a sense of beauty.