From July 14 to 16, the fourth national festival of folklore and animal husbandry will take place at the Rozhen Meadows in the Rhodope Mountains under the patronage of President Rumen Radev.
The night before, an official inauguration will be held for a 111-meter mast, claiming to be the tallest in the European Union, upon which the Bulgarian flag, covering an area of 1 decare, will be raised.
“We will raise the energy of our flag to a height of 111 meters so that it can be seen from kilometers away and felt throughout Bulgaria,” generously promises the Foundation “Heritage for the Future.”
The ideologist behind the mast and organizer of the festival is the most well-known sheep breeder in Bulgaria, Simeon Karakolev from Veliko Tarnovo, through the association “Rozhen – Heritage for the Future” and the foundation “Heritage for the Future” that he represents. The Smolyan Municipality is a co-organizer, as emphasized by Smolyan Mayor Nikolay Melemov, solely for the folklore part. This portion will cost the local budget 130,000 leva, as revealed in a recent response from the mayor to questions posed by municipal councilor Filip Topov.
“The amount is accounted for in the budget for cultural expenses of the municipality,” the mayor explains. However, there is no decision from the municipal council regarding this expenditure of budget funds, nor has any procedure for awarding or public-private partnerships been conducted, as a check by “Za Istinata” has shown.
There is no public data regarding the value of the mast, which is 1 million leva, nor for the mentioned 130,000 leva, addressing how exactly and for what purposes the funds will be spent. In his written response to the questions from municipal councilor Filip Topov (elected with the GERB list), the mayor of Smolyan claims that the funds are for “conducting the folklore part of the festival.”
“350 applications have been accepted, which include nearly 4,000 performers from across the country – 160 singing and instrumental groups, 195 individual performers, 90 dance groups, and 20 groups for folk customs,” the mayor explains in an attempt to justify the considerable sum for the Smolyan budget.
At the same time, according to the festival’s regulations published on the municipality’s website, “travel and accommodation costs, including lodging and food, are the responsibility of the participants.” This raises doubts about the unjustified expenditure of budgetary funds for which there is also a lack of accountability.
Meanwhile, the partner of Smolyan Municipality, Simeon Karakolev, directs all revenues from the event to himself and the legal entities he represents.
According to a scheme published on social media, the rental cost for a restaurant for the three days is between 10,000 and 20,000 leva. The cost for a tent site in the meadows ranges from 30 to 90 leva per night. The campsite is planned for 2,500 places, with the organizers providing only lighting, security, and portable toilets in the camp.
If the claim that over 250,000 visitors are expected at Rozhen is accurate, then the profits from it will be considerable. Through a skillful play on the patriotism and national pride of all Bulgarians, the festival generates significant revenue from commercial activities, while its folklore component, which only incurs expenses, is covered by the Smolyan Municipality and the state.
