The 14th Balkan Festa is behind us

The open-air museum attracted great interest, hosting blacksmithing and carpentry demonstrations. Those interested could try making a whistle themselves or test their skills at making a wooden stool. In addition to the old cottage, this was also where a bread oven stood, in which bread was baked. There was also homemade butter and sweet and savory cornmeal, known in Bosnia as pura. The picture was completed by ladder wagons set up beside the stage and the open-air museum. Successful workshops on making Balkan pita were also held—on Saturday led by the KGW from Bolesławice, and on Sunday by KGW Bożejowice-Rakowice and the Association of Active Women from Lipiany.

Guests also had the opportunity to attend the Balkan Festa and received miniature versions of the ladder wagons from Gmina Head Andrzej Dutkowski and Village Head Andrzej Kosior. That day, Bolesławice hosted: Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Nikola Zurovac, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia Ranko Tomović, Bishop of Banja Luka Franjo Komarica, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Cezary Przybylski, Bolesławiec County Head Karol Stasik, Mayor of Bolesławiec Piotr Roman, municipal authorities and many other distinguished guests.

The Balkan Festa began with a joint dance performed by the audience and children from the Zespół Pieśni i Tańca Ziemi Bolesławieckiej. Instructor Elżbieta Tor explained and demonstrated the dance steps in a simple way, and, to the surprise of those dancing for the first time, they performed professionally. After this brief demonstration, members of the RKUD "Pelagić" ensemble took the stage to showcase their skills. Despite the audience’s appetite for more performances, they had to wait a little longer. That day also featured ensembles known and loved not only in Gmina Bolesławiec: the Choir of Reemigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends, the "Ocice" Vocal Ensemble, the Gminny Zespół Pieśni i Tańca "Jutrzenka", ZPiT Ziemi Bolesławieckiej, "Nasza Biesiada", Kapela Herbutów and the "Vitre Moi" ensemble. Each received well-deserved thunderous applause. Every ensemble also received a miniature ladder wagon as a souvenir and warm thanks for its performance.

The Balkan Festa would not have taken this form without two creative people, Elżbieta Tor and Sławomir Ratajski, whose ideas and knowledge of the history of reemigrants made it possible to organize a successful event. Great thanks are also due to Village Head Andrzej Kosior and the residents of Bolesławice, whose hard work was also appreciated by the Head of Gmina Bolesławiec. The event was co-financed by the Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship through a project prepared by Bolesławiec County Office as part of the Lower Silesian Capital of Culture.

After the stage performances, residents had the opportunity to dance at the party, and this time not only Balkan rhythms could be heard from the stage.

The event was organized by the Gminny Ośrodek Kultury i Sportu w Bolesławcu z/s w Kruszynie and the Organizing Committee of the village of Bolesławice.

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