For the eighth year, the Merry Chichopey gathered the children on the May Day stage : RegNews.NET

The eighth edition of the Children’s Folklore Festival “Merry Chicopei” and the fourth National Folklore Competition “Merry Chicopei” opened on April 20, 2024 at 10 a.m. on the stage of the “Ivan Vazov-1893” National Theater, Parvomaitsi village. Nearly 200 children from the municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa, the municipality of Lyaskovets, the municipality of Dryanovo and the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo sang and outplayed each other.

The chairman of the Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipal Council Ognyan Stoyanov welcomed the participants. Petya Ivanova, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa for Humanitarian Activities and Disputes, greeted the children and their leaders and opened the competition program.

Jury in composition – Maria Veleva, chairman of the “Ivan Vazov-1893” FC, village of Parvomaitsi, Sashka Chenkova – an outstanding vocal pedagogue from the National School of Arts “Professor Philip Kutev” in the city of Kotel and associate professor Dr. Stefan Yordanov from ANTII “Professor Asen Diamandiev”, city of Plovdiv.

The competition is being held by the “Ivan Vazov-1893” Elementary School, the village of Parvomaytsi and the Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa.

For the first year, the organizers presented the Grand Prize “Vesel Chichopey” and it was awarded without appeal to the young and talented performer Mihail Pashov from SU “Emiliyan Stanev”, city of Veliko Tarnovo, headed by Veselka Vacheva, who competed in the third age group, individual performers.

Mihail Pashov gave his words of gratitude upon receiving the award: “Thank you to the esteemed jury and the organizers for this wonderful award. I also thank my family who help and support me. This prize made me very happy and motivated me to work harder in the future.”

The participants are divided into two main sections: Singing and Dancing. In the Singing section, first age group, the title of “Laureate” was awarded to Mirela Rumenova Blazheva from Gorna Oryahovitsa, led by Manka Bilcheva and accompanied by kaval Petar Donev and gadulka Yordan Ilarionov. First place in the same group was awarded to Mirela Rumenova Blazheva from Gorna Oryahovitsa, led by Manka Bilcheva and accompanied by Peter Donev, second place was not awarded, third place was awarded to Angela Borisova Panova at the “Development-1884” school, Polikraishte village , with leader Manka Bilcheva and accompaniment of kaval Petar Donev and gadulka Yordan Ilarionov.

The laureate in the second age group of the singing section is Stefani Ivelinova Karastoyanova from the “Development-1884” school, Polikraishte village, led by Manka Bilcheva and accompanied by the kaval Petar Donev and the gadulka Yordan Ilarionov. Stefani Karastoyanova also received First place in the category. First place was also awarded to Alexandra Danielova Pulova from “Hristo Kozlev-1883” Primary School, town of Dolna Oryahovitsa, headed by Vyara Dencheva. In second place, the jury awarded Ivelina Beatrice Platt from the “Development-1884” school, Polikraishte village with leader Manka Bilcheva and the accompaniment of the kaval Petar Donev and the gadulka Yordan Ilarionov, Raya Nikolaeva Isyankova from the “Hristo Kozlev-1883” school, Dolna Oryahovitsa town, headed by Vyara Dencheva, and Kristin Ivanova from the “Zvezdici” DWG at the “Development-1893” Primary School, Mindya village, headed by Zvezdelina Simeonova.

The jury awarded third place in the Second Age Group of the Singing section to Nikol Stoyanova from the “Development-1894” Primary School, the village of Dragizhevo led by Stefan Zhelyazkov, third place was also awarded to Mihaela Krasimirova Milanova from the CPLR Gorna Oryahovitsa led by Gergana Pashova.

Laureate in the Second age group of the Singing, Vocal Groups section, the jury awarded the “Izvorche” Vocal Group at the Central Children’s Hospital Gorna Oryahovitsa with leader Gergana Pashova, the group also won First Place.

Second place was awarded to the “Chichopey” vocal group at the Central Regional State Research Center Gorna Oryahovitsa, led by Gergana Pashova. The group is a foreign group in “Elin Pelin” Elementary School, village of Parvomaitsi, and Mrs. Pashova has been working with the children for years, who raise their level with each passing year. The board of trustees at the “Ivan Vazov-1893” elementary school, village of Parvomaytsi thanked the elementary school “Elin Pelin”, village of Parvomaytsi, in the person of its director Mirena Marinova, for the hard work and perseverance in the development of the singing group.

Third place in the Second Age Group, Singing, Vocal Groups section is awarded to the “Zvezditsa” Folklore Group at the “Georgi Izmirliev” Secondary School, Gorna Oryahovitsa, led by Krasimira Karaivanova.

Laureate and first place in the Third Age Group, Individual Performers, Singing section is awarded to Mihail Stanislavov Pashov from the “Emiliyan Stanev” Secondary School, Veliko Tarnovo, led by Veselka Vacheva, accompanied by accordionist Stefan Zhelyazkov.

The jury awarded second place in the same category to Kristina Georgieva at the Children’s Vocal Group “Zvezditsi” at the “Development-1893” Primary School, Mindya village, led by Zvezdelina Simeonova.

In the third age group, the Laureate title was awarded to the Children’s Folklore Group “Kitchitsa” at the “Development-1894” Primary School, Dragizhevo village, led by Stefan Zhelyazkov. They also get first place in the category.

Laureate in the First Age Group, Processed Dance Folklore is awarded to Children’s Dance Folklore Ensemble “Adventurers” at the “Napreduk-1869” Primary School, Gorna Oryahovitsa, led by Dimitar Ivanov. They also get first place in the group.

Second place was awarded to the Children’s Dance Group “Mayska Kitka” (1st grade) at the “Ivan Vazov-1893” Primary School, Parvomaitsi village, led by Mihail Stankov.

Third place is awarded to the Preparatory Group “The Little Prince” at Kindergarten “Zdravets”, village of Parvomaitsi, led by Veselina Dimitrova and Marinela Ivanova.

Laureate in the Second Age Group, Dance Section, Processed Dance Folklore received “Preparatory Group for the Representative Children’s Junior Dance Group “Balkandzhiche” at the National Primary School “Development-1869”, city of Dryanovo, led by Tsvetozar Kyorovski. The group also gets First place.

Second place was awarded to the Children’s Dance Ensemble “Mayska Kitka” at the “Ivan Vazov-1893” Primary School, Parvomaitsi village, led by Mihail Stankov. Second place was also awarded to the DTFS “Priklyuntsi” at the “Napreduk-1869” PN, Gorna Oryahovitsa, headed by Dimitar Ivanov.

Third place was awarded to the Children’s Dance Group “Severnyache” at the “Development-1884” Primary School, Polikraishte village, led by Mihail Stankov.

First place in the second age group, section Dance, Folk People, the jury awarded to the Children’s Dance Ensemble “Mayska Kitka” (2nd year) at the “Ivan Vazov-1893” Primary School, Parvomaitsi village, led by Mihail Stankov.

Second place was awarded to the Children’s Dance Group “Mayska Kitka” (1st grade) at the Primary School “Ivan Vazov-1893”, village of Parvomaitsi, led by Mihail Stankov. Children’s dance troupe “Severnyache” at the “Development-1884” Primary School, Polikraishte village, led by Mihail Stankov, also received second place.

In the section Dance, Third Age Group, Processed Dance Folklore, the jury awarded the title “Laureate” to PDYUTS “Balkandzhiche” at the National Primary School “Development-1869”, town of Dryanovo, headed by Tsvetozar Kyorovski, they also won first place in the category.

Second place was awarded to the DTFS “Priklyuchentsi” at the “Napredak 1869” PN, Gorna Oryahovitsa, headed by Dimitar Ivanov.

In the fourth age group of Processed Dance Folklore, the jury awarded First place to DTYUS “Pastrenitsa” at NCH “Hristo Kozlev-1883”, town of Dolna Oryahovitsa, headed by Dimitar Ivanov.

The organizers of the contest thank the Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa for their support, the respected jury for the impartial judging, the children and their leaders for their creative work, for their responsible presentation on the stage of the community center and for the high results achieved. With wishes for health and success, the organizers address each child, and the children’s parents deserve thanks for their dedicated support. Each participant also received a specially prepared print of the poem “Chicho Chichopey” by the famous Bulgarian poet Yanaki Petrov. The name of the festival comes from it. See you again in 2025 with the ninth edition of “Vesel Chichopey”.