Lazarki in the Burgas Museum

On April 11, 2025 (Friday) at 11:00 a.m. at the Ethnographic Museum in Burgas (69 Slavyanska Street), the amateur authentic folklore group "Erkechko Nasledstvo" will present the "Lazari" custom. On the eve of Lazarovden, you will have the opportunity to learn more about Lazarovden in the mountain village of Erkech, which has its own unique differences, and to experience the holiday with Lazarovden songs and dances.
For the first time, we will show live the "dressing up" of the Erkech Lazarus girl – in what order the beaded jewelry is put on, how the feathers should be arranged, what are the peculiarities of the headdress in Erkech.
The Erkech Lazarus celebration is the most personal holiday in the village since time immemorial. It is celebrated not only on the Saturday before Easter, but also on Sunday. On Saturday during the day, there is the so-called "Little Lazarus" – for the children, and on Sunday there is the "Big Lazarus" – the actual celebration, for the young women. The Lazarus songs of Erkechko are very distinctive and are still alive in the memory of the women of the village. The young women choose a little girl as their leader, whom they call "buenets." This is a girl who is walking with the older women for the first time. The Lazarus costumes are bright, authentic, colorful, and beautiful. The headdresses worn by the Lazarus girls are particularly original. The most characteristic of the adornments are the rooster feathers, called "koluni." With the buenets at the front, the Lazarus girls set off through the village, singing songs and dancing Lazarus dances for health and prosperity. After visiting all the houses in the village, they head for the Dolnik area. There they are joined by the kumovi. Yes, only in Erkech do men participate in Lazarus! The kumovtsi "pull" the Lazarus dance down the steep slope of "Dolnik" to the village square, where all the young people join in and dance lively dances until late at night.
Lazarus is celebrated every year in Erkech, and the custom has never been interrupted. It enjoys great interest and is passed on to each successive generation in the village.
The event at the Ethnographic Museum is organized by the Regional Museum of History – Burgas with the assistance of the Municipality of Burgas and is part of the municipal cultural program dedicated to Easter.

*All events at the Regional History Museum – Burgas support Burgas' candidacy for European Capital of Culture.

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