On Easter Day, the State Cultural Institute Cultural Center “The Palace” in Balchik opened its new cultural space, The Sewing Room - a place where tradition is not only presented, but experienced.
The event became a true encounter with living heritage. Master craftswoman Madlena Bozhilova Amin, a UNESCO-recognized "Living Human Treasure,” welcomed visitors according to Bulgarian tradition - with ceremonial bread, salt, honey, Easter cake, and dyed eggs. Dressed in a fully handmade traditional costume - from the silk blouse and braided cords to the intricate details of her ornaments — she guided guests into the world of textile crafts through a way of storytelling that does more than inform; it draws you in.
The Sewing Room is conceived as a living workshop - a space where the entire journey of the thread can be followed: from the silkworm and its cocoon, through reeling, spinning, and dyeing, to weaving and the creation of a finished textile. Here, traditional techniques are not kept behind glass, but live in the hands of people.
The official opening was led by the Director of the Palace, Galina Mitkova, together with Madlena Bozhilova Amin.
The new space is part of the project “Threads of Time,” implemented with the support of the National Culture Fund under the “Cultural Heritage” programme 2025. The project aims to preserve and pass on intangible cultural heritage through experience, participation, and direct personal engagement.
From April to September 2026, visitors will be able to take part in a series of demonstrations and workshops dedicated to different stages of textile production:
- from raising silkworms and forming cocoons,
- through extracting silk thread,
- to natural dyeing and traditional weaving techniques.
At the heart of the project is the collective weaving of the woolen carpet “The Stars” from the Monastery Carpets series - a shared creation in which each visitor can weave their own thread and leave a personal mark in time.
The culmination of the project will take place on October 29, when the textiles created during the workshops, along with the collective carpet, will be presented in an exhibition setting.
The Sewing Room is not just a new space within the Palace - it is an opportunity to encounter both an extraordinary person and a world we rarely have the chance to touch. A meeting with craftsmanship, patience, and memory, woven into every thread.
