Kalofer lace knitting in preparation to join UNESCO intangible heritage list

Kalofer is preparing to apply for registration in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list with the craft of lace knitting. The beginning was set with the opening of a creative centre where the best of Kalofer's lace is stored.

Lace knitting in Kalofer began after the end of the Russo-Turkish war as an attempt for the city to survive economically.

In 1910, the only Bulgarian Lace School "Trudolubie" was opened in Kalofer, where over 1,800 women and girls were trained.

Founder of the school is Donka Shipkova. Gradually the craft has become a major livelihood for the local people. Some of the town's houses were built with money from the sale of lace, knitting were being traded in Russia, Turkey and Western Europe.

The laces are knit with shuttles on a cylinder. Roses, sunflowers and other native symbols nowadays decorate the works made by women who store this craft. Children and adults are learning the mastery od lace knitting in the new creative centre of Kalofer.

The creative centre also contains part of the "gold fund" of Kalofer lace.

The idea of activists from the community centre is to make Kalofer Lace Fund a collection, which becomes part of the responisibilties of the Ministry of Culture in order to gain even more popularity.