Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Bulgarians
They are a Southern Slavic people, the majority of the population of Bulgaria. They got their name from the ancient Bulgars.
Language
They speak the Bulgarian language (the Slavic branch of the Indo-European family). Its writing system is based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Two groups of dialects can be distinguished, the Eastern one and the Western one.
Traditional occupations
Plough agriculture (grain cultures, legumes, tobacco, vegetables, fruit) and cattle breeding (large cattle, sheep, pigs). In the cities, various crafts are developed. Modern Bulgarians are employed in diversified industry and mechanized agriculture.
Dwellings
The traditional dwelling on the plains is one-storey, in the mountains two or three storeys with the upper ones overhanging the lower ones with window bays. Walls have a frame construction filled with beams, wickerwork, sun-dried earth bricks, stone, clay daub. The roof with four sloping surfaces is made from tiles, straw or stone slabs. The core of the house is the multifunctional room with a hearth, the second living room which is also used for receiving guests, a closet. The modern dwelling is made from bricks. The houses have two and three storeys, on the plains the first storey is sunk into ground (for coolness in summer and warmth in winter). There is no hearth. The rooms include the hall, the bedrooms and the kitchen. The interior decorations – woven and embroidered articles – are combined with city furniture.
Clothes
Female traditional clothes are usually belted, using two cloths (in the north) or one cloth (locally in the south), or a sleeveless dress (sukman) in the middle part of the country and unfastened (saya) in the south (sukman and saya are worn with aprons). The shirt on the north is with poliks (triangular inserts), in other regions tunic-style. Male clothes are made from white woolen cloth with narrow trousers and a gornichnaya garment (a jacket) down to the knees or to the waist (in the west) and from dark woolen cloth with wide trousers and a short gornichnaya (in the east). Both types include a tunic-style shirt and a wide belt. In the villages, some of its modified elements out of industrially produced fabrics are preserved: aprons, vests, headscarves, among the older people sometimes sukmans, wide belts, etc.
Food
Stewing vegetables and meat in spicy sauces is typical, as well as roasting meat on a grille. Bread, sour milk, brynza cheese, fruit, cooling beverages, coffee, boza (made from millet flour) take up an important place in the diet.
