Samodiva and Karakondzhul

A project by the Vidin Fund "Chitalishta", funded by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU instrument. The premiere of the musical-dance performance "Samodiva and Karakondzhul" took place on December 21, 2025, at the Vidin Drama Theatre.

About the performance

The plot is built as an interpretation of the eternal struggle between good and evil through the figures of the samodiva (forest nymph) and the karakondzhul (a malevolent spirit) — both deeply woven into the folk tradition of the Vidin region. The performance is split into two halves: a light half, recreating the holidays of the Bulgarian yearly ritual calendar, and a dark half, in which the mythical creatures of our ancestors' legends come alive.

Team and participants

• Amateur performers from the "Svetal Den" community centre – Vidin, and the "Prosveta" community centre – Gomotartsi
• Choreographer: Svetlomir Petrov
• Director and set designer: Irina Florova
• Music: Diliana Tsankova and Kamelia Milchova

Goal

To preserve and promote the region's intangible heritage by creating a new cultural product suited to both national and international audiences.