The New Beginning Medieval Festival

The medieval gathering „New Beginning“ is an event recreating the material and spiritual culture of the Old Bulgarian (pagan and Orthodox) civilization, and the state traditions of the First Bulgarian Kingdom on the Balkans.

The festival is held every year in June on the territory of the Historical Park – a kind of Living History Museum, built in the village of Neofit Rilski, Varna Region, Bulgaria.

The organizers of the festival are the Historical Park and the Bulgarian School of Ancient Warfare „Velichie“.

https://www.facebook.com/school.velichie

The program of the festival:

22nd of June 2024, Saturday

On the first day, the guests of the Historical Park from near and far will be completely transported to the world of medieval wars, will witness the military „Trizna“ – horse and infantry games with weapons, dedicated to the martial glory of the ancestors and will relish at the clash of men and combat teams in the Old Bulgarian military games, „Ristanie“:

• Review of the fighting groups „The Gathering“: opening of the medieval meeting with a review of the weapons and presentation of the participants: associations for historical reconstruction from Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Turkey, etc. (11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.);

• Military „Trizna“: demonstrative battles dedicated to the military glory of the ancestors, presented by the Bulgarian School of Ancient Warfare „Velichie“ (11:30 – 12:00);

• Equestrian games „Konnoe ristanie“: a competition of equestrian war games in archery and sabre cutting, as well as display battles of horse and infantry combat in full armament and training of a war dog, organised by the School of Equestrian Martial Arts,, Madara Rider“ and „Siva“ traditional shooting group (12:00 – 12:30 p.m.);

• Historical Medieval Combat (HMB) tournament „shield and sword“, „sword and buckler“, „team battles“ (3X3) and mass theatrical battle „buhurt“ (15X15), organised by „Balkan League of ISB and Reenactment Combat Association „Bastion“, Moldova (12:30 – 15:30);

• Tap fight tournament: duels with shield and sword „Mechenosha“: squad battles for the flags „Horugovnik“ (5X5) and medieval battle „The Great Clash“ – mass reconstruction battle „Side VS Side“, organised by the „Velichie“ School and the Balkan League on ISB and RB (3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.).

Festive evening concert on the occasion of the Fifth anniversary of the opening of the Historical Park.

23rd of June 2024, Sunday

The second day of the „New Beginning“ conference will continue with the recreation of the life, culture and military work of the peoples of Eurasia, in the period of the early Middle Ages and the Old Bulgarian military games „Ristanie“:

• Presentation of the „Proto-Bulgarian Survival School Bagatur“: historical show about Bulgarian antiquity, military traditions and battle glory (10:00 – 11:00 a.m.);

• Presentation of „Kraguare“ – the ancient art of training birds of prey (hawks and falcons), organised by the „Bulgarian Falconry Club“ (at the „Historical Park“) (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) ;

• Medieval military games „Ristanie“ – competition with the Ancient Bulgarian weapon „Sabre Clash“ (12:00 – 14:00), archery with the historical bow „Dragon Slayer“ (14:00 – 16:00) and medieval battle „The Great Clash“: mass reenactment battle „side against side“ (16:00 – 16:30), organised by the School „Velichie“ and the Balkan League of ISB and RB