ПАНАИРИТЕ ПРЕЗ ВЪЗРАЖДАНЕТО
THE FAIRS DURING THE REVIVAL PERIOD

Summary/Abstract: This paper is an attempt to outline the characteristics of big fairs in the Revival period on the basis of data from periodicals, personal archives, travel notes, investigations on local territorial communities and recent issues on the problem. The information about the travels of merchants and the movement of goods, fair settlements, purchase and sale contracts, sustenance, shelter, amusements, etc., allows the author to draw some conclusions about the development of trade and economic ties in Bulgarian lands. The data reveal also directly or indirectly the spiritual ties between settlements and people, as well as the attitude of the authorities to the fairs. In the paper are mentioned also those fairs, which take place during big church holidays near some monasteries. For some of the visitors these fairs mean a whole-year livelihood, and for others — an expected spiritual feast. In spite of the fact, that the development of transport and communications, the changes after the Crimean war, as well as some specific obstacles, standing on the way of development of Bulgarian trade, hinder the periodical maintenance of fairs, they die off very slowly, and up to the 70s of XIX c. they still play an important role in the economic life of Bulgarian lands.

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