Околските братя – Горни и Долни Окол
The brothers – Gorni and Dolni Okol

Summary/Abstract: The article presents how the two villages occurred and how the life of the local people has developed. Information is given about traces that have been found for intense life in earlier times such as Roman fortress, medieval village. The discovered evidences and holy places in the two villages are signs of spirituality through the stages of development of the local population. A very significant example is the church “St. Prophet Ilia”, which is a national monument with architectural and artistic value. This article presents various legends and stories of the residents of bygone times. Some of the most revered holidays are examined, as the emphasis falls on the feast Sirni Zagovezni. It tells what rituals and rites are performed and whether they are still done today. Some beliefs and superstitions of the natives are presented. In addi¬tion, it traces the development of educational work, construction develop¬ment, and lifestyle of the locals. The main activities and livelihoods of Okol people also find place in the pages of the article. They are tracked from the beginning to the cur¬rent appearance of the villages. Through the story of bygone times come the reasons for the depopulation of villages whose population decreases every year. Moreover, a few words are devoted to the mayor of Dolni Okol – Yor¬dan Dimitrov. Big part of rural development and public works change was due to his work. Furthermore, the mayor can be proud of his already 60 years (working) experience for which he applied for the Guinness re¬cords few years ago. This article briefly examines some of the most notable results and pro¬cesses of Ottoman, socialist time and so today, when Gorni Okol village, for example, can be proud especially of the success of its singing group “Okoliya”.

• Details
• Contents