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According to official figures, nowadays in Bulgaria live more than 300 centenarians... The mountain regions of Bulgaria indicate the highest concentration of longevity - almost 4 persons per thousand inhabitants... Considering the intensity of longevity, the Central Rhodope Mountains rank the first place in Bulgaria and one of the first places worldwide... Film by Mihail Vasilev The Rhodopes - A Secret for Long Life Lazar Kokudev I am a member of the Kokudev family. We have been coppersmiths and tinkers for generations. My father was one, my grandfather too, and when I finished elementary school I also began practicing the profession as an apprentice at Andreevi Brothers. I worked there one year. Afterwards I received a better offer to continue my apprenticeship in Momchilgrad. I worked four years there alongside one very skilled coppersmith, who also came from Ustovo. Later on, I passed the apprenticeship еxam and moved to Haskovo. I worked there also by one very famous coppersmith from Ustovo. Back then, many of the coppersmiths in Bulgaria came from Ustovo. Most of them worked in Momchilgrad, Krumuvgrad, Kardjali, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Harmanli. In Haskovo I earned my master craftsman certificate. You ought to first pass the the apprenticeship еxam in order to apply for a master craftsman certificate. I was 20 years old when I got my master craftsman certificate. Then I was called for military duty and following, I moved to Krumovgrad. I worked there together with Kosta Milkotev. I worked there for 20 years. ...afterwards... Since my mother could not live there because of the heat, I decided to come back to Ustovo and continue here my career as a coppersmith. A man should not praise his own craftsmanship. The customer is the one who decides whether you have skills or not. A craftsman, who is brazenly bragging about his skills - he is no craftsman at all. When the customer takes the object in his hands, then he can say whether you are a good craftsman or not. That is why a man should not praise himself a lot. Here in our region and especially in Ustovo there were a lot of coppersmiths. People came from Dostat and Zlatograd to place their orders here. Back in those days the craftsmanship was very well developed in Ustovo. In Raykovo and Smolyan were no craftsmen at all. I can still remember how you could get a custom-made shoes according to your exact measures. There were also tailors - very capable and good ones. But most of the craftsmen were coppersmiths. This profession will not be forgotten. It is one very interesting profession! The Rhodopean "Banitza" (puff pastry) tastes the best, when baked in a copper plate. Anastas Ivanov The one and only traditional musical instrument in the Rhodope Mountains is the rhodopean bagpipe. I have listened to songs at village and folk festivals. The music there caught my heart and I memorized the songs very easy. I was 18 years old when I bought my first bagpipe. Step by step I started playing and with time became better and better. I have learned much from the older and more experienced bagpipers. Over time, I managed to distinguish myself as a musician and people began to appreciate my music. Finally, I started playing our famous rhodopean melodies all by myself. I was very passionate about playing the bagpipe and I think I was able to make the best of it. I have played almost everywhere -- at different village festivals. I was also a member of the Rhodopa Folk Ensemble, and played at the popular Koprivschtitsa-Folk-Festival. Here in Ustovo I taught 26 kids to play the bagpipe. But unfortunately they do not play anymore. They are studying and doing other things and no one is interested at playing a bagpipe. And today, after 88 years, I decided to call it quits, because I think, it is about time for me to step back. But I still keep my bagpipe at home. I grew up with the rhodopean bagpipe, that was the only musical instrument for me. People still remember me, they recognize me and I am therefore grateful. In order to play a certain song with the bagpipe, you have to know this song well. If you can sing one song and then you play it - you start first by singing it in your mind and then playing it with your fingers. This is how you practise every time to improve your skills. I worked 10 years as a forest supervisor and a forest-guard at Mugla's boarder area. Because of my great passion and enthusiasm, one day I constructed myself a foot-driven wood lathe for making bagpipes. I made my first bagpipe there at the border post and I gave it to a soldier who was able to play it. Thus I started to produce bagpipes by myself. Later, during my 15 years career as a bagpipe teacher, I was producing bagpipes for all of my students. I have made a lot of bagpipes throughout the years - I don't even know their number. I used goat skin for the production of bagpipes. At that time there was more than enough. Today you can hardly find such skins and horns. Something like this for example -- cow horns. There are less cows and bulls nowadays. These are some spare horns that I still have. But you never know if I will soon make something out of it or not. Here you can see some prepared bagpipe parts with different tonеs. It is written here, for example -- this one is „Sol" this one is -- „Mi", then we have here the bagpipe with the lowest tone - "Re" These are the three different types of bagpipes, that I make. Back in the past, people used to live very differently. They all used to produce their food by themselves. People raised their own cows and sheeps and ate homemade dairy products. The bread was also home-made. Back then, people lived much quieter. They had quiet lives. Maria Kisyova I am originally from Hasovitsa, but I live here in Ustovo. I have worked many different things, but the most I have dealt with was the tobacco production. We were not employed, we worked mainly for ourselves. We have always been self-employed and we also built houses for a living. We have had a very good life with my husband We lived together for 48 years. He died 27 years ago. Since then I have been living together with my son. We had a lovely life - we did not experience any difficulties. We always dreamed of making something good. This house was built by me and my husband - all by ourselves. Just the two of us. With no help from others. These are a lot of things that I have been through. It is the work rather than the lounging around that is keeping me alive. As long as I work, I feel much better and healthier! Now I feel that way too. My heart is strong and healthy, but my body is already exhausted. Now I cannot do things like I did them before. God has helped me to reach this age. Over the years we have never lacked of anything. We have always had enough to eat. We have raised pigs, chickens and other different sorts of animals. I had a cow that was giving me 16 liter milk per day. I milked her three times a day. All my life I haven eaten dairy products. Even today. Milk is very healthy. I have always made the yoghurt by myself. Back then we had a butter churn. With its help I used to make butter from the milk. In order to make yoghurt, you have to boil the milk first. Then you add two tablespoons of real yoghurt, mix it well and leave it for a few hours until it is ready. Then you can eat it. I also like to drink milk for breakfast. The Rhodopes are and will remain one of the most beautiful mountains. The People here are very warm-hearted, honest and eager to work. They always had a fondness for stockbreeding and handcraft activities. At that time, in spite of their handcraft, every household bred also cows and mules. People were also used to farm their large fields all by themselves. This is how they used to nourish themselves in those days. I remember, that we also had one hundred-year-old in our Kokudev family. His name was Georgi Kokudev. He was 100 years old and among the elders in our city. One day he was visited by Dr. Argir Hadzhihristev. At that time he was writing a book about the centenarians in our region. And the doctor asked him: Tell me, Georgi - What did you eat and drink over the years? And he replied in the typical Rhodope dialect: I am a coppersmith and I was constantly on the move, in order to buy and sell copper, but through the years I have mainly been eating meat and dairy products. But what I most like to eat is a whole-roasted pig. Most of the centenarians are to be found in the mountainous regions, due to the clean air and the healthy food there. We should be proud and happy that we have so many long-living people in the Rhodope Mountains. The Rhodope Mountains are something unique! In the past people did everything by themselves. They all grew up breeding animals and working on the fields. There were no tractors. Everything was intensive manual work, especially when plowing the earth. But after all the work, when the harvest was brought in, all gathered together to help each other and to celebrate their harvest. These traditional evenings were called „Medzhia"-Meetings. The sheep shepherds were also there - and they brought along the wool, which they would turn into carpets and clothes. Thus, the whole village gathered. The women were spinning the wool, but as soon as the bagpipe sounded off, they would all join in singing along. They all have been singing Rhodopean songs. And I have learned a lot there. Back then, people did not have much money. Their clothes were all torn and patched on the knees and elbows. But every time when they heard the sound of the bagpipe, they all danced and sang - and everything was forgotten. This is how people used to live back in the days. Shina Bedrova When I was 7, I was left without a father. We were four girls - very poor girls. As a little girl I was babysitting and taking care of other people's children while they were at work, only for a slice of bread. Thus, many years passed by, until one day a very kind woman has seen me how I am babysitting only for a slice of bread, and said to my mother: Please bring your child along so that I can teach her how to sew. She has worked long enough for a slice of bread as a babysitter. I will teach her how to sew, so that she can make a living doing something better than babysitting. And one day, my mother brought me to the seamstress in order to learn her profession. For a week I was watching her at work. After this week I was already able to sew clothes by myself. During this time she also watched me how I work. I have been working with her for two months. After a while I was able to sew as good as she did. After some time, she sent me home with a piece of cloth, so I could make a dress out of it without any help. I have managed to make the dress and then I gave it back to her. But afterwards I had no orders. People did not know yet that I can sew clothes. One day we were visiting my cousin. She had a piece of cloth and she wanted to make a dress out of it. And then my mother said to her: Rada, give us this piece of cloth that you have. Shina will make out of it the dress that you want to have. If you like it - you can keep it, if not - we will give you back the cloth. Then she agreed and brought me her cloth. Later, I was left at home all alone, because everyone went to work. Then I started to tailor the dress and I measured and cut the different pieces. I was really nervous at that time. I was afraid of doing something wrong. But I did not give up. I managed to finish the dress. Then we called my cousin to come and try it on. We said to her: Try the dress on, if you like it -- it is yours, if not - leave it here and we will give you back the cloth. When she had the dress on, it looked amazing. Everything fitted like a glove. After a few days, another woman came to me to make her some garments. I made her garments even better, although I was only 12 years old. Soon after that, everyone in our village knew about my sewing skills. Since then I was not left a single day without work. Everyone brought me different things to tailor and sew. There was no difference for me, whether men or women garments, dresses or suits - it was all the same for me. Every time I saw a piece of cloth, I already knew how I could tailor it. This is how I spent my life - working. When necessary, I also worked in the fields and helped others. I was also helping the neighbors by taking care of their kids. I have always been helpful and kind to people and that is why God has also been kind to me. There were times when I did not sleep for weeks, because I had to make costumes and clothes for different events. And I went on days without sleeping in order to tailor a garment for each and everybody. Yet, I still live. That is how I always tried to be kind and do good. That is how I spent my life. Now there are no more people living in my village. I am one of the last, who still lives there. As long as I have the strength to stand on my feet, I will take care of my things there, as long as I can. What has been, has been... Whatever had to happen, happened. My hands and my eyes have seen many things over the years. I have never refused to help someone. Whether it was about tailoring a cloth or they just needed my help for something - I never said NO. I have been working all my life. Now I am 85 and I am still working. The centenarians in the Rhodopes prove a compelling evidence, that people in their hundreds can be energetic and full of life... Despite the numerous targeted surveys, the longevity still remains an unsolved secret... Life still goes on... The Rhodopes - A Secret for Long Life Idea and Production: Mihail Vasilev Camera: Kostadin Georgiev Editing: Kostadin Serezliev The movie was made with the participation of: Anastas Ivanov , Bisera Stancheva, Lazar Kokudev, Maria Kisyova und Shina Bedrova Bagpipe players: Georgi Kasabadzhakov und Ivan Markovski This is one Mihail Vasilev Production in cooperation with: Vasil Vasilev, Stefka Vasileva, Nikolay Vasilev, Kostadin Georgiev Prof. Dr. Argir Hadzhihristev: "Life-Styles for Long Life: Longevity in Bulgaria" Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory - Bulgaria Prof. Hartmut Jahn, Time Based Media, University of Applied Sciences Mainz Special thanks to everyone who took part in this movie production. © Vasilev-Pictures 2013