TUIDA

On May 17, 2025, as part of the European Night of Museums and Galleries, Tuida Fortress in the city of Sliven became the stage for a historic and inspiring event – the first official release of bearded vultures into Bulgarian nature.

The event marked the culmination of years of dedicated efforts by conservation organizations, scientific institutions, and volunteers committed to restoring one of the rarest and most majestic birds of prey in Europe. The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), which had disappeared from Bulgaria more than 60 years ago, took both a symbolic and a real step toward its return.

The program at the fortress attracted hundreds of visitors, including families, students, nature enthusiasts, and representatives of various institutions. Attendees had the unique opportunity to observe the birds up close before their release, learn about their way of life, their ecological importance, and the ongoing conservation efforts aimed at protecting them.

The event also featured special information booths, educational games for children, documentary film screenings, and discussions with experts. The evening concluded with a ceremonial send-off of the vultures to their new home among the cliffs of the Balkan Mountains – an emotional moment that moved many and inspired hope for the future of Bulgaria’s wildlife.

The release of the bearded vultures is part of a long-term reintroduction program on the Balkans, coordinated by foundations and conservation organizations through international partnerships. Bulgaria once again takes an important place on the map of endangered species conservation – with open skies and open hearts for the bearded vulture.

The event was organized by Green Balkans, the Blue Stones- Nature Park Directorate,  Foundation the Wildlife and Flora with the support of Municipality of Sliven and the Tuida Fortress Team.

On March 8 - Women's Day, coinciding this year with Todorovden, a city-wide celebration "Horses of the Bulgarians" was held behind Tuida's fortress walls. The celebration dedicated to horses, horsemen and Bulgarian traditions related to the horse is part of the program of the Tuida Fortress to celebrate the spring holidays in 2025.
The event is organized by the Municipality of Sliven, together with "School of Historical Martial Arts on Horseback - Madarski Konnik" - city of Obzor and "Association for the Restoration and Preservation of Bulgarian Traditions - Avitohol" city of Varna.
Horses are heavenly beings, the ancients called them - a gift from God. In ancient times, the horse was an invaluable helper and partner of man, but let's not be mistaken, in old times people's lives were very difficult, filled with constant trials and battles, the horse, being a companion of people, shared the trials, risks and difficulties with them. Today we have the privilege of having the horse as our partner in sports games, in ancient arts, based on historical tradition, and for this we must treat the horse very carefully, with respect and without excessive ambitions.

The festival program included horse demonstrations from the eras of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, socialization and training of a war horse. Presentation of the unity between man, horse and dog. Improvised horse games with and without a saddle, which are part of the training methodology of the Madara Horseman School, having the character of a competition. A clash between a horseman and warriors and many others.
Visitors had the opportunity to touch the horse, this magnificent animal through the riding offered to the audience.
A part of Bulgarian history was shown, connected both with the traditions of our ancestors and with Todorovden - the day on which we honor the memory of the Christian saint-warrior Theodore Tiron. In folk customs, Todorovden is also known as Horse Easter. It is a church holiday celebrated on the Saturday of the first week of Lent.

On May 06,2024 a dark, dark cloud is coming from the North of the Barmuka place. Beautiful, colorful and smiling People's Community Centre "Hristo Botev 1897" took the stage in the Tuida Fortress. Under the overhanging rainy sky, they showed their Folktale and even the coming storm could not prevent everyone's good mood. We are waiting for you again!

Lucy Djakovska and Militsa Gladnishka presented "ABBA Symphony" with the Pleven Philharmonic on 26.06.2024 in the Ancient Fortress "Tuida" at 8:30 p.m. They performed ABBA songs in new arrangements by Georgi Miltiadov and Plamen Prodanov. Georgi Miltiadov played the piano. The musical event, part of a national tour, was eagerly awaited by generations of music lovers. The project is part of the program to mark the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Pleven Philharmonic.

On May 18 - 19, 2024, the 4th "Griffon" traditional archery tournament was held in Tuida Fortress.
Archers from all over the country competed in a variety of disciplines with varying degrees of difficulty. Winners were announced in five groups, and for the medalists in the ranks of women and men, the organizers from KBI Griffon-Kobukan Dojo prepared a test in the "Super Champion Cup".
Congratulations to the winners and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Where should we begin to tell you about the event dedicated to Todorovden? From the preparation that lasted months for participants and organizers?! From the word of mouth that took dozens of hours to write and post, send out information and spread word of mouth?! From setting the stage for what happened today?! Or from the welcoming of the thousands of visitors who came from different parts of Bulgaria to see and hear about the "Horses of the Bulgarians"?!
If a thing is only an idea, it will remain only an idea. But if the idea leads to a lot of work, desire and dedication from everyone involved, it becomes something wonderful.
First of all, we cannot fail to note the support and willingness of the Municipality of Sliven and the municipal leadership to stand behind each of our projects. It is not even doubted by them that the event is worth it and Sliven deserves it. The holiday was fully financed by the Municipality of Sliven. The maintenance of the site is carried out entirely by the Municipality of Sliven. And all activities are fully and solely supported by the Municipality of Sliven.
The participants - Dimitar Trukanov and his school "Madarski Konnik", Jasmin Parvanov and the Association for the Restoration and Preservation of Traditions "Avitokhol", Boris Borisov and the Horse Base "Borisovi", Milen Petrov and the School of Ancient Military Arts "Velichie", all these people made the celebration unforgettable and gave the audience a spine-tingling experience.
The horses – Mag, Kalin, Canas, Castro, Valcho, Zamina and the dog Leo brought tradition to life, recreated history and made the ground beneath our feet pulsate.
We would also like to pay attention to the students and teachers of the Vocational High School of Hospitality and Tourism "Acad. Nedelcho Nedelchev". No strings attached, no time to prepare, a week before the event we turned to them for help and they were there - smiling, ready to work, wonderful!
Finally, it's the audience's turn, that mesmerizing audience. That you were so many, that you brought your children, that your eyes shone means everything to us. It makes us feel satisfied with our work, that we are working in the right direction and that we will leave a mark. You inspire us, motivate us, encourage us to develop and do more and more.
We are a small team, but with a great desire to give more of ourselves and challenge ourselves. We accept Tuida as home, work as a mission, results achieved as a victory, and your grades as a gift. There are two new members in our united team today, for them it was their first appearance, their first work in the field and their first contact with the public. We congratulate them on the professionalism they have shown, even though they have just touched everything.
Follow us, talk about Tuida fortress, keep and share our events with friends. We promise it will be worth it!

A medieval assembly "Remember the glory" is over, but it will forever remain in our memories. An experience we went through together. We laughed, we cried, we were proud, we remembered together.
For us, it was a challenge that we set ourselves, but without the support of many people we could not have done it. First of all, the Municipality of Sliven stood behind the idea 100%. We said we want more participants, we want a richer evening program, we want more than anything, and the Management of the Sliven Municipality replied "DO IT". Without such a strong and supportive ally in our ideas, Tuida would not be what it is today.
There is no need to describe the merits of the participants in the event, it is obvious that everyone gives more than desired. The charge that each of them carries is inexhaustible and contagious. The rating they gave us means a lot to us. We deliver exactly the words we heard "Best event of the year", "Excellent organization", "Wonderful festival" and more…
The participants in the evening program, we want to mention each of them by name - Bulgarian School of Ancient Military Arts "Velichie", NFA "Bulgare" Fire and light show "Paljachi", LASER SHOWS - Bulgaria, they all made us cringe, cry, to admire and feel proud of being Bulgarian.
We have always said of our audience that they are great, but in the days of the Remember the Glory Medieval Council you were amazing, searching, inquisitive, supportive, grateful, responsive. You deserve all the effort we put into surprising you.
To those who took care of our food, a huge "THANK YOU", everything was up to par and with the required quality and speed of service.
Last but not least, we express our admiration and admiration for everyone who helped us in the event:
Association "Material art club- Ratina" - co-organizer of the event; Club of battle arts "Griffon" - organizer of the archery tournament; Zhivko Lazarov - conducting archery with the audience; Milen Petrov – our amazing host; Pierre Leonard – organizer of the fighting tournament; Hotel Mechta, Hotel Atlantic, Hotel Brilliantin, Hotel Gorski kut, Hotel Credo, Student dormitories - the accommodation places that sheltered our participants; SNC " The dawn of Tuida" - sponsor of horse demonstrations; Anton Dechev – photographer of the event; Kurti Karagenov – provided the straw bales for the event; Irrigation systems Middle Tundzha branch - provided wood for the event; Manuela Vasileva - calligrapher"; Municipal enterprise "Landscaping and cemetery parks" - site maintenance; Svetomir Minchev - translations; M-art EOOD - production of the medals, certificates and advertising materials for the event; "Albatross" company - provided the ropes for the fences.

More photos of the festival you can see in Infotourism Sliven

How to describe this 19th of July?!!
45 years of music, 45 years of excited hearts, 45 years of SIGNAL!
And they chose our stage, and our audience, and there were under our sky.
But let's start with those people that no one sees, but they are there in the hot sun building a stage, taking care of the perfect sound and light, and they are there long before everyone, and they stay long after everyone. We can say about them great machines, professionals, APPLAUSE.
The time is 7:30p.m, the tickets are "sold out", but people keep coming, ready to stand even in a corner but to be there and touch the GREATS!
At 8:00 p.m., the warm-up group "Elite" took the stage with vocalist Ogi Tsolov, known to the public as the vocalist and frontman of the groups "Faktor", "Agate", "Oasis" and Stonehenge. The audience hungrily took the first rock chords and rewarded the band with applause and a lot of emotion in their eyes.
And it was the turn of the ETERNAL, the UNFORGETTABLE, the AGELESS – GROUP SIGNAL!
"Signal" is a Bulgarian rock band founded in Sofia in June 1978 by Yordan Karadjov, Hristo Lambrev, Rumen Spasov and Georgi Kokalanov.
The band recorded and released their first album "Eternal Crossroads" in 1979, selling 320,000 copies. In their 45-year career, they released studio albums and performed thousands of concerts.
It is an indescribable feeling to meet people - idols of several generations. To sing with them, to vibrate with them on one frequency.
Finally, we want to say a huge thank you to our audience, as always faithful, as always in great spirits, as always there, in the packed amphitheater. It is a real pleasure for us to welcome this audience.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
We are waiting for you again!

On 08.06.2023 at 19:00, a charity concert in support of Stoyan Stoyanov was held on the stage of the Tweed Fortress. In addition to all those present who supported Stoyan, the following took part in the initiative:
• Ivan Edrev and Iliana Rossi Ivanova - presenters
• Ensemble for folk songs and dances - city of Sliven, led by Diyan Mitev
• Dencho Stoyanov – bagpipe player, 9th grade student at the Philip Kutev Music School, Kotel
• TC "RITMO" at the "Probuda- 1938" PN, Panaretovtsi village, headed by Ivan Valchev
• TC "Pastra Roenitsa" at the "Iskra-1929" PN, Krushare village, with manager Stajko Stajkov
• "Traki" orchestra, conducted by Georgi Denchev
• soloist Kamelia Zheleva and Ivan Kanev – bagpipes
• FTC "Detelini" at the "Prosveta -1929" school in the village of Mechkarevo, headed by Marineta Kirova.
• TF "Veliko Syarov" to the "Svetlina 1926" school in the village of Seliminovo.
• Folkloric dance formation "Mladovo" at the "Hristo Botev 1929" Primary School in the village of Mladovo with Tanya Tihova as the leader.
• Tatyana Veleva – The element of fire and the magic of dance.
• Nyagoleta Zheleva - performer from the voice of Bulgaria
• Municipality of Sliven and the Team of the Tuida fortress
• Dimitar Bonev - manager of Deva complex
• Company Bio Nuts 2021 EOOD
• Party agency Almira
We thank everyone sympathetic to the cause, and we wish Stoyan Stoyanov a trouble-free and speedy recovery from the bottom of our hearts!

For the third year in a row, behind the walls of Tuida fortress, a traditional archery tournament "Griffon" was held! Last week, on 27/05/2023, clubs and individual competitors from all over the country tested their strength in the fortress. The organizers from the Martial Arts Club "Griffon", Sliven, took care of the impeccably prepared shooting ranges and various disciplines for the participants.

In the category up to 12 years of age, the first three places were won by club "Siva". In the category up to 16 years of age, the first place was won by the Velichie club, followed by the Metal Archery club and the Siva club. In the men's category, Bozhidar Lalev brought a gold medal for Velichie club, while Boyan Petkov and Dimitar Daskalov from Siva club took silver and bronze medals. In the women's category, Ivelina Petrova won a gold medal for Velichie club, and Joana Nyagolova and Nina Yankova from Siva club won silver and bronze medals. In the team games, the winners were the "Zmeeborets" team from the "Velichie" club, followed by the "Alba", "Matal Archery" and "Griffon" teams.

The tournament was held with the support of the Municipality of Sliven and Tuida Fortress.

Under the motto "Sliven - experience the history, feel the nature", the stand of the Municipality welcomes visitors to the 39th edition of the International Tourist Exhibition "Vacation and SPA Expo", Sofia. The country's most prestigious exhibition was held in the period February 15 - 17, 2023, at the Inter Expo Center and was organized by Prim Expo, in partnership with Urbo Studio, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria.

A team of representatives of the cultural institutions in the city - Dr. Simeon Tabakov Regional History Museum, Dimitar Dobrovich Art Gallery and Tuida Fortress presented Sliven as a tourist destination with an emphasis on the rich cultural, historical and natural heritage and opportunities for experiences in the region . The stand of the Municipality was among the most attractive and most visited at the exhibition.

The Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Stoyan Markov, welcomed the official guests who visited the Sliven stand. These were H.E. Gazi Hamed Alfadli - Ambassador of Kuwait to Bulgaria, Dr. Ilin Dimitrov - Minister of Tourism, Plamen Slavov - Deputy. Minister of Culture and Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova - Mayor of Sofia Municipality, who gave a positive assessment of the Municipality's efforts for the development of tourism in the region.

Participation in the tourist forum is financed by the Tourism Development Program of the Municipality of Sliven.