Chigot is a non-profit organization, whose name comes from the old Bulgarian word for swordsman, an elite warrior. The group was formed in 2004 and deals with reproductions of clothing, customs and weapons of the period of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (12-15c.) and Władysław III’s Crusade of Varna (1443-1444), historical fencing, battle reenactments, camps, lectures, discussions.
Main objectives of the organization are the study, recreation and preservation of Bulgarian medieval history, life, culture and art and their promotion to a wider audience, both at home and abroad. Other goals include helping people and organizations interested in Bulgarian history, cooperating with museums, conducting research and experimental activities. Our main activities currently are:
- Collecting an archive of photographs and information about museum exhibits, archaeological artefacts, paintings, murals, miniatures and historical sources. To this end we receive tremendous help from various Bulgarian museums, friends and similar organizations at home and abroad .
- Historical reconstructions: the creation of replicas and reproductions of archaeological finds. Every object is made after careful study and analysis of historical sources. We have our own workshop, where we produce fully functional replicas of medieval armour and weapons.
- Celebrations of historic events: marking anniversaries of important historical events. Since most of our sources concern military events, the majority of our members are training in historical fencing using preserved historical treatises. The majority of the equipment that we show in such cases is handmade by members of the group.
- Medieval camps, where we represent the life and culture of our ancestors as closely as possible: medieval cooking recipes, sleeping in tents sewn according to images of the period, performances of medieval music and various crafts and activities.
- Lectures, talks and reports for the general public in order to promote Bulgarian medieval history.
To this day, the organization has been involved in the organization or has participated in dozens of reenactments of historical events across the country. We have also participated in public celebrations, lectures and have organized children’s medieval camps. Furthermore Chigot has appeared in several documentaries about Bulgarian history, some of which broadcast abroad.