Master Candymaker Boyan Minchev Honored as Living Human Treasure

Boyan Minchev, a renowned master candymaker, has been named a Living Human Treasure, the Etar Regional Ethnographic Open Air Museum announced. The award was presented during a ceremony at Sofia’s Sredets Hall on Friday, recognizing Minchev's representation of the Gabrovo region in the national Living Human Treasures competition, CE Report quotes BTA

Minchev continues the legacy of Bulgarian confectioners who brought the craft to Gabrovo in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after learning it in Romania. During that time, candy-making was considered a modern and youthful profession, with Gabrovo home to five master confectioners.

Having honed his skills over many years at the Etar Open Air Museum, Minchev is now listed on Bulgaria's National Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition is part of the UNESCO-supported Living Human Treasures program, overseen by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture, which aims to preserve and pass on intangible cultural heritage. The program encourages skilled practitioners to share their knowledge with future generations, promoting traditions across regional and national stages.