Surva Festival in Kosharevo Village, Bulgaria
2.5 هزار بار بازدید -
6 ماه پیش
-
Surva Festival in Kosharevo Village
Surva Festival in Kosharevo Village Bulgaria
Masked festivals are a common thread in many European cultures, with traditions spanning across Spain, Italy, Austria, France, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia (where I attended and photographed a few). These festivals share ancient pagan origins, featuring intimidating masks and costumes with a unified purpose: to dispel the winter chill and ward off malevolent spirits.
In Bulgaria, "Surva" is the blanket term for such festivities. Numerous villages across the country celebrate these festivals, typically in January and February, with each village boasting its unique mask and costume designs, elevating these elements to an art form. The participants, known locally as "Kukeri" or "Survakari" (often translated to "Mummers" in English), embody various characters. Among these are the leaders, adorned in "voivode" attire (with Georgi being a notable example), the bear tamer and his bear, a priest (pop), a bridal couple, the flag bearer, and musicians, to name a few.
Kosharevo is a small village west of Sofia and Pernik, near the Serbian border. The village has seen better days, with its local school closed and many houses in ruins. Despite this, about 180 people still live there. Kosharevo remains a key center for the Surva tradition, hosting an authentic annual festival. Local Survakari return each year to participate.
Kukeri in Kosharevo are known for their unique masks, adorned with feathers from chickens, ducks, and geese. Their costumes feature red stripes and wooden masks, heavily decorated with feathers. Most kukeri carry large wooden hammers and are known for their dynamic movements, creating noise with their large bells as they jump and run.
Full story with photos: https://lukaesenko.com/surva-festival...
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Special thanks to
- Dancho Hristov for friendship and making this trip happen
Instagram: dancho.hristov
https://naturemonitoring.com/
- Amadeja Knez for friendship, help with filming and inspiration
Instagram: amyknez_new
https://www.amadejaknez.com/
- Matej Nahtigal for guidance with editing and all his precious insights on filmmaking
- Georgi Ivanov for his hospitality and sharing his life story
Facebook: georgi.ivanov.948494
- And all of the Kukeri of Kosharevo village...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music credits
@DJ89 - fantastic Bulgarian music with a modern twist.
Songs used,
DJ 89 & Boryana Vasileva - ГАЙДА | GA...
DJ 89 - БЕЛО МОМЕ | BELO MOME [BALKAN...
DJ 89 - НАРОД | NAROD [BALKAN TRAP] |...
DJ 89 - ЛЪВ | LUV [BALKAN TRAP] | BRA...
DJ 89 ft. BEATRIS & HRISTINA - ЗЛАТО ...
@EliaAzarzar - A Ritual for the Dying - an amazing song, that made the main sequence of Surva so atmospheric.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And some links where you can find more about my work and my photography
https://lukaesenko.com/ - my personal website and blog. With lots of stories from the Balkans, Slovenia and around the world.
https://www.esenkoworkshops.com/ - my photography workshop. This is what I do for a living and you are most welcome to join me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#bulgaria #bulgarianfolklore #bulgarianstory #balkans #surva #kukeri #survakari #lukaesenko #survafestival #kosharevo #pernik #сурва #българия #кошарево #сурвакари #кукери #mummers
Masked festivals are a common thread in many European cultures, with traditions spanning across Spain, Italy, Austria, France, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia (where I attended and photographed a few). These festivals share ancient pagan origins, featuring intimidating masks and costumes with a unified purpose: to dispel the winter chill and ward off malevolent spirits.
In Bulgaria, "Surva" is the blanket term for such festivities. Numerous villages across the country celebrate these festivals, typically in January and February, with each village boasting its unique mask and costume designs, elevating these elements to an art form. The participants, known locally as "Kukeri" or "Survakari" (often translated to "Mummers" in English), embody various characters. Among these are the leaders, adorned in "voivode" attire (with Georgi being a notable example), the bear tamer and his bear, a priest (pop), a bridal couple, the flag bearer, and musicians, to name a few.
Kosharevo is a small village west of Sofia and Pernik, near the Serbian border. The village has seen better days, with its local school closed and many houses in ruins. Despite this, about 180 people still live there. Kosharevo remains a key center for the Surva tradition, hosting an authentic annual festival. Local Survakari return each year to participate.
Kukeri in Kosharevo are known for their unique masks, adorned with feathers from chickens, ducks, and geese. Their costumes feature red stripes and wooden masks, heavily decorated with feathers. Most kukeri carry large wooden hammers and are known for their dynamic movements, creating noise with their large bells as they jump and run.
Full story with photos: https://lukaesenko.com/surva-festival...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special thanks to
- Dancho Hristov for friendship and making this trip happen
Instagram: dancho.hristov
https://naturemonitoring.com/
- Amadeja Knez for friendship, help with filming and inspiration
Instagram: amyknez_new
https://www.amadejaknez.com/
- Matej Nahtigal for guidance with editing and all his precious insights on filmmaking
- Georgi Ivanov for his hospitality and sharing his life story
Facebook: georgi.ivanov.948494
- And all of the Kukeri of Kosharevo village...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music credits
@DJ89 - fantastic Bulgarian music with a modern twist.
Songs used,
DJ 89 & Boryana Vasileva - ГАЙДА | GA...
DJ 89 - БЕЛО МОМЕ | BELO MOME [BALKAN...
DJ 89 - НАРОД | NAROD [BALKAN TRAP] |...
DJ 89 - ЛЪВ | LUV [BALKAN TRAP] | BRA...
DJ 89 ft. BEATRIS & HRISTINA - ЗЛАТО ...
@EliaAzarzar - A Ritual for the Dying - an amazing song, that made the main sequence of Surva so atmospheric.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And some links where you can find more about my work and my photography
https://lukaesenko.com/ - my personal website and blog. With lots of stories from the Balkans, Slovenia and around the world.
https://www.esenkoworkshops.com/ - my photography workshop. This is what I do for a living and you are most welcome to join me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#bulgaria #bulgarianfolklore #bulgarianstory #balkans #surva #kukeri #survakari #lukaesenko #survafestival #kosharevo #pernik #сурва #българия #кошарево #сурвакари #кукери #mummers
6 ماه پیش
در تاریخ 1402/12/06 منتشر شده
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