The Surva Festival is a festival held each year in Pernik, Bulgaria.
The festival showcases "Kukeri" from each ethnographic region throughout Bulgaria and internationally with each bringing their own custom, costumes (This first set is from one region, I am still working on editing others), masks and ritual songs and dances. The Kukeri are often now accompanied by girls / women some of which are also dressed as Kukeri but others are dressed in the traditional dress of their region.
The "Kukeri" are elaborately costumed and adorned with bells, accompanied by drums and horns and they perform traditional rituals which are intended to scare away evil spirits.
This is the first time I have attended the festival and was not able to secure a pass to allow me into the main square or to walk freely through the parade route so I was restricted to shooting from behind the barriers, for next year for sure I will be looking to get a pass..
For now I will continue to work on the shots I managed to get this year..
The festival showcases "Kukeri" from each ethnographic region throughout Bulgaria and internationally with each bringing their own custom, costumes (This first set is from one region, I am still working on editing others), masks and ritual songs and dances. The Kukeri are often now accompanied by girls / women some of which are also dressed as Kukeri but others are dressed in the traditional dress of their region.
The "Kukeri" are elaborately costumed and adorned with bells, accompanied by drums and horns and they perform traditional rituals which are intended to scare away evil spirits.
This is the first time I have attended the festival and was not able to secure a pass to allow me into the main square or to walk freely through the parade route so I was restricted to shooting from behind the barriers, for next year for sure I will be looking to get a pass..
For now I will continue to work on the shots I managed to get this year..