The steep decline of Bulgaria’s population in its post-Soviet era
In 2012, depopulation pushed 172 towns to the verge of extinction, and completely erased 24 from Bulgaria’s map. I explored one such village on the Serbian border. Of approximately 50 houses, only three were populated, totaling its inhabitants to six. I was also grabbed by a regional airport, now completely defunct, a former tobacco factory, and an abandoned school. As depopulation further saps the nation of its men and women, these visions of severe structural and industrial decay sadly become increasingly common – and so, with each visit, I witness more and more of my country vanishing.
Photos and text by Paskova. Paskova’s project is supported by a grant from The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.