Made by Francesco Martino

Bulgaria has been dealing with a dwindling population since 1989, for a big part due to emigration. It’s been estimated that more than 1 million Bulgarians left Bulgaria since 1989, either permanently or as a temporary workforce. Next to emigration, Bulgaria has a low fertility rate and a high mortality rate. Since the economy is doing better, the pace of outward migration has slowed down a bit. But its impact and effects are still being felt, especially outside the big cities, you will find many almost empty villages. Like the village Salash, close to the Serbian border. It used to be a rich and vital village in the past, but now is isolated and lonely, with no more than 60 inhabitants left, all above 50-60 years old. The project called “Rezidentsiya Baba” is trying to make a difference here, by getting young urban people to these remote villages, to exchange culture and to connect.