The kukers are elaborately costumed Bulgarian men who form a procession through the streets and perform ritual dances dressed in their handmade costumes. The scarier the outfit, the better, as the goal of the whole rite is to chase away the evil spirits of winter.
Kuker (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2018)
Young boy at the annual International Festival of the Masquerade Games held in Pernik. Apart from the traditional rituals performed throughout the villages, each year kukeri from all parts of Eastern Europe gather together in Pernik. As many as 7400 kukeri took part in the festivities in 2018 alone.
Kuker (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2018)
Young men wear their forefathers’ costumes with pride. Only the toughest among them can bear the heaviest bells (“chans”) and costumes.
Kukeri changing their attire after some exhausting dancing around the city streets
(Pernik, Bulgaria, 2018)
Ilyan from Tazha (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
The most authentic rituals are performed throughout the villages, where the kukeri go from house to house to chase the evil spirits away from people’s homes.
Malin Budinov, a notable kukeri costume designer and mask creator (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2018)
Yulian from Kyustendil (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kuker (Leskovets, Bulgaria, 2019)
The rituals begin the previous night when the kukeri light a huge stake at the very heart of the village and dance around it. Some of them take their masks off only to catch a quick breath before rejoining the game.
Dani, a young kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Dani and some of the other kukeri stop the passing-by cars with their scary looks and the thumping of their bells. Drivers have to pay their way through. Everyone leaves a small amount of money because it’s believed that this would bring them good health.
Alek (Leskovets, Bulgaria, 2019)
The kukeri often lean on long canes to help them distribute the weight of the huge bells evenly.
Vasil, a young kuker from Banishte
(Kosharevo, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
People award the kukeri with helpings of food and bottles of homemade wine and rakia, which they neatly tuck away in the saddlebags (“disagi”) of their donkeys.
Stilyan from Kalugerovo (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kuker from Banishte (Kosharevo, Bulgaria, 2019)
The kukeri dance in a certain rhythm so that the bells echo in a heavy, powerful, mesmerizing howl which turns the whole ritual into a deep trance.
Kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Despite fatigue and cold weather, the mood among the kukeri remains bright and happy, boosted by funny jokes and quite a few gulps of homemade wine.
Kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Cold weather, fatigue, the sour taste of the homemade wine, the sharp odor of the costumes and the hollow tapping of the bells often bring the kukeri to a state of inner contemplation.
Miroslav (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Miroslav is one of the most experienced kukeri in his village and the younger ones express their respect to him with a silent, wordless humility.
A shepherd rejoicing over a bottle of rakia - a gift from the passing kukeri (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kuker (Bogdanov dol, Bulgaria, 2019)
Kukeri rituals are even performed throughout industrial buildings and agricultural facilities.
Ivan from Lesnovo (Pernik, Bulgaria, 2019)
Detail from the image above