The Surva tradition is more vibrant than ever in Bulgaria's Pernik region

On the night of January 13-14, ritual bonfires will light up the villages around the town of Pernik, near Sofia. The so-called “survakari” wearing frightening masks will dance around them, chanting blessings for health and fertility. This is Surova (or Surva) - the Bulgarian folk custom inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - which continues on January 14 as well.

In January 2026, Pernik becomes Europe’s masquerade capital again

Pernik’s Surva dates back to ancient times and is the most eagerly awaited and beloved celebration in the region west of the Bulgarian capital. Having survived through the centuries, zealously preserved and passed down from father to son, the masquerade tradition today is more alive than ever, says Elena Tamakyarska, Bulgarian National Radio’s correspondent in the area:

Surva is the heart of Pernik and Pernik is the heart of Surva

“Survakari groups include bell-ringers, a bride and groom, a mother-in-law and father-in-law, a priest, a bear leader and a bear. Every year the masks and costumes are renewed. The bells grow heavier and their roar louder. Both young and old, men and women - everyone nurtured by Surva - take part in the masquerade.”

And it is no coincidence that on the most magical night of the year, people who have moved to other parts of the country return to their home villages to feel the thrill of dancing in masks and to relive the energizing and purifying power that Surva brings them.

“The celebration is observed in almost all villages in the region. After the dance around the fire, the Survakari groups, led by the voivode - also called the bolyu bashiya - go from house to house to chase away evil and bless the hosts for a better life.”

The Surova (Surva) custom lies at the heart of the largest festival of masquerade games in Bulgaria and in the Balkans - Surva, held every January in Pernik. This year, thousands of survakari, kukeri, babugeri, jamalari, stanchinari, kavaklii, rogachi, and many other guardians of tradition from across Bulgaria and abroad will take part in the masquerade parades, to be held over two weekends: January 17-18 and January 24-25, 2026.

A report from Pernik: Elena Tamakyarska

Photos: BGNES, surva.org, Facebook/Surva

Edited by Elena Karkalanova
English version: R. Petkova