Stone and Wood: Story of depopulated Bulgarian villages shown in Aix-en-Provence

Prepare for a true journey through time and space in the French city of Aix-en-Provence. The destination: Central Bulgaria where villages in the Balkan Mountains preserve the stories of the local people, the Balkandzhii, whose spirit time has not broken. The event will take place on 7 February at 2:00 p.m. local time at the St. Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian School, located in the picturesque former capital of Provence.

Through a documentary film and exhibition, the project “Stone and Wood – The Architectural Heritage of Depopulated Villages”, produced by the Institute for Cultural Heritage Foundation, explores Bulgaria’s disappearing rural architectural heritage, director Aneli Mladenova of the Sunday school told BTA. In a special creative workshop, students and parents will draw and model, inspired by traditional Bulgarian architecture.

Filmed with a drone, the 60-minute documentary is set to authentic folk music from Gabrovo, Dryanovo, Tryavna, and Veliko Tarnovo. It tells the story of depopulated villages, with houses, schools, and public buildings where time seems to have stood still. The film traces authentic construction traditions and architectural solutions built in harmony with natural materials. It illustrates how, in the past, humans settled and urbanized territories out of necessity or ambition, only to leave them decades or centuries later for similar reasons. Stone, wood, and clay are not just materials; they are characters in a story of creation, retreat, and renewal, as nature slowly reclaims human creations and transforms abandoned spaces into poetic metaphors for the cycle of life.

The photo exhibition, Glorious Past – Forgotten Present – Possible Future, features 30 panels with 150 photographs that capture the details, beauty, and silence of these places, including façades, wood carvings, stone walls, and empty yards that bear witness to the lives of those who once inhabited them.

The project “Stone and Wood – The Architectural Heritage of Depopulated Villages” aims not only to document but also to revive interest in Bulgaria’s architectural heritage, showcasing the potential of abandoned villages as settings for new life through art. It has been presented at international forums in Bulgaria and across the EU, building bridges between past and future, and between local tradition and universal dialogue on sustainability, culture, and memory.

Editor: Elena Karkalanova
Posted in English by E. Radkova