MUMMERS & MORE

MUMMERS & MORE

Wed, 10/30/2019 - 13:41

Russian Elena Golovanova wins Vagabond Photography Special Prize in Yambol

mummer and girl.jpg

Yambol, in southeastern Bulgaria, has been a hub for various folk traditions for many centuries. Nowadays, alongside Pernik in western Bulgaria, it is thought of as one of Bulgaria's capitals of Kukeri, or mummers. An annual folk festival takes place in downtown Yambol, usually at the end of February or beginning of March, with mummers not only from the surrounding villages but also from all parts of Bulgaria that retain the tradition arriving by busloads to participate in a three-day folk extravaganza of loud music and even louder clanking of mummers' bells. Since 2006, a photography exhibition has been a part of the festival with Vagabond, Bulgaria's English Magazine, awarding a special prize for an outstanding photographer who is interested in folk traditions in general and mummers in particular.

In 2019, the Vagabond Prize went to Russian Elena Golovanova. Elena Golovanova studied film criticism at the famous Moscow Film Institute but now works as an automotive journalist, who spends her spare time photographing various folk events in Russia. These include local Russian fests like Maslenitsa (autumn solstice), Yarilo (meeting the "young" sun), Perun Day (celebrating warriors) and of course the Russian Christmas.

Bulgarians usually consider mummers to be a purely Bulgarian invention and may be surprised to hear that mummers exist in many different cultures, from Ireland through Italy, Romania and all the way to Japan. With her pictures Elena Golovanova shows her vision of mummers in Russia, who are similar yet very different from their Balkan counterparts.

Folk traditions aside, what strikes about Elena Golovanova's photography is her exquisite skill in capturing the "unreal" reality of men and women dressed up as mythical and often scary creatures. Touching on the archetypal in Eurasian cultures, Golovanova creates images that both provoke and fascinate. Hers is a fairy-tale world of unusual narratives that tickle the imagination and encourage viewers to explore.

Elena Golovanova sometimes dresses up as a mummer herself. You can see her on the photo above.

Elena Golovanova mummers

 

Elena Golovanova mummers

 

Elena Golovanova mummers

 

 Elena Golovanova mummers

 

Elena Golovanova mummers

 

Elena Golovanova mummers

Issue 157

Commenting on www.vagabond.bg

Vagabond Media Ltd requires you to submit a valid email to comment on www.vagabond.bg to secure that you are not a bot or a spammer. Learn more on how the company manages your personal information on our Privacy Policy. By filling the comment form you declare that you will not use www.vagabond.bg for the purpose of violating the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. When commenting on www.vagabond.bg please observe some simple rules. You must avoid sexually explicit language and racist, vulgar, religiously intolerant or obscene comments aiming to insult Vagabond Media Ltd, other companies, countries, nationalities, confessions or authors of postings and/or other comments. Do not post spam. Write in English. Unsolicited commercial messages, obscene postings and personal attacks will be removed without notice. The comments will be moderated and may take some time to appear on www.vagabond.bg.

0 comments

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Discover More

Doncho
AN AMERICAN IN BG
We had visited Bulgaria briefly and loved the rich history of the country, the traditional culture still honored and close to the surface, the welcoming people we met, the Balkan cuisine and the wines of the countryside.

communust-bulgaria-exhibition.jpg
COMMUNIST BULGARIA GOES TO HUNGARY
Through vivid and at times poignant images Communist Bulgaria shows what has remained of this country's Communist material heritage.

greece.jpg
UNKNOWN GREECE, PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION BY ANTHONY GEORGIEFF
Yet Greece is a lot more than the well-travelled destinations such as Cassandra and Kavala.

FRONTIERS BRINGS THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST TO BULGARIA
The exhibition was organised with the support of the American Embassy in Sofia. Ambassador Eric Rubin opened the event, together with Amelia Gesheva, the deputy minister of culture.
Imperial Sand Dunes, California.jpg
FRONTIERS: THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
"There are many such places," he continues. "Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary… For myself I'll take Moab, Utah.

JEWISH BULGARIA EXHIBITION IN SOFIA
The exhibition covers some of the mesmerising and atmospheric remains of Jewish heritage in Bulgaria: from the mosaics of a 2nd century synagogue in Plovdiv, to abandoned and crumbling synagogues and cemeteries, the only reminders of the Jewish presence in
the magician.jpg
MUMMERS, CATS AND CANARIES
For over 10 years Yambol, the city in southeastern Bulgaria, has been the host of a major street festival attended by dozens of groups of mummers from all over Bulgaria.

tihomir stoyanov.jpg
TIHOMIR STOYANOV
Photography has of course changed beyond recognition since the digital revolution.

Durness, Sutherland.jpg
YOU'LL TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
The open road is unpredictable, it could take you anywhere and a return ticket is not guaranteed.

jewish tombstone photos.jpg
JEWISH BULGARIA EXHIBITION GOES TO LONDON
Bulgaria, one of Europe's least known lands, famously did not deport about 48,000 Jews during the Second World War.

guerassim dichliev.jpg
OUT OF PLACE
In Vagabond we usually don't cover theatre owing to the language barrier.

Nicole Simmons.jpg
NICOLE SIMMONS, ON TRAVELLING IN BULGARIA, NOT VISITING THE SAME PLACE TWICE AND COLLECTING ART
Nicole is also an epidemiologist and international health expert with 20 years of experience managing and developing technical assistance, training and research projects.