The Gabrovo Carnival? Everyone who has participated or attended at least once, associates it with laughter and good mood, shared emotions, and, in our style – playfully snarky political satire, without which this national celebration wouldn’t be complete.
The tradition was born at the end of the 19th century, then the festive Oleliynya on Meatfare Sunday was transformed into a Carnival – and so for 101 years, no matter who is in power and what the political regime is.
The people of Gabrovo missed this spectacle only twice – during the Second World War and at the beginning of the Transition period (1990-1998).
In the 21st century, the Carnival, now part of the world carnival family, is a favorite event for the city’s guests – tens of thousands of fans from the country and abroad gather on the third Saturday of May.
Driven by its genetic carnival addiction, the Museum of Humor and Satire called on local photographers who have captured moments of the Gabrovo Carnival in the last 10 years to participate in the “10% Carnival” exhibition.
We look back at the smiling faces and themes of the Gabrovo Carnival since 2014:
2014 – Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!”
2015 – “A Gabrovian and a cat never fall on their backs”
2016 – “There is no such country, there is such a town”
2017 – “Let’s crow with laughter”
2018 – “Gabrovo, my little Brussels”
2019 – “Masks up!”
2020 – “Between East and West”
2021 – “Follow the cat”
2022 – “Come what meow”
2023 – “More or less 100 years”
… and we are preparing for Carnival 2024, guided by the motto “Make CARNIVAL, not war”.
Photographers Dragomir Minkov, Viktor Marinov, Milcho Milev, Plamen Ilarionov and Tsvetomira Ivanova take part in the exhibition.
Original concept by Plamen Ilarionov.
