Uchilishte

• Photographer
  Alexander Dumarey, Belgium
• Studio
  Vrt

"Uchilishte" is the Bulgarian word for "school". Over 1000 schools in Bulgaria stand abandoned. Between 2016 and 2022, I documented over 200 photos of these schools across the country.

Since the fall of communism in 1989, Bulgaria's population has steadily declined from 9 million to less than 7 million today. This is due to low birth rates, high mortality rates, and significant emigration.

With the shrinking population, there are fewer children to attend class, resulting in the closure of several schools each year. While some buildings have been repurposed, many remain abandoned.