The masks of Drugan are known for their beautifully carved, natural wood and roots. In the past, their survakari did not wear these wild masks, only their faces were stained with soot and they turned their fur caps. They started to first prepare masks in the 1960s, when the “Surva” festival in Pernik was organized.
The man behind this mask is a grandfather, and he makes nearly all the masks in the village. He takes us through his home, every room overflowing with intricate carvings. We point at the abstract carvings and say what they resemble to us as we walk through the house. “Bird….fox….giraffe!!” Even the furniture is all meticulously handcarved. One room is filled with only masks, of all sizes and shapes, lined across the floor then stacked on the bed. I picked this one out for him to wear because I thought the size was so impressive and it has so much character.
He later took us to the village church to show us all of the detail in the woodwork that he had carved so beautifully. Even the restaurant where we drank Rakia together was decorated in his creations. This one man has breathed so much life into his community. How inspiring that is.
