Bulgarian shamans fought over bells

The 30th international mask festival "Surva" was held in Bulgaria. This is a traditional custom of the Southern Slavs, somewhat reminiscent of the rituals of the shamans of Siberia. Men dressed in scary masks, "cookers", gather around campfires on cold January nights and drive away evil spirits to the sound of bells hanging from their belts.

Traditionally, on the last weekend of January, mummers not only from different regions of Bulgaria, but also representatives of folklore groups from other countries gather in the city of Pernik, in the south-west of the country. This year, cookers from 17 countries took part in the colorful carnival in the city center, attracting more than 10,000 spectators.

Police officers from neighboring regions were sent to Pernik to protect order. After all, in addition to the ringing of bells and ritual dances during the "Surva", it is customary to treat yourself well to food and wine. And in the unusually cold January days for Bulgaria this year, the public was quite actively warming themselves with mulled wine.

Fortunately, the anniversary festival was held without incident. But during the preparation for it in the neighboring town of Zemen, local mummers did not share the bells. After performing the ceremony to protect Zemen from evil and misfortune, the men began to find out who should receive rather expensive costumes and bells for storage. The conflict turned from words to physical abuse, as a result, law enforcement forces had to intervene.

The Prosecutor's office of Pernik initiated judicial proceedings on the fact of causing bodily harm.