Kukeri from the village of Chargan near Yambol, are on the cover of the January issue of National Geographic magazine for Bulgaria, municipality mayor Georgi Georgiev has announced.

The kukeri group was founded way back in 1938, and every winter presents the popular ritual of banishing evil in Chargan, but also at regional, national and international festivals where they have been awarded numerous prizes.

Author of the colour photograph is Ivo Danchev for National Geographic, a researcher of different masquerade groups in the country. The shots are part of a project called “Guardians”.

You can find out more about the project next week, from an interview with the photographer himself with Radio Bulgaria.