Uchilishte is Bulgarian for "school". Hundreds of schools in Bulgaria have been abandoned. Between 2016 and 2022, I photographed more than 200 derelict schools across th country.
In 1989, the fall of communism in Bulgaria marked a turning point for the country. Since then, Bulgaria has been grappling with a significant decrease in its population: it has fallen from 9 million to less than 7 million people. In fact, Bulgaria has the highest population decline rate in the world. This downward trend can be attributed to various factors, including low birth rates, high mortality rates, and the continuous outflow of working-age citizens seeking better job opportunities abroad. As a result, more and more buildings are becoming redundant and abandoned, with schools often being the first to be affected as there are simply not enough children left to attend class and keep the schools operational. There are rare examples of schools being renovated and getting new life as homes or hotels. Most remain abandoned.
