The photo exhibition 'WHERE SOULS REST' about the Karakachans in Bulgaria of  photographer SIMON VARSANO was inaugurated in 'Vitosha' Gallery by His Excellency Ambassador Ivan Stanchov on Jan. 23, 1998. The exhibit is the first of its kind and CONCORDIA is working for its 1998 presentations in Vienna's 'Wittgenstein House', Austria, , in Goteborg, Sweden, and in Larissa, Greece. And this is only the very beginning.

The photo exhibition is part of CONCORDIA's multimedia

'WHERE SOULS REST'

1) 'WHERE SOULS REST': THE PHOTO EXHIBITION

2)  'WHERE SOULS REST': THE TV SERIES

3 TV series 26 min. each about the almost unknown Karakachans (Sarakatsani in Greek) on the Balkans as revealed by the oral tradition of the minority and the film archives;

3)  'WHERE SOULS REST': THE MUSIC

2  CD's with authentic Karakachan folk music;

4) 'WHERE SOULS REST': THE PHOTO ALBUM

The photographs of SIMON VARSANO about the Karakachans and the texts recorded on field by BOYAN PAPAZOV.

 5) A CD-ROM presenting the photographs, the film and the music.

 WHO ARE THE KARAKACHANS ?

 In the last two centuries historic sources refer to the Karakachans as semi nomads who along with their families and the entire households have been traveling from the alpine mountains to the warm lowlands of the Balkan Peninsula in search of pastures for their flocks.

 The TV series 'WHERE SOULS REST' (Bulgaria, Greece, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) will record the oral history, and the culture of the Karakachans as manifested in religious rites and feasts.

 Among the Balkan ethnic minorities, the Karakachans are the only ethnic community which managed to preserve a semi nomadic way of living until the middle of this century. And taking into account the peculiarities of their traditional culture and socio-economic structure, as well as the evolution of their ethnic culture within sedentary conditions, they appear to be an absolutely unique object for research and filming.

 There are numerous unexplored issues about the ethnography of the Karakachans. The filming of this strange convergence of Pagan and Christian beliefs will fill in a gap and would be a contribution of historic and ethnographic importance. The Karakachans have a traditional nomad type of economy and an unique cultural and moral system.

 'WHERE SOULS REST' will not omit the Karakachan's own legends about their history, folklore and beliefs as presented by the oral tradition.

 WHAT IS THEIR LANGUAGE AND RELIGION ?

 Within the family the Karakachans speak a Northern dialect of the modern Greek language. However, pressed by the necessity to communicate with the surrounding ethnic community, they are usually bilingual. All Karakachans are Christians and belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church.

• If you are interested in obtaining photographs, need more information about the Karakachans (Sarakatsani) on the Balkans, or  would like to help us produce the documentary, please, e-mail us at concord@mbox.cit.bg or papazovb@usa.net