Identity in the Banat Villages in Northern Bulgaria: Historical, Geographical, Cultural,and Political Aspects. The Role of Cultural Institutions, Local Authorities, and the Non-Governmental Sector

The report deals with the processes of protection and development of the Banat Bulgarians’ identity in the villages of Dragomirovo, Asenovo, Gostilya, Bregare and Bardarski Geran through their historical, geographical, cultural, and political aspects. More precisely, it considers the extent to which modern local institutions, especially cultural ones, affect these processes. The methodology used, based on both theoretical and field studies, presents results which argue not so much for a limited role of local institutions as for self-initiative and for the existence of a particular local village ethos. The biggest issue regarding the protection of local identity is widely considered by the locals to be the region’s depopulation.