The village of Asparuhovo is located in Northwest Bulgaria. Life there goes on as in most Bulgarian villages with aging population. There is no public transport to Asparuhovo, because there are not enough passengers. In the mid 20^th century, the population of the village amounted to 1,500 residents. Now, nearly 500 people, mainly seniors, live there. Two general practitioners who come on certain days of the week take care of the local residents. Livelihood in Asparuhovo is scarce. The locals make their living by cultivating land and growing vegetables. There are also several flocks of sheep in the village. The residents are no longer breeding domestic pigs, because of their mass extermination during the African swine fever period. The young mayor Ludmila Makaveeva does her best to improve the lives of her fellow villagers:

“Personal care is provided to the local seniors. The municipality provides food for the socially-disadvantaged people under the “Hot Lunch at Home” programme- mayor Ludmila Makaveeva said for Radio Vidin. - 11 people are receiving assistance on a regular basis, but we are trying to help everyone who seeks our support. There are programmes for personal assistance and programmes for domestic helpers which are available to anyone in need. The tension stemming from the coronavirus pandemic effects the local residents as well, but we don’t have problems with the supply of medicines. This is arranged by the general practitioner who comes every Tuesday and Thursday. ”

Despite the difficulties, Ludmila Makaveeva is satisfied with what has been done in the village in 2020. In her view, the future of the small villages like Asparuhovo is in the work under European project. The results are visible- fully-renovated municipal road and a new playground built in the village center:

“We live a calm life now, because there are fewer residents. I am working towards resuming bus services, because there is no public transport to the village at present. Most people use their private cars. The local seniors rely on their neighbors or relatives for transport. We also help them when they seek assistance from us. We asked the competent institutions for a bus transport. They launched a bus service, but later it was suspended, because it was unprofitable. The new asphalt main road to the village was completed this year. Four years ago, 13 streets in the village were repaired. We renovated the village park and the community center three years ago. The local church was also renovated. We have enough shops. Various types of bread are delivered on a daily basis. We even have two ATMs, as well as offices where locals can pay utility bills.”

The village school was recently closed and young pupils have to travel to the neighboring village of Rasovo. High-school students go to school in the town of Lom. Due to the emergency measures, however, all students attend online classes now. The only cultural institution is the community center, preserved since 1927. It has 10,000 volumes of books- children’s, technical and agricultural literature. This year, the activists of the local community center have organized only two outdoor celebrations, but despite the difficulties, they continue to keep the local traditions alive.

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: BNR-Vidin