The blue-violet beauty of the lavender fields conquered the heart of Krassimir Matarov and he embarked on a several-year search for these visions all over Bulgaria, alongside with his colleague Ruslan Asanov. Back then the aromatic fields were not marked on the geographic maps, there were no signposts and directions, and those few who have already found the seas of lavender were fervently keeping the secret. That is why the two photographers traveled for a long time, talked to experts, pursued the purple and pink visions along the way, and then tirelessly waited for the right moment of the perfect shot. Nowadays the tiny hidden lavender fields have become an enormous source of a fast-growing industry for Bulgaria and attract thousands of tourists every year who desire to look, touch, breathe the fragrance and take photographs of the delicate purple plants.

The Rose Valley near Kazanlak is the home of the magnificent and unique Bulgarian rose, whose cultivation and processing to rose-oil is a centuries-old tradition in Bulgaria. The roses, as well as the customs around them, have become the heart of this Bulgarian region and a reason for pride of the whole nation. Let's explore together the magic of the mesmerizing Bulgarian lavender and rose through the eyes of the talented photographers.

Exhibition is prepared by State Institute for Culture at the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Photos Krasimir Matarov, Ruslan Asanov

Texts Ina Guerdjikova

Special thanks to Museum of Rose – Kazanluk