Field research on Ukrainians in Bulgaria

First impressions

Abstract

This text will focus on Ukrainian citizens entering the territory of the Bulgarian state after the war began in February 2022, and it is based on my field observations over the past two years. In the process of field research, I distinguished several groups of Ukrainian citizens: seekers of international protection, labor migrants and vacationers on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. I will try to distinguish and characterize each of these groups. Based on ethnographic interviews and observations, I will try to answer the following questions: How do Ukrainian citizens perceive their stay in Bulgaria? Why did they choose to come to Bulgaria and what were the motives behind this choice? Do they accept the country as a permanent destination of residence or is it only a transit stop for them? Do they intend to return to their homeland if hostilities end?

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