Uchilishte Kiril i Metodiĭ
Uchilishte Kiril i Metodiĭ, also known as the Cyril and Methodius School, stands abandoned in the Bulgarian village of Sokolare. Once full of children and noise, the building now shows silence and decay. This school tells a clear story about rural decline in Bulgaria, and it makes you wonder how it ended this way.
Sokolare lies in the Vratsa region, within the Byala Slatina municipality. Today, around 627 people live here. Like many small villages in Bulgaria, the population has dropped for decades. Young people left to find work, first in bigger cities and later abroad. The village stayed behind, and its public buildings followed the same path.
A School with Cultural Meaning
The mural above the main entrance shows Cyril and Methodius, known in Bulgarian as Kiril i Metodiĭ. They are called the Apostles of the Slavs. Their work led to the Glagolitic alphabet, which later became the base for the Cyrillic script. This makes them central figures in Bulgarian culture. Cyril stands on the left with a scroll. Methodius stands on the right with a book. Similar murals appear on many schools across the country.
Near the entrance, a short text tells pupils to love science. It is still readable, even though the school has been empty for years.
Education and Closure
Primary education in Bulgaria lasts eight years. Children start in primary school from first to fourth grade. Then they move to junior high school from fifth to eighth grade. Around 70 children once studied in this building.
In 2008, the Bulgarian Ministry of Education invested about 60,000 Bulgarian lev to repair the school. The renovation finished, but soon after that, the local council closed the school. Parents started a petition, but officials ignored it. The children now travel by bus to a larger town.
Many small village schools closed this way. Municipalities received money to shut them down and move pupils elsewhere. At the same time, factories closed, jobs vanished, and villages emptied.
Inside the Building
The school is heavily decayed today. Still, many details remain. Informative panels about biology, history, and fire safety hang on the walls. Old blackboards stand in classrooms. You can also find gym equipment in the sports hall. Everything feels frozen in time.
