“Revival Process” in the modern Bulgarian Turk’s memory (according to the results of an expedition to Slavjanovo village)

The “Revival Process” is the official name of the forced assimilation of Bulgarian Muslim minorities (Turks and Pomaks) between 1984 and 1989. “Bulgarisation” of Turks was carried out by changing their Turkish and Arabic names to Bulgarian names. This policy also included a number of restrictions on wearing traditional clothes and on speaking Turkish. Field research in the village of Slavjanovo (community of Popovo, Targovishte region, Bulgaria) was conducted in Аugust 2019. The task of the study was to collect ethnographic and historical material for further analyses of the modern memories of the 1984–1989 period. Analysis of the data helps us infer that the “Revival Process” and “Bulgarisation” are perceived as traumatic experiences, which persist in the memory of modern Bulgarian Turks, and is expressed in the form of narratives when communicating on different topics.