LABOUR TROOPS (Bulgaria, 1981-1994)

From 1929 to 2000 Bulgaria had what were called Labour Troops. Conscripts in this military-style labour force had to perform heavy labour for a period of two to three years, without salary, and their living conditions were comparable to those in a prison. The conscripts were primarily political dissidents and minority groups such as gypsies and ethnic Turks. In 1981, through a combination of persistence, personal contacts and good luck, Garo Keshishian obtained permission to make a photo series about the Labour Troops. He won the trust of the labourers, and as a result was able to record their daily struggle to maintain their human dignity under inhumane conditions. By maintaining a low profile, he was able to continue to photograph the Labour Troops for thirteen years.