Vassil Garnizov

Vasil Garnizov is a Bulgarian anthropologist and political scientist.

Vasil Garnizov is one of the founders of the New Bulgarian University, secretary of the Society for New Bulgarian University, initiator of the establishment of the Department of Anthropology and a lecturer in the department since its inception. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University.

In the period 1999-2001 he was Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria. Vasil Garnizov has held numerous expert advisory posts and has written widely for the Bulgarian press.

Biography Education Vasil Garnizov was born on the 1 September 1958 in Sofia. He graduated Sofia University with a Master's degree in Bulgarian Philology in 1983. After completing his higher education, he was briefly a teacher at a secondary school in Yablanitsa.

He defended his doctorate in 1995 at the Institute of Folklore with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with a dissertation on “Death and Funeral for the Bulgarians”. He deals with the subject of photography and anthropology, as well as with the applied aspects of anthropology – local development, regional development, urban development, political culture, economic culture and health culture – including migration and health.

Vasil Garnizov together with Petko Stainov and Angel Angelov introduces the concept of ‘ethnopragmatism’ during the international conference “Models of knowing” in Varna in September 1988.

He develops the study of pragmatism in the research on funerals.

In the beginning of the 90s he conducted field work in Romania.

In mid-90s he published a study on the Bulgarian pomacs, in which he argues that they are not a homogeneous group and identifies three subgroups. He also highlights that the identity of each group is defined by the groups, which surround it.

He also researches the cultural resistance against the political and economic transition in Bulgaria after 1989.

In the 1990s together with Asen Balakchiev they create the first course in Anthropology in Bulgaria. He then contributes to the first bachelors, masters and doctoral programmes in Anthropology in Bulgaria as well. He is the founder of the first and only department of Anthropology in Bulgaria.

He is among the founders of New Bulgarian University, together with Petko Stainov and Dimitar Dochev.

After 1989 he introduces the concept of the anthropology of the political (political anthropology) among the Bulgarian research community, as well as anthropology of the economy (economic anthropology) and medical anthropology. Together with Dr. Mihaylova-Garnizova they are the first to study the health profile of immigrants in Bulgaria.

He also studies ecological attitudes of the population and the ways in which culture contributes and hinders to the protection of the environment.

He insists on continuous academic reflection and discussion on the methods in the study of Anthropology.

Photographic exhibitions 2013 – Independent exhibition “Between Anthropology and Photojournalism. Reports from Eagle Bridge” – Sofia 2013 – Participation in the collective photo exhibition “The World Seen Through the Lens of Scientists” – European Researchers Night, Sofia 2013 – Participation in the collective photo exhibition “NBU's Expedition to Crete and Santorini”, Sofia 2014 – Participation in the collective photo exhibition “Canon – Photo of the Year, Bulgaria 2013” – with a photo shoot of 12 photos from Ukraine 2014 – Independent photo exhibition with Lyudmil Hristov “Across Borders” – Exhibition Hall of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sofia, Rectorate of the Thracian University of Edirne and Gallery in Thessaloniki 2015 – Independent exhibition “Diversity without borders“ – European Parliament in Brussels 2015 – Participation in the collective photo exhibition “The World Seen through the Lens of Scientists” – European Researchers Night, Sofia – with a photo shoot on the theme “Prayer – the Language of Jerusalem” 2016 – Participation in the collective exhibition “Geometry of the naked body” – Sofia, event of the Month of Photography program, Exhibition Hall “Industrial” 2017 – Independent photo exhibition “One day at CERN” – Sofia, NBU 2018 – Participation in the international exhibition “Sea in Yuzina – to keep Coral 2018”, Sofia, exhibition gallery Yuzina – photos and video installation. 2018 – Participation in the collective exhibition “Rediscovering Heritage” – Sofia, Ruse, Sliven, Gabrovo 2018 – Participation in the Black and White Thematic Exhibition, NBU Museum 2018 – 60 Years in 60 Photos: Anniversary Photo Exhibition of Vasil Garnizov, NBU, December 2018 2019 – “Rediscovering Heritage”, in collaboration with Ludmil Hristov, Ethnographic Museum, Plovdiv: the exhibition that opens the events “Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture”. The exhibition has been shown in Rousse and Sliven. 2019 – Participation in the international exhibition “Let's keep Coral 2018”, Barcelona, ArtHostel – photos and video installation.