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| Image © 2006, Yana Paskova || The thirty-five-year old “Pharaoh,” as he prefers to be called, slams a Bulgarian coin on his forehead as he says, “Money controls everything. Money is why I am here. Money is why I will never get out. We have no voice here; only money speaks.”
He entered an out-of-town mental hospital after getting violent in jail, where he served time for stealing. He lost 20 kilograms because of the decrepit conditions in the hospital. “I just stopped eating. I mean, you could see the snot floating around in the soup. The food is better at this hospital, but nothing else is an improvement.”
He sought accountability for its crumbling walls, defunct plumbing, lack of basic amenities and insect infestation, and said he sometimes expressed it violently: "You know, I used to chase around nurses with pieces of broken glass just to try to slit their throats. I’m ok now because I have medication, but when I don’t, ooooh, I get so crazy!!"
This patient, like the others, can leave the hospital unescorted whenever he wishes.
The ward 's staff hopes (if it receives funding grants) to equip several of its rooms with heavy doors, locks and insulated walls that will be used to hold dangerous psychopaths. One of the European Union standards for mental hospitals will be the ability to house mentally unstable individuals with who could harm others and themselves. But paramedic T. T. said the salaries of hospital staff won’t be enough to match the new educational and health standards outlined by the EU.
"How can we pay to live up to them when we have doctors and professors driving taxis at night so they can make ends meet?" he says. "There isn’t any structure in Bulgaria to help the mentally ill. What we really need is a strong Social Service system." |
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| || General Information: |
|| Portfolio: |
Yana Paskova: Photojournalist, Writer
| Address: |
New York, NY, USA |
| Phone: |
630.664.1240 |
| Yana Paskova's Message: |
I spent a few days at a general hospital’s psychiatry ward in Vidin, Bulgaria, in August of 2006 (and then, returned there in the summer of 2007. Update pending.) The impoverished surrounding, poor lighting conditions and difficult interaction with my subjects taught me more about photography -- and life -- than I could have imagined possible within those limited hours. And so, please excuse the long captions; I felt the story of this place and its people needed the details to be complete. I would appreciate your comments and/or critiques, and any ideas about where you think I could try to publish these photos. I would love to shed more light on forgotten people in the rarely seen corners of the world. Thank you!
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While many Bulgarians are concerned with the rising numbers of young, capable citizens fleeing a post-totalitarian climate with a shredded political safety net and financial capabilities, a different kind of ”brain drain” receives less attention. The staff and patients of many health institutions -- such as this psychiatry ward -- greatly suffer from an economically disadvantaged health care system. It is a place where the sick rarely get better. The hospital’s many financial maladies do not allow it to provide enough of the basic services necessary for recovery. This means: 1. no security personnel, cameras, or locked, insulated rooms for unstable residents; 2. minimal treatment for leaking ceilings, bursting bathroom pipes, and rodent and flea invasions; 3. inability to provide basic amenities, such as bed sheets and dining utensils; 4. lacking mental stimulation for its patients; 5. inconsistent medical treatment. To stay open, hospitals such as this one will have to live up to a new set of health and safety standards when Bulgaria is accepted into the European Union in January 2007.
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I am a nocturnal creature, but the spark that wakes me in the morning is my passion for photography, writing, music, and U.S. & international affairs.
While I often visit my hometown Chicago, IL, my home base has again become New York, NY, following a few months of traveling throughout Iowa, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana, in a chase of the presidential hopefuls (with a camera.)
For a month or two in the summer, I usually revert to my Eastern European roots and cross the ocean to visit family in my native Bulgaria. I also shoot a few photo essays there, usually focusing on culture colors, the way a post-totalitarian government deals with its recent admittance to the European Union, or whatever other stories emerge in the documentary realm.
Any comments or critiques are more than welcome. Thanks for looking!
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| Last Update: |
474 days ago |
| Member Since: |
5.7.2005 |
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The images below are from the
portfolio of Yana Paskova. They are presented here for your viewing pleasure. These images may not be used elsewhere and are protected by copyright. To see these images, click on the icon and you will see a much larger image.
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"Mute"
The thirty-five-year old “Pharaoh,” as he prefers to be called, slams a Bulgarian coin on his forehe... |
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| You can search for additional images by this photographer by conducting a keyword search on his/her archive. |
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|| Yana Paskova's Work History:
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Internships
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Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin, (2006)
Time New York, (2005)
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Full Time
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The Badger Herald Wisconsin, (2003 - 2006)
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Part Time
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Wisconsin Engineer Wisconsin, (2003 - 2005)
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Freelance
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The New York Times New York, (2007 - Present)
Getty Images (New York) New York, (2007 - Present)
Chicago Tribune Illinois, (2007 - Present)
Newsweek New York, (2007 - Present)
Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin, (2006)
Madison Magazine Wisconsin, (2005 - 2006)
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