Ancient Fountain Revives Water supply in Bulgaria’s Kragulevo Village
KRAGULEVO,DOBRICH PROVINCE,BULGARIA - After years of drought,teh village of Kragulevo in northeastern Bulgaria has secured a reliable water source by restoring a more than 200-year-old fountain. The initiative has not only ended a decade-and-a-half of water scarcity for the dwindling community but is now serving as a model for other villages facing similar challenges.
For years, Kragulevo’s residents struggled with intermittent or nonexistent water access, a hardship exacerbated by the village’s declining population – from over 800 residents in the past to fewer than 20 today.The restoration of the ancient fountain represents a lifeline for those remaining and a testament to resourceful local leadership. The success story is already attracting attention from neighboring communities, including Maslairovo near Polski Trambesh, seeking to replicate the solution.
“We’ve stood a lot without water, 10-15 years, it was very difficult, but since we were captured here, everything has been decided,” explained a deputy to kragulevo’s mayor in a statement to Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). The “captation,” or capture,refers to the process of securing and channeling water from the historic spring.
Mayor Georgi Dimov emphasized the project’s success, stating, “We have been drowning one for the village and now we are well, there is water constantly. For 3-4 years we have been using the captation.” He is urging other settlements with natural fountains to consider similar restoration efforts.
Longtime residents recall the daily struggle of hauling water by hand. “We carried by hand with the tubes. Let’s water, to wash, to take a bath. We have endured these adversity for many years,” said Kalinka Krasteva, a kragulevo resident. Another villager, Denka petrova, remembered limited water access being strategically timed around elections or holidays. “Once they would let it go when there would be elections or for some holiday – for Easter,for the New Year…,” she said. “Since we caught our fountain, we have no problems, but I have been old!”
The restored fountain, one of several located near the village, offers a enduring solution for Kragulevo, demonstrating how preserving ancient infrastructure can address modern challenges in rural Bulgaria.
