Metro.co.uk stepped inside Vanga’s home in Bulgaria (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Every Bulgarian family has a tale to tell about a relative who sought solace in the wisdom of Baba Vanga, or a friend who witnessed a miracle unfold at her doorstep.
Before her death in 1996, people throughout the Balkans and beyond travelled to her home in the mountainous area of Rupite, some 110 miles from the capital city of Sofia.
What drew them in was not just superstition, but a belief in her power to perceive the unseen and heal the troubled.
It is still a belief ingrained in the cultural psyche of Bulgarians, passed down from one generation to the next like an heirloom.
Vanga’s home is located at the foot of the volcanic mountain Kozhuh, near the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Known as the ‘Nostradamus of the Balkans’ for predicting the future, Vanga made a name for herself across Europe for predicting the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, the death of Princess Diana, New York’s 9/11, and even her own death at the age of 85.
Each time she predicted an event correctly, her legend grew, and in Russia she is even considered saint-like. Any inaccuracies were quickly forgotten.
But while many cling to the allure of her prophecies, some dismiss her abilities as a mere myth.
Metro.co.uk journeyed to Bulgaria to visit her home, also located near the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica, and find out if her legacy has withstood the test of time.
The area is now the site of a sprawling complex preserving the mystic’s memory (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
A doorway into Baba Vanga’s home (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Vanga, who until her death did not use her family name Gushterova, derived from the Bulgarian word for lizard, lived in a small house in the Rupite in the last years of her life as she considered the area a source of energy, according to relatives.
Located at the foot of the volcanic mountain Kozhuh, it is famous for the ‘healing’ mineral springs with a temperature of 74°C.
The area is now the site of a sprawling complex preserving the mystic’s memory.
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It includes her home and grave, a museum and the temple ‘St Petka of Bulgaria’, which was erected in 1994 with donations from her followers.
Vanga’s home mirrored her humble demeanor (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
This is where Vanga welcomed her visitors (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Vanga’s home mirrored her humble demeanor. Pictures show her wearing simple clothing like cotton aprons and tunics, and handknit woolen sweaters, traditional to villages in the country.
Her house, made up of only two rooms, is furnished modestly. Her bedroom with a single bed by the window where the mystic slept.
Shelves are lined up with Eastern Orthodox icons, trinkets, books and plant pots.
A second room has a table, a few chairs and a fireplace on top of which there is a metal cross.
Despite her saint-like status, Vanga’s house, made up of only two rooms, is furnished modestly (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Her bedroom with a single bed by the window where the mystic slept (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Outside the house, there is a three-legged stool where the prophet sat during the day as her followers trickled in on buses and cars.
A few feet from the house, there is a small cabin where Vanga met with them and listened to their worries.
In one corner, a rustic table covered with a white embroidered cloth and adorned with wildflowers serves as the focal point of the room.
For Vanga’s followers, this is where the veil between the seen and the unseen feels thinnest.
Leonid Brezhnev, the leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1982, consulted with her at least once and asked her to prolong his life, her followers claim (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Vanga’s resting place next to the temple (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Her modest home is also where politicians, whatever their ranks, came to visit her to ask about their futures.
Leonid Brezhnev, the leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1982, consulted with her at least once and asked her to prolong his life, her followers claim.
According to a legend, former president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Vanga in 1984, six years before he took on the post.
It is understood she predicted he will achieve ‘great power’ and ‘rule his country’, but that it would not bring him happiness.
A statue honouring Vanga’s life (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Vanga was blinded in a tornado that swept through southwestern Bulgaria when she was 12 (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
In Bulgaria’s Communist period, senior members of the ruling elite also traveled regularly to seek her counsel.
Visitor still trickle in, wondering inside her house and the temple, lighting candles and writing down specific prayers for health, success, marriage and children.
‘St Petka of Bulgaria’ is also unlike all Eastern Orthodox churches in the Balkans, as the murals depict Vanga herself and those she helped throughout her life.
Standing in solemn tribute outside the building is a bronze statue of the beloved prophet, and people pause to pay their respects and take pictures.
A sealed off table in the house where politicians visited her (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Thousands visit Vanga’s home each year since her death in 1996 (Picture: Gergana Krasteva/Metro.co.uk)
Clad in traditional attire, her left hand is resting gently on her lap, while her right is reaching in the air for her followers to hold, as if offering solace.
Her eyes are seen rolling upwards towards the sky, just like when she was alive.
Vanga was blinded in a tornado that swept through southwestern Bulgaria when she was 12 years old.
The legend says that it was soon after that her powers developed and she started to gain recognition.
My encounter with Vanga’s mystique
Growing up in Bulgaria, in the intersection between communism and then democracy, tales of Vanga’s abilities were an integral part of the folklore.
The country has a rich pagan heritage, and there are many traditions that predate Christianity.
In their core, Bulgarians are superstitious, particularly the elderly, so the mystery around her powers lands itself well in the country.
This is evident in events like the Kukeri festival around the New Year – people dressed in elaborately crafted masks and costumes made from fur, feathers, and other materials dance around fire to chase away the evil spirits and in hope for a good harvest.
Throughout March, Bulgarians also wear ‘martenisi’ – traditional red and white bracelets exchanged on Baba Marta Day on March 1 to welcome the spring.
After Vanga’s death, legends of her prophecies continue to have a profound effect on the nation.
There were dozens of people on the day I visited the complex in the Rupite – young and old, from all walks of life.
Respecting Vanga is to honour the traditions of Bulgarians, whatever my own opinions.
It is an acknowledgment that while believes may differ, values of compassion, empathy, and understanding remain universal.
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