Descansos Gallery

The Balkan Peninsula

Bulgaria

Croatia

In much of the former Yugoslavia the roadside memorials are permanent installations, made from granite and set in concrete. Unlike the US, where the authorities frown on such displays, in other countries they are a part of the landscape and an officially sanctioned form of the grief process.

In one marker pictured below, a deceased trucker has his picture etched in granite alongside an etching of his truck.

 

 

Greece

In Greece there is a different style of roadside memorials. Rather than the regular crosses or stone markers, to mark the death of a loved one they use small metal or cast cement boxes called "little churches". There is a wide variety of styles for these memorials, but most of them have glass windows and doors like real churches. Inside these little sanctuaries can be found icons, libations, and some symbols representing the character or personality of the dead. On special days candles are lit inside these chambers which can give the glass a smoky tint. Some of these photos below have been taken through the darkened glass which give the photos a cloudy look.

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