In the paper, the architectural style Mafia Baroque (or Mutro Baroque) and its connection to national identity will be the topic of historical research. As the movement was first seen at the beginning of the 1990s, it is strongly influenced by the change of political systems in Bulgaria. In search of representation medium, the arising “new elite” of the new democratic republic confidently portrayed themselves in the public sphere through the means of the baroque-like style. The intriguing character of Mafia Baroque could be described as a cocktail of various stylistic elements, along with the ebullient use of luxurious materials. Its aesthetics were and still are ground for controversial discussions among experts / professionals, journalists, and citizens. Either seen as kitsch and tasteless, or purely fascinating, the Mafia Baroque is an active element of the Bulgarian cityscape. On one hand, the style indicates the rejection of expert opinion, as well as the conscious decision to dispel the memory of the socialist past. On the other hand, Mafia Baroque as a phenomenon of the post-soviet time
can be seen as the result of an attempt and longing for integration in the architectural context of Western Europe. The thesis will take into consideration how the transition from the Soviet regime to democracy has been the trigger for this new architectural style. Additionally, the movement will be discussed in the context of different phenomena across Eastern Europe. As architectural esponses
of various political instabilities, the international examples are aiming to map the similarities and differences in the baroque-like architectural language. Through considering the multiplicity of Mafia Baroque the thesis will focus on investigating the characteristics of the movement as an architectural expression of the search for identity in the Post-Soviet time.

As the Soviet Union's territories spanned across 30 countries, the prefabricated apartment buildings (Panelka) have tattooed numerous cities across Europe.The ideological “leftovers” of the typology, together with their predetermined lifespan, the decaying material state, and the fragmented ownership create difficulties for big-scale interventions. As a result, 170 million Panelka inhabitants face the possibility of demolition of their homes.

The graduation project focuses on the revitalization of the Panelka through the case study of the Trakiya district in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Supported by in-depth research of Panelkas’ development, the project aims to reimagine Trakiya through the local vernacular characteristics of the globally mass produced Panelka. The research showed that although Panelka’s perception is influenced by the negative connotations due to its ideological past, it is in flux due to constant recreation by its residents. The project’s approach is sensitive to Trakiya’s latent opportunities, and resulted in a framework, which can spatially as well as socially correspond to the needs of the residents. In order to improve the living conditions and tackle the negative perception of Panelka, a set of interventions founded on circularity aspects is proposed.