From 1929 to 2000 Bulgaria had what were called Labour Troops. Conscripts in this military-style labour force had to perform heavy labour for a period of two to three years, without salary, and their living conditions were comparable to those in a prison. The conscripts were primarily political dissidents and minority groups such as gypsies and ethnic Turks. In 1981, through a combination of persistence, personal contacts and good luck, Garo Keshishian obtained permission to make a photo series about the Labour Troops. He won the trust of the labourers, and as a result was able to record their daily struggle to maintain their human dignity under inhumane conditions. By maintaining a low profile, he was able to continue to photograph the Labour Troops for thirteen years.

Garo Keshishian (b. Bulgaria, 1946), though he was graduated as an engineer, has worked on long-term documentary projects as a photographer for over thirty years now. In 2002 the Photo Academy in Sofia awarded him the 'Gold statuette for an exceptional contribution to photographic art in Bulgaria'.