A sleepy village in central Bulgaria is harnessing the power of celebrities, hoping for an economic revival through art.

Outdoor murals in the village of Staro Zhelezare feature local people alongside celebrities on their homes. Homeowners are depicted with personalities including Pope Francis, the Queen, Albert Einstein, the Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher.

The man behind the project is local artist Ventsislav Piryankov, who now lives in Poland, where he created an art school. Piryankov and his students came to the village for the First Mural Festival, creating an outdoor art gallery with Banksy-style graffiti on the walls.

Living standards are low in the poorest member of the 28-nation European Union and the 400 residents of Staro Zhelezare struggle to make ends meet. Before the murals, the village had been best known for a nearby prehistoric stone circle. Now its cash-strapped residents hope the art project will attract more tourists.

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