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Bulgaria

Bulgaria has borders with Romania to the north, much o it denoted by the RIver Danube; Greece and Turkey

to the south and south-east, and ormer Yugoslav Republic o Macedonia, and Serbia, to the west. To the east ,

Bulgaria is anked by Black Sea, one o its big gest assets or summer tourism.

Bulgaria has volatile and traumatic history, situated on the Balkan Peninsula, on the border between Chris-

tianity and Islam and between Europe and Asia it has always been in between.. Bulgaria is today again - like

so many times in its history - on the crossroads. The EU membership, which many in the country considered

a panacea to cure all Bulgarias problems, is an accomlished act, yet little has changed. I anything, the dis-

satisaction and pessimsm o its citizens have only increased. The populist and nationalist parties are ridinghigh on the wave o popular discontent and disgust over the corruption and incompetence o the traditional

political parties. The inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions are on the rise, while only a ew years ago, the

country was seen as an island o multi-cultural coexistance on the volatile B alkans.

Population: 7 563 710

Area: 110,993.6 km2

Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6 %, Muslim 12.2%, Catholic 0.6 %, other 4.6%

Etnic groups: Bulgarian 83.9%, Turkish 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2%

Capital: Sofa (1 173 988 citizens)EU accession: 1 January 2007


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Sofa


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NaTioNal PSycology of The BulgariaNS

Bulgarians love their countryside and spend much ree time in the nature; hiking, swimming, skiing. Theylove their traditions, olklore and heritage and yet there seems to be a certain lack o national pride. While

in smaller towns and villages, locals overwhelm with hospitality (with the little they have) it could be ound

that the overall mood in the larger towns and cities is more pessimistic and sel centred. Likewise the

hospitality one experiences within Bulgarian amilies is not always reected in the service industries, which

I think it comes way back rom the communist regime where carelessness in the workplace and towards the

common seem to rule the country.

Ater the WWII and the coming o Communist Party to power, Bulgarians abandoned nationalism (evident

prior the regime) and to a large ex tent even their national identity or the sake o (proclaimed) interna-tionalism and the creation o a supranational socialist identity. The last two decades o the communist rule

witnessed the return to nationalism as the ruling elites tried to preserve their legitimacy by rallying the

masses under the nationalistic-patriotic banner. The obvious victims o this nationalistic drive o the Bul-

garian Communist Party were the Bulgarian minorities and another le ss visible victim were the countrys

relations with the Western Europe, already practically rozen since 1945.

Nowadays while the older generations remember their frst-hand experience with the totalitarian regime,

the generation o this age group, which does not perceive democracy as their utmost priority, does not have

the privilege - or disadvantage - o such personal memories. The younger generation o Bulgaria relies on thesecond-hand experience o the cultural memory that is ormed, developed, provoked, and woken up by told

and untold stories about the past.


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The TraNSiTioN

Ater 1989 Bulgaria emerged on a troublesome and painul transition not just towards becoming a unction-

ing democracy and market economy, but also towards redefning its relations with Europe and fndng its

proper place in it . Twenty years later, the transition seems completed. The democracy is as to the outside

unctioning, the economy (arer the collapse 1996-97) is relativly stable and Bulgaria also became EU mem-

ber. However, ater a long night o partying , freworks and champagne, Bulgaria woke up into the same old

reality. Bulgaria is still the poorest EU member, widely percieved (above all by Bulgarians themselves) as the

most corrupt and crime-ridden, Above all, still deeply conused about the European nature o their nationalidentity, many Bulgarians do not eel completely European, nor they see their country as ully European.

What exactly are we celebrating on 10 November? On that day, the Bulgarians were merely inormed that

they were ree. The passive voice in the sentence is important. We were inormed. Similarly to the way in

which the communist regime released oranges, red pepper, and sanitary towels to the market. You have

been waiting, and waiting, and one day somebody inorms you: they were released. This is an award or

exceptional patience *

* words by the Bulgarian writer Georgi G ospodinov


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BackgrouNd

In May 1991, 76% o Bulgarians approved the change to democracy but today only 52% harbour positive

thoughts, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Centers Global Attitudes Project in Eastern and

Western Europe (EurActiv 06/11/09).

This is the greatest approval slump (24 points) o the new EU and NATO members. Outside this group, only

Ukraine has recorded a bigger drop rom 72 to 30%.

The Bulgarian transition started on 10 November, the frst day ater the all o the Berlin Wall, when the

Politbureau o the Communist Party toppled communist leader Todor Zhivkov, who had ruled since 1956. A

round table process then took place and gradually democratic reorms were introduced.

However, it appears that a category o people close to the ormer regime remained very much in control.

They made ortunes overnight, through murky privatisations and Ponzi schemes, and by draining the state

banks. Simultaneously, the vast majority o the population saw their incomes drop ar below the level o the1980s.

Bulgarias transition avoured the development o organised crime as a parallel centre o power. The UN

embargo on ormer Yugoslavia in the frst hal o the 90s was one o the actors in the rise o criminal gangs,

specialised in smuggling, trafcking o all k inds and tax raud.

Besides, the Bulgarian legislators have put in place rules which, as practice shows, allow criminals to avoid

judicial prosecution.

Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in the second wave o the fth EU enlargement on 1 January 2007. The

European Commission made clear that there was still work to be done or the two countries to meet thenecessary EU requirements.

Unlike the 10 countries which acceded on 1 May 2004, the Commission has put in place a monitoring mecha-

nism to accompany Bulgaria and Romania and help them step up progress made in the areas o judicial

reorm, organised crime and the fght against corruption.


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Sofia

Sofa is located in western Bulgaria, at the oot o Mount Vitosha and is a cit y with multilayered history that

has huge impact on the psyche o the bulgarians.

The architecture o Sofas centre is a combinat ion o Neo-Baroque, Neo-Rococo, Neo-Renaissance and

Neoclassicism, with the Vienna Secession also later playing an important part, but it is mostly typically

Central European. Among the most important buildings constructed in Sofa in the period are the ormer

royal palace, today housing the National Art Gallery and the National Ethnographic Museum (1882); the Ivan

Vazov National Theatre (1907); the ormer royal printing ofce, today the National Galler y or Foreign Art;the National Assembly o Bulgaria (1886), the Bulgarian Academy o Sciences (1893). Ater the Second World

War and the establishment o a Communist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the architectural line was sub-

stantially altered. Socialist Classicism public buildings emerged in the centre, but as the city grew outwards,

the new neighbourhoods were dominated by many concrete tower blocks, preabricated panel apartment

buildings and examples o Brutalist architecture.

Ater the abolishment o Communism in 1989, Sofa has witnessed the construction o whole business

districts and neighbourhoods, as well as modern skryscraper-like glass-ronted o fce buildings, but also

new residential neighbourhoods consisting o building o a poor quality.


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ProBlem: Two realiTieS

The aim or this year is to investigate and question the role (i any) o the society during the transitional

period and until now in Bulgaria, in relation to the built environment and the transormations occurring in

the cities. The questions that are curious or me and will tr y to investigate deeply are my thoughts about our

society: Does the term Civil Society exists in Bulgarian and i not, why? Is there a reason or the Bulgarian

society to be united? How could this be achieved? How can the public play a role in the transormations o

the cities they live in a way that the country and its varied organisations can oer them an opportunity to

express, take part, be listened, participate, eel bespoken and valued. Could the pessisism and the deep painthat lay in the citizens psyche way back in the history be transormed and moved....Living in two realities,

the memories and ruins o the communist era and the post soviet built environment has a traumatic inu-

ence that led to the pessimism that one can experience all around in the atmosphere.


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SeaSide

The Bulgarian Black Sea Riviera covers the entire eastern bound o Bulgaria stretching rom the R omanian

Black Sea Riviera in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km o coastline. White and golden

sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km o the 378 km long coast. Prior to 1989 the Bulgarian Black

Sea coast was internationally known as the Red R iviera and since the all o the Iron Curtain, however, its

nickname has been changed to the Bulgarian Riviera. The Balkan Mountains cross the country reaching to

the edge o the Black Sea at Cape Emine, dividing the coastline into a southern and northern part. Parts o

Bulgarias northern Black Sea Coast eature rocky headlands where the sea abuts clis up to 70 metres in

height. The southern coast is known or its wide sandy beaches.

An important place or me is Nessebar - an ancient city and a major seaside resort, reerred to as the Pearl o

the Black Sea. It is a rich city-museum defned by more than three millennia o ever-changing history. This

is hometown o my ather and is a place o a special sentimental importance or me as I spend my summer

vacation in my early childhood there and where I continue to live 3 months in the summer every year.


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ProBlemS

uNeSco Sttt B s Nsb hns n T

The picturesque beach town was slated or discussions over numerous requests to take i rom the list

o UNESCO World Heritage sites. The complaints, however, revolve around two well known acts illegal

large-scale construction and the large number o market stands that tarnish the image o the historical Old

Town. The Town Hall declared they are making constant eorts to improve the situation and are undertak-

ing serious measures such as restricting the st reet market stands, introducing police bike patrols, building

parking lots with aordable prices, and developing restoration projects. Upset visitors urther say historical

churches in the town are used as places or illegal t rade. UNESCO Statute o Bulgarias Nesebar Hangs on

Thread

The building boom in Sunny beach started around 2002 when many oreign investors saw Bulgarian market

very attractive. This economic situation gave an enormous boost or ast production o projects and their

materialization without any considerations about the long term beneft o the resort . This was even urther

invigorated by no real urban st rategies, laws and restrictions rom the government in order to preserve the

unique dunes and nature o the resort.


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irakli aNd caPe emiNe (emoNa)

Irakli is a protected area with camping close to the village o Emona, Nessebar Region. It is 9 km rom Obzor,

3 km rom B ath, about 20 km rom Byala. 70 km north is the city o Varna.

Although the campsite has bungalows o various institutions, it is amous or its v irgin nature and clean en-

vironment, which can not be ound almost anywhere on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. There grow unique

plants that are listed in the Red Book o Bulgaria and are protected by the Law on Environmental Protection.

Since it is ar rom the big resorts - Golden Sands and Sunny Beach, and there is almost no inrastructure,

Irakli is visited mostly by young people who ignore the absence o conditions at the expense o communion

with nature. There are many tents and whole amilies are staying there rom June to September.

The thread is that near the beach they are plans to build a holiday village with restaurants, gym, swimming

pools and many apartments that threaten the unique nature o one o the last prist ine Bulgarian beaches

protected by the Law on Environmental Protection. According to the protesters works are shown in the

protected area o the park, home to many endangered and rare species...


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BulgariaN cuSTomS aNd TradiTioNS

Many Bulgarian customs and traditions go back to pagan times whilst others have their roots in Christian-

ity and mostly deal with the lie cycle and the our seasons. Bulgarians devote certain days o the year to

honour their past and participate in certain rituals.

Bulgarian olklore is defned as the aspect o tradition associated with the agrarian times o society and

involving orms o creativity that can be described as ar tistic. By this are meant music and olk art, songs

and dances mostly, the oral tradition in all its various orms - rom popular tales to proverbs and sayings -

and the plastic art, which is ound in embroidery, stone work, wood-carving, fgures shaped on bread, etc.

As a whole, this olk art developed until the second hal o the 19th century and it has been perceived by

the Bulgarian scholars as the classical olklore o the Bulgarian people who have their specifc place in the

Balkan and European cultural tradition. From the middle o the 19th century on there began a change in the

Bulgarian cultural model represented by the establishment o an autonomous artistic culture - literature,

music, theatre, etc. At all its stages o growth, this new model has implied a constant interest in olklore.

Since then other orms o olk art have appeared and developed, and they have been connected most gener-

ally with the urban tradition in a society that has its own path in the modern world.


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