Although a small country today, Bulgaria was once the dominant power in the Balkans. The First Bulgarian Kingdom was established in 681 AD with its territories covering most of the Balkan Peninsula. During the next few centuries, the First Bulgarian Kingdom prospered culturally and intellectually. In 868 AD, two holy brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius created the Bulgarian cyrillic alphabet and the Bulgarian Christian Orthodox Church was established in 870 AD.
The ancient Bulgarian alphabet
Bulgaria's power declined in 1014 and it fell under the Byzantine Empire for about a century. A successful revolt was launched in 1185 that led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Again, Bulgaria enjoyed a new period of strength and glory until the royal capital, Turnovo, was seized by the Ottoman Turks in 1393.
During the next 500 years, Bulgarian's national customs and values were preserved in the monasteries and mountain villages which were isolated from Turkish influence. Finally, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 freed Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire. The modern nation of Bulgaria was established on March 3, 1878, "Liberation Day," and this date is still celebrated today as a national holiday.
In the early 1900s, Bulgaria became involved in various wars in its attempts to regain Balkan territory. Bulgaria suffered economic hardships after these wars and when World War II broke out, Bulgaria fell under control of Nazi Germany.
One of the most remarkable moments of the World War II history is the salvation of the Jews in Bulgaria. Despite extraordinary pressure from Berlin, Germany to deport Jews from this country, many intellectuals, political leaders, clergy and ordinary people raised their voices in defense of the Bulgarian Jews and prevented them from being sent to concentration camps.
Before the end of World War II, the Soviet Union had occupied Bulgaria and the Communist Party was in full control by 1947. Over the next 50 years, the country developed as one of the most loyal Soviet satellites. Rapid industrialization took place which raised living standards, but also resulted in environmental pollution of many areas.
The Communist regime continued to tighten their control not only on the economy but also on its people. In 1984-1989, an attempt was made to forcibly change the names of Bulgarian Muslims (most of them of Turkish origin) and to ban the practice of their religion. Several groups began not only to protest these human rights abuses but also to lead pro-democracy rallies. These actions eventually forced the peaceful resignation of the Communist leader, Todor Zhivkov, in 1989.
Bulgaria began its road to democracy and a new Constitution was developed to provide political and civic freedoms. Bulgaria's economy, however, has been slow to stabilize. More recently, people have renewed confidence in Bulgaria's economic potential and political stability.
Excerpts taken from information provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria