Общественото възприемане на индустриалните аварии в България по време на комунистическото управление
The Public Perception of the Industrial Accidents in Bulgaria during the Communist Regime

Summary/Abstract: After 1944, both the Bulgarian society and economy began to undergo rapid transformations, one of which was the accelerated industrialization. With its development there was a steep increase in industrial mischances and serious accidents at work. This phenomenon became an essential element of the everyday life of the rapidly growing working class in Bulgaria during the 50s and 60s. Naturally, the increasing number of incidents also provoked certain public perceptions, which the ruling Communist Party was extremely concerned about, fearing that they would undermine the image of the regime that state propaganda was trying to implement.For this reason, the tried to monitor, control and direct in a certain direction the public perception of all misfortunes at the workplace. During different periods of its rule, the communist regime used various schemes, methods and means to influence the development of the population’s attitude to industrial incidents, accidents and catastrophes. Although this constant pressure from the authorities and the propaganda have played a significant role in the public point of view, they have not fully achieved the results desired by the party. Without finding an official public expression, society’s attitude to the industrial accidents for the most part did not coincide with that of the regime, which further reinforced the authorities’ fears of a possible wider disclosure of serious industrial catastrophes. This, in turn, further complicated the efforts to minimize such failures.

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