Bulgarians and Russians Today: A Mismatch of Two Complexes
Bulgarians and Russians Today: A Mismatch of Two Complexes

Summary/Abstract: This is the story of the modification of a hypothesis about the attitudes of Bulgarians towards Russians as a result of an empirical survey. The main tenet is that both groups regard one another through two different complexes. The adequacy of the notion of complex (used in the sense of Charcot rather than of Freud) in this context is explained. The Bulgarian complex is vassality: Bulgaria is/should be a vassal to suzerain Russia, therefore expecting protection for services rendered. The Russian complex is imperialism: Bulgaria is/should be a colony of Russia, therefore Russia is under no obligation to Bulgaria regard- less of circumstances. As in reality Bulgaria is a member of the EU and NATO, these complexes create misunderstandings that complicate further a relation- ship that objectively is already complex enough.

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