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As to my personal project plan for the coming six years on the issue of present concern, I shall in the following present my hypothesis––a hypothesis which is about to take shape, while I am looking up for a moment from behind the heaps of books taken from my bookshelf. The reason why I shall submit my hypothesis at this stage is that I hope that you might prompt me––by expressing your appreciation or doubts to what you read––to advancing new perspectives and new ideas.
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The paper presents in analytical way to Fund of the Ottoman documents about Mecca and Medina, kept in the collections of Oriental Department of the National Library "St St Cyril and Methodius". The documents are grouped in six main sections according to their content. The author presents in annotated form multiple documents of that fund. The paper includes an annex of the inventory of documents from fund Hijaz (Arabia).
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This article to challenge the notion of an entirely harmonious Christian-Orthodox parish that dominates the historiography of the Ottoman Balkans. The interrelations between Orthodox priests and their flocks are analyzed here in the light of the so-called Chronicle of Serres (ca. 1642), composed by Papa Synadinos, a Greek Orthodox priest and a member of the local Christian elite. It is claimed that two distinct images of the parish, quite opposite to each other, emerge from the text of the Chronicle. The first one is the image of the "ideal" parish, free of any conflicts between the priest and his parishioners. In the Chronicle it was exemplified with the parish of Papa Siderus, Synadinos' father, who has been portrayed as e perfect priest and a role-model for his time. This image, however, proves to be no more than a literary construct. Much more interesting is the second image representing the "real" parish led by Synadinos himself. It was depicted as a place where frictions between the "enlightened" priest and his flock were a common occurrence. The present study attempts to delineate the economic as well as the cultural (in the broadest sense of the word) cause which stood behind the constantly evolving tensions between laity and priests. It is argued that disagreements deepened even more due to options available to both sides to compete against each other by petitioning either to the Ottoman or the Church authorities.
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Information on the 19th century history of pharmacy in Bulgaria is too scarce. Present publication includes documents for the development of pharmacy in Bulgaria from the documentary heritage of the Hungarian chemist Gyorgy Szilagyi, kept in the Bulgarian Historical Archive at the St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library. Gyorgy Szilagyi's pharmacy existed for a period of eighty years, during which rich archival material accumulated. It is unique as a historical source for the development of pharmacy in Bulgaria, because it highlights the many-sided aspects of a foregn pharmacist's professional activities. Part of Gt. Szilagyi's archival fond are letters from his friends, acquaintances and colleagues that contain information on the fate of Hungarian and foreign pharmacists; they also reveal interesting facts about the relationship between Gy. Szilagui and his colleagues (local doctors and pharmacists) and clients as well. Another part of the fond is the documentation to the half-century-old activity of his pharmacy.
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The cult of the nymphs in the province of Thracia is a subject that has barely been studied and is unpopular as a whole. It is probably due to this circumstance that there are omissions in the discovery and identification of nymphaeums from Roman times. It was precisely in this period that the tradition of building this type of sanctuary by mineral springs was introduced, along with the so-called thermae spas. To date, four such sanctuaries have been identified on the basis of votive materials: Aquae Calidae, Stara Zagora mineral baths, Diocletianopolis and Pancharevo. Another two nymphaeums of the so-called rural type were uncovered on the territory of Thracia - one near Ognyanovo and the private sanctuary by Kasnakovo. A logically founded and clearly supported with arguments hypothesis about the location of the nymphaeum in the thermal complex of Diocletianopolis has been developed by means of comparative analysis of the finds from the former, the architecture of the latter and the clarification of the essence of the cult.
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This article is an attempt to discuss the "conventional" image of Hermes-Mercury in a rather unconventional way. The author has sought the substratum of perceptions that condition the "long" life of a deity in the complex of Indo-European religious beliefs. The aspects relating Hermes-Mercury to the essence of the notion of Ψυχοπόμπος have been pointed out, to which end the author has analysed mythological information, as well as the semantics of part of Hermes' sacred animals. With the help of glyptic and miniature bronze figurine monuments, he has sought the connection with Egyptian, eastern and Asia Minor deities predisposing the "synthesis" to uniform religious perceptions in the period of transition from polytheism to monotheism. In spite of the danger of extreme interpretation, there is also an analysis of some parallels with Mithra, the 'Good Shepherd' and St. Nicholas, which mark the complex semantics and multiple layers of the seemingly 'gradual' and 'natural' process of consolidation that accompanied the age of consolidation of the Christian idea.
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Northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast was colonized by the ancient Greeks who created the colonies Odessos (Varna), Dionisopolis (Balchik), Bison (Kavarna) was Tirizis-Acre (Kaliakra). Following the imposition of Roman power in these lands here were disseminated the official Roman cults, and later - Christianity. In Late Antiquity (IV-VI c.) Christianity became the official religion and with agreements of the central government were created Episcopal centers. Despite the lack of written sources it could be assumed that these cities were becoming Episcopal centers in the province Secon Mizia.
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This paper analyses the critically well-known thesis of Prof. Peter Moutafchiev about the raises and falls in Bulgaria's development. We know that, counting the studies of the Russian scholar Alexander Hilferding, Prof. Moutafchiev came to the conclusion that Bulgaria's development was erratic and did not have periods of "peace" - everything featured rapid progress and equally rapid decline and crises. The Bulgarian scholar cited Serbia as an example of slower for more regular progrss. The author attempts to question the general validity of this opinion. First of all, it was dedicated by the historical period in which Prof. Moutafchiev lived and worked. Then Bulgarian history itself was transmitted under the influence of the notion that it consisted of a series of successes and failures. Serbia could hardly be a comparison factor as the main sources about its development are the vitas of its rulers written by their sons and close relatives. Third, there are hardly societies and countries on a European or world scale that have not been subject to the "historical sine" of which Moutafchiev speaks. The author of the article appeals for abandoning the romantic approach in reconstructing the Bulgarian past, which demands rapid events with a fatal outcome. Instead, he offers a narration based on Fernand Braudel's idea of continuity and longue duree.
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The study focuses on the problem of 'master-slave' relations in Modern Times. Analysing the ideology of slave ownership in the United States, the author puts forward the arguments about the continuity of the 'master' attitude in the conditions of the liberal democratic West.
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This paper is a historiographical analysis of Gen. Georgi Vazov's memoire-cum-travellogue titled 'In the Deserts of Central Asia'. It pinpoints the exceedingly valuable information about the history, the ethnic and religious identity of the region and mainly the Russian colonial penetration in Central Asia, the geopolitical relations between the two powers dominant in the region - Russia and the British Empire, and the dynamics of the borders, among others. It also follows the untraditinal approach of the military campaigns as a civilizational phenomenon expanding the outlook and the historical truthfulness of the nation. Parallels are sought between the linguistic and religious identity of Turkmens, Kalmyks, and Tajiks with first-hand tales about the distant ancient land of Bulgarians. Last, but not least, it comments on the participation of the general in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In conclusion, the paper speaks of Gen. Vazov's contribution to the treasury of Bulgarian historical geography and memoiristics.
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The numerous and once monolithic Bulgarian national enclave, which had lived for many years in the Northern Pryazovia steppes, suffered numerous calamities. The first settlers arrived in the Pryazovia in the summer and fall of 1861 and the settlement was finally completed only in 1863. The social and economic development of the Bulgarian colonies was under the influence of the system of assimilation policy of the Russian Empire in respect to national minourities. In spite of the conditions, some Bulgarian port settlements quickly turned into commercial and industrial centres. The Bulgarian settlers upheld their Bulgarian national identity against the pressure of the assimilation policy mainly by preserving their native language, everyday life, customs, rites, feasts and folklore. In the first years of settlement the Bulgarians, particularly those in the Crimean Peninsula (Tauris) focused on and managed to achieve the opening of schools, at first only in several large settlements and later in all Bulgarian villages. In Preslav there was even a Central Bulgarian School subordinate to the Ministry of State Properties. Russia's assimilatory imperial policy also influenced the cultural development of the Bulgarian settlers. Official lay and church authorities were hostile to the language and some elements of the traditional life of Bulgarians under the pretext that they were heathen. Bees and other youth gatherings of definitely Bulgarian outlook were presecuted. Theatical and other amateur performances n Bulgarian were banned. At the same time, as loyal subjects, Bulgarians were active participants in World War I, in both recruitment and requisition. The Civil War did not pass by the Bulgarian settlements either. In some parts they formed armed bands and became part of the Free Territory organized along anarchist lines. At the establishment of Soviet power, the Ukrainian government was headed on three occasions by the Bulgarian Krustyu Rakovski. When Tauris became Soviet, the mayors, clerks and popular guards who enjoyed confidence in the Bulgarian settlements were s wept away. About then or more thousnad Bulgarians perished in the turbulent period of 1917-1922. The intelligentsia, which usually came from broad-minded affluent families, war a particular victim. The road to inveigle the authorities to grant some cultural (and partly administrative) "autonomisation" of the Tauris Bulgarians was opened with the establishment of a Bulgarian Bureau with the Central Commitee of the Communist Party (Bolshevik) of Ukraine and the publication of the 'Surp i Chuk' (Hammer and Sickle) newspaper in Bulgarian. The resistant against collectivization and the subsequent artificially induced famine in 1932-1933 cost the live of 20 000 Tauris Bulgarians. This also continued during the unprecedented Great Purge until Stalin's death in 1953 to which many Ukrainian Bulgarians fell victim.
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The life and work of the Turkish journalist and publicist M. N. Deliorman, packed as they are with plenty of valuable information about the history of the Turkish community and the political history of Bulgaria, deserve to be reached. After presenting the most important points in the biography of M. N. Deliorman, this paper discusses in great detail his reports from Bulgaria, which he sent as a correspondent in the course of nearly two months directly after the coup on September 9, 1944.
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Joseph Stalin died on 05.03.1953. The lack of legitimate mechanisms for the transfer of power caused a continuous crisis related to a heated struggle for his heritage. The fate of the country fell into the hands of the people who were Stalin's closest associates. The most powerful positions were held by G. Malenkov, L. Beria and Nikita Khrushchev. Having abundant information about the situation in the country and heading the Interior Ministry of the USSR, Beria concentrated enormous power in his hands. He, however, had no intention of fighting any of Stalin's "heirs". Beria realized that the established collective leadership, in which there was a certain system of equality, was the most favourable for the implementation of the reforms he had devised. The new documents published from the declassified archives reveal that he became actively involved in both domestic and foreign policy. Beria's reformist activity was doomed from the very beginning. His activity and unpredictability at the solution of the tasks set forth made him a deadly dangerous competition in the eyes of Malenkov, Khrushchev and the other loyal associates of Stalin. The factor that united them was the fear of the "man with the pince-nez". He knew too much about them. The practice from previous years showed them that the most convenient way in which they could dispose of the dangerous adversary was his complete discreditation before the party and the people, and his physical removal.
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As names and part of the system of names, ethnicons are characteristics for both ancient and contemporary societies. In the world of Ancient Greece where two names were used traditionally at the presentation of citizens, their given and their paternal names, these names complement the information about the origin of the persons which are also indicative of their native land. With the gradual establishment of Greek settlers in various parts of Thrace, after the age of antiquity these traditions also infiltrated Thracian territories. In the time of the Roman emperors, rising monuments with inscriptions spread among broader strata of the Thracian provincial population in Macedonia, Thrace, Moesia, Dacia, Bithynia and elsewhere. In these conditions, epigraphic heritage also began to include elements and influences coming from the living Thracian language. Against the backdrop of those processes and in relation to the different factors necessitating the use of ethnicons or other similar means to present origins, we see a tradition that is characteristic of Thracians and the Thracian language. The ethnicons that have reached to us are such that can be linguistically defined as Thracian in origin. The sources show that the Thracians also had their tradition in the use of ethnicons based on a model typical of their language. Those were twofold names with first or second root Dentu- or -dentes.
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The article follows the issue of the spiritual outlook of Europe in the context on the continental literary traditions, the role of the saintly brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, of Prince Boris and Tsar Simeon, coming to the conclusion that, if we try to ask ourselves what is Europe today, what defines it most precisely is Graeco-Roman Antiquity, Christian culture and the three main alphabets - Latin, Greek and Cyrillic - by means of which our Old World has carried its heritage and memory through the centuries.
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The Peresopnitsia Gospel (PG) is manuscript created in the second half of the 16th century in the contact zone of two traditions, the West and the East. The manuscript was made in a way that allowed it to be used by representatives of both the Roman and the Byzantine rites, which is evidenced by several type of textual breakups: liturgical, one approaching Byzantine lectionaries in the large chapters also continues the Latin tradition reflected in Gennady's Bible (GB) and other manuscripts related to it.
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