The Soviets played an important part in freeing the country from fascism. There is no doubt that the national economy developed greatly during the 40+ years of socialism. There were many deviations and problems, no doubt. Regardless of the social system chosen in the future by the people, I hope that we reinvigorate social solidarity and fight for a society without poverty and alienation.

Who cares,
lets keep it in perspective though - 500 people who's collective age is probably around 50,000 years got together in the park to bitch, and probably compare notes about various age related illnesses.
Next year they will be no more than 400 left there, rest assure...

I heard many stories from elders about how great it used to be when Bulgaria was a soviet colony, some said that no matter what the situation was they always had meat in their refrigerator.
I think the Bulgarians are tired of being poor and tired of being treated as a 3rd class citizens among the rest of the Europeans. Once we get rid of the pro-soviet corruption in our society and follow the EU rules and regulation with honesty the fruit of that success will blossom.

And to show loyalty and respect [...]

Read the full comment to who we are NOW, we should be raising the Blue flags not the Red ones.

I find it hard to relate to the whole nostalgia of the former 'good' times. Free education meant free indoctrination: I still remember the Grade 1 primer: the Bulgarian Communist Party is USSR's closest friend, nevermind we had to march like soldiers on the school grounds. Holidays by the seaside were available to those who could actually find accommodation: most hotels and flats were overbooked and preference was given to Party members and currency-carrying foreign tourists, because business even then was still business. The whole class divide was only not obvious to those who were openly wearing pink glasses and [...]

Read the full comment were indoctrinated by the propaganda: Party memebers had separate housing, hospitals, and resorts. They travelled abroad. They shopped. They taught the modern nouveaux riches conspicuous consumption.
I remember going to a separate creche reserved only for Party children, I remember the drivers both of my parents had, I remember the holidays at what is now Riviera and the Party receptions thrown for the loyal, I remember the assurances that there is no need to strain myself at school because Daddy will get me entry into any university I desire.
The celebration referring to above is really a rememberance of those like my Daddy, who had lots to lose from being unseated, and their nice-but-dim followers. It is really a propaganda war, and much as in any war, truth is the first casualty.

how strange, these 'Bulgarians' Communists commerate genocide of Bulgarian people and depopulation policies carried out of BSP governments, they should be treated like a skinhead rally

Jon,
they blended all that.
The Bulgarian revolutionaries were portrayed as something of socialists, and of course their inspiration did come from the French revolution which could be interpreted as socialistic, given its egalitarian nature. To what degree they were nationalistic or socialistic, depends on the exerts of their writings you chose to celebrate - like the bible actually - can be highjacked.

We do have a major statute of Alexander II in front of the parliament, and it was there throughout communism. Conveniently he was nicked "Цар Освободител" (Tzar Liberator) but [...]

Read the full comment that was because he emancipated the serfs in Russia, nothing to do with BG.
Russia's image was skillfully merged with that of the USSR, and the fact that our liberator was killed like a dog on the streets by communist agitators in 1881 - 4 years after liberation of BG, was never mentioned. The major Romanian participation was seldom discussed.

All that said, I do have to remind you that the West had had their share of propaganda about us, that actually still lingers on. One benefit of the transition is that we learnt not to trust everything we were told. You guys still venerate your war criminals and imaginary glorious past, like winning WWII.
90% of British and American participation in WWII was terror killing of civilians, culminating with the Atomic bomb, dropped, again, on civilians - unimaginably larger scale of what the Arabs did on 9.11.
No one thinks like that in the US or UK, because you don't have the benefit of self-examination, as we do...

I have often wondered about the communist view of the 1878 Russian assistance to Bulgaria in removing the ottomans. Most statues etc seem to portray a c. 1940s russian soldier. But the help to Bulgrian revolutionaries and people was provided by the Imperial Russian Czar and the imperial army with Royal Romanian assistance, and the british empire pretending not to notice. A combination that the communists hated and despised. How did they get round that in school history lessons?

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