About 100 cyclists gathered at Ariana Lake in Sofias Borissova Gradina on the evening of May 30, causing a small flash mob and riding on Sofias central streets. Although the municipality and the police were not informed, the group did not cause serious traffic jams and the car drivers tolerated the cyclists on the intersections.
The happening, known as 'critical mass', is a popular means used by cyclists to rally to the streets en masse and is usually held on the last Friday of the month throughout the world. This was the biggest event of its kind in Bulgaria. Sofia cyclists plan to hold similar events on June 27 and July 25.
The group cycled on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, around Alexander Nevski cathedral and passed by Sofia city hall on 33 Moskovska street, where the participants shouted several times Bicycle lanes, bicycle lanes! After that they rode on Rakovski street until the intersection with Patriarh Evtimii boulevard and from there took to the National Palace of Culture (NDK).
The group was briefly stopped by a policeman, who cautioned them to ride in a single-file line, rather than parallel to each other. The group continued from NDK to Levski boulevard, reaching the park in front of Vassil Levski stadium.
Photographer Alexander Ivanov, whose exhibition Bulgaria 360 is to be observed at the bridge behind NDK, also took part in the event by taking photographs of the cyclists, which can be seen at http://alexanderivanov.com.
