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Home , Boris II of Bulgaria, Coat of arms of Bulgaria, History of Bulgaria, Ivan Asen II, Kingdom of Bulgaria, Krum

AA BBRRIIEEFF HHIISSTTOORRYY OOFF BBUULLGGAARRIIAA The history of can be traced from the first settlements on the lands of modern Bulgaria to its formation as a nation-state and includes the history of the Bulgarian people and their origin. Bulgaria as a nation exists in history books since 681 when the First was founded. 1 THE Around 3,500 B.C. Thracians lived in what is today Bulgarian land, they also left their mark on this place. They are the first who settled on those who have historical record.

Thracian Warrior

2 The Greek Colonization In the seventh century B.C. the Greeks, began to colonize the Bulgarian coast of the . There they founded many cities that still exist today: Varna (Odesos), ( ), (Apollonia), etc. Mesembria

3 347–342 BC emerged The Thracian town was conquered by Philip II of Macedon who named it Philippopolis, and the Odrysian king was deposed in 342 BCE. Ten years after the Macedonian invasion, the Thracian kings started to exercise power again after the Odrysian Seuthes III had re- established their kingdom under Macedonian as a result of a successful revolt against the Great's rule resulting in a stalemate. Philip II of Macedon 4 Roman Period 1st century BCE The Romans fortified many of the Thracian settlements and build many new towns and cities. Modern day (Augusta Traiana) and modern day Devnya (Marcianopolis) date back to that period. Mark Ulpius Traianus found the Thracian city of Serdica (modern day ) became Ulpia Serdica in his honor. Ruins of roman baths in Varna

5 PROTO The semi-nomadic riders arrived in the territory of today’s Bulgaria from the North, led by their Asparuh, and determined to settle permanently. And settle they did. The state they founded at the end of the 7th century AD continues to exist today.

Khan Asparuh 6 FIRST BULGARIAN KINGDOM (681 – 1018) After receiving an official recognition in 681 AD, the Bulgarian Kingdom continued carving out territory from the under Khan , adopted as a state religion under Kniaz Boris I, and reached its cultural and commercial golden age under Simeon the Great. By the end of the 10th century, the weakened state was under constant attack and fell under Byzantine rule in the Bulgarian King early 11th century.

7 KNYAZ BORIS I ADOPTION OF CHRISTIANITY He realize that the country, until then split along ethnic and religious differences, needed a new state religion as a unifying force. After evaluating offers from both Rome and , the Knyaz settled on Eastern Orthodoxy, though not before carefully using the tensions between the West and the East to secure an independent Bulgarian church. King Boris I 8 THE GOLDEN AGE: SIMEON I THE GREAT Simeon proved to be a successful, intelligent, and energetic leader who led the Bulgarian state to a great territorial expansion and unrivaled cultural heights. Simeon’s longest-lasting achievement, however, is the wide adoption of the new Cyrillic alphabet and the unprecedented King Simeon I cultural and literary peak reached during his reign.

9 BYZANTINE CONQUEST OF BULGARIA

Bulgaria remained subject to for more than a century and a half, until 1185. Its western part was transformed into one of the Byzantine's provinces, which was ruled by a governor appointed by the Emperor. The Bulgarian church fell under the domination of Greek ecclesiastics. Battle against Byzantine 10 SECOND BULGARIAN KINGDOM (1185 – 1396) The kingdom existed for 200 years with as capital. it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II. Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantines, Hungarians, and , as well as internal unrest and from the period revolts.

11 OTTOMAN RULE IN BULGARIA (1396-1878)

In 1393, the Bulgarian capital Tarnovo fell. This essentially put an end to the Bulgarian state and independent church. Three years later the quasi-independent Kingdom was also conquered. Almost overnight, the Bulgarians turned into an ethnic and religious minority. Their state and church ceased to exist, and the Bulgarian aristocracy and literary elite were extinguished. Sofia during Ottoman Rule 12 BULGARIAN REVIVAL (1762 - 1878) The revival’s leaders – philosophers, poets, and revolutionaries. They preached about the new dream of an independent church and state. The Bulgarian effort for liberation culminated with the April uprising in 1876. Just days later, the uprising was brutally suppressed by irregular Turkish forces known as bashibazouk. Massacres of civilians followed, most notably in Batak where 3,000 to 5,000 civilians lost their lives.

13 THE , SIGNED ON MARCH 3, 1878.

The was debilitated. declared yet another war. Apart from geopolitical ambitions, it was responding to a mass sympathy for the Bulgarians fueled by their common religion and Slavic origin. Soon the Russian armies crossed the and, supported by the exalted locals, pushed the Ottomans all the way to . Signing of San Stefano treaty

14 (1878 – 1908 )

Was a independent, and de jure under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria only acknowledged the authority of the Sublime Porte in a formal way. It had its own Constitution, flag and anthem, and conducted its own foreign policy. In 1885, a bloodless revolution resulted in being de facto annexed by Bulgaria, which the Ottoman Empire accepted with the . On 5 October 1908 Alexander I

15 (1908- 1946)

The Bulgarian state was raised from a principality to a kingdom. Ferdinand I was crowned a Tsar at the Declaration of , because of his military plans and for seeking options for unification of all lands in the region with an ethnic Bulgarian majority. In September 1946, the monarchy was abolished by plebiscite, and young Tsar Simeon was sent into exile. King Ferdinand I 16 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1946-1990)

In 1946 the Communists took power, with Vasil Kolarov becoming President and Dimitrov becoming Prime Minister. Bulgaria was part of Comecon and a member of the Warsaw Pact and was closely allied with the during the . was a Bulgarian politician who served as leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB) from 1954 until 1989 as General Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

17 TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY (1990) The transition to democracy in Bulgaria is commonly defined as a coup d'état carried out by the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) elites against the long- standing dictator Todor Zhivkov. The Bulgarian transition to democracy was a direct by- product of the economic and political collapse of the USSR. The transition was peaceful and elite-led. the first democratically elected President Zhelyu Zhelev of Bulgaria. 18 BULGARIAN DEMOCRACY (1990 TO TODAY)

Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic, the government and its leader - the Prime Minister, have more political influence and significance than the President. Thus, the parliamentary set the short- term social and political environment in the country since the cabinet (chosen by the Prime Minister and approved by the parliament) decides how the country is governed Bulgarian Parliament

17 BULGARIA ACCESION TO

Bulgaria became a member of NATO in 2004. After several years of reforms it joined the European Union and single market in 2007. Bulgaria hosted the 2018 Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

The Bulgarian lands have rich and most diverse cultural heritage.

Their location on a crossroads explains the intertwining, mixing, the mutual influences of the culture, mores, and religions of tribes and peoples, having lived and crisscrossed the region.

Invaluable is the cultural and historical heritage of ancient Thracian, Greeks, Romans, of generations of Bulgarians leaving through their achievements intriguing and useful information about their lifestyle, traditions and their spiritual enlightenment.