Bulgarian History in a nutshell
Prehistoric period
6000-4000 B.C.: numerous documented findings - arms, tools, pottery
from 4000 B.C.: Beginning of metal working, first signs of trade relations, development of first cultic characters. In the vicinity of present day Varna‚ the world’s oldest gold treasure’ (6kg) is buried.
about 2500 B.C.: another gold treasure - Danubian Plain, 12 kg.
Antiquity: Thracians, Greeks, Romans
from the 14th century B.C.: The Thracians settled the area to the South and to the North of the Balkan Range and continue to Asia Minor and Aegean islands. Agriculture and stock-breeding started developing.
from the 7th century B.C.: Establishment of Greek colonies on the Black Sea Coast. Brisk trade.
6th-3rd century B.C.: Bloom of the Thracian culture. Construction of the Thracian Tomb (3rd century B.C., UNESCO World Heritage site) in the area of the present day town of Kazunluk. Foundation of the first Thracian state round the 5th century B.C. The legend about the talented singer Orpheus originates from this period.
4th century B.C.: Phillipp II. of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great conquered Thrace.
2nd/1st century B.C.: The Romans came on the Balkan Peninsula. Thrace was conquered and became part of the Roman Empire as the provinces of Moesia and Thrace.
The turning point
1st /2nd century A.C.: A period of prosperity for the Roman Culture. Foundation of cities, construction of roads, thermal baths and resorts. Step by step the Romans assimilated the Thracians.
4th century A.C.: After the Roman Empire was divided into two parts the Thracian region remained within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire - Byzantium.
5th/6th century A.C.: The Great Migration of people reached the Balkan Peninsula. Slavonic tribes began to settle both sides of the Balkan Mountains.
7th century A.C.: The Proto-Bulgarians coming from Asia reached the Balkan Peninsula and settled on the North bank of the Danube. After many invasions in the Byzantine territories to the South of the Danube, the Slavs and the Bulgarians united against the common enemy - the Byzantine Empire.
The First Bulgarian Kingdom (681-1018)
681: Khan Asparuh founded the first Bulgarian state with the capital of Pliska. The state occupied most of present day North Bulgaria.
8th century: Extension of the state territory to the South
9th century: Khan Krum expanded further the state territory and captured Serdica (Sofia). Khan Krum was the first Bulgarian lawgiver.
865: Boris I. adopted Christianity as the official religion in Bulgaria. St. Ciyrill and St. Methodius developed the first Slavonic alphabet which was later brought to Bulgaria by their disciples and redesigned to the primary form of the present day Cyrillic alphabet.
Beginning of 10th century The time of King Simeon the Great – ‘the golden age’ of the First Bulgarian Kingdom marked by large territorial extension (Bulgaria occupied the whole Balkan Peninsula) and bloom of the Bulgarian culture and especially literature after the Slav alphabet was acknowledged as the state’s official script.
927 - 1018: Тhe state declined and lost many territories under the rule of King Peter. Byzantium conquered large parts of Bulgaria
1018 - 1185: Bulgaria was annexed to the Byzantine Empire
The Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185-1396)
1185-1187: Un uprising was organised by the Bulgarian aristocracy lead by the brothers Peter and Asen. Bulgaria was recognised independent by Byzantium and Asen was crowned in the new capital of Veliko Turnovo.
13th century: Under the rule of Ivan Asen II (1218-1242) Bulgaria reached its largest territorial extension.
14 Jh. century: Time of prosperity for the Bulgarian culture under the rule of King Ivan Alexander (1331-1371). Meanwhile the sate was divided in small independent regions owned by the aristocracy. The Balkans were politically weak and the Turks conquered the Balkan countries one by one
1396: Bulgaria was absorbed into the Ottoman Empire
The period of Turkish Domination
1396-1878: This period is known in the Bulgarian History as ‚The Ottoman Yoke’. The period was marked by many uprisings against the Turkish rule. In the mid of the 18th century the period of the Bulgarian National Revival started. Bulgaria became part of the ‘Eastern question’
1878: Bulgaria was liberated by the Russian Emperor Alexander II
Independence and monarchy
1879-1886: Prince Alexander I of Batemberg ruled Bulgaria
1186-1918: Prince Ferdinand I of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha ruled the country and proclaimed Bulgaria independent and himself ‘czar’ (king) in 1908
1918-1943: Regency of King Boris III
1944-1946: The Red Army declared war on Bulgaria. The Monarchy was abolished. Bulgaria became a People’s Republic.
The episode of Socialism
1946-1989: The Socialism left its marks on all aspects of the political, economical and social development of the country. State-directed (planned) economy, development of industry
After 1989 - Bulgaria on the way to democracy
10 NOV 1989: The chairman of the Communist Party and head of the country Todor Zhivkov was made to resign.
1990: First free democratic elections. The privatisation of the state-owned property began slowly.
1993: Bulgaria became an associated member of the European Union
1999: Monetary reform. Orientation of the Bulgarian currency Lev to the Deutsche Mark and later on to the Euro
2001: The party of the former King Simeon II won the elections. 2002 the member of the Socialist Party G. Parwanow won the president elections.
2002: Bulgaria’s entry in NATO
2005: latest elections, Bulgaria is ruled by a coalition, current prime minister is Sergei Stanischev
2007: Bulgaria’s entry in the EU