I first traveled to Bulgaria in December of 1999. It was the coldest winter in Eastern Europe in a century. When I arrived it was 20 degrees below zero. What I discovered was a nation emerging from the deep freeze of 50 years of communist oppression. Since that first journey I have returned to Bulgaria several times. The scars of communism remain.
Bulgaria is an ancient land. The oldest human dwelling in Europe has been discovered at Stara Zagora and it dates to about 6000 BC. Ancient treasures abound just beneath the dirt. Thracian burial mounds abound, sometimes littered with gold. Old Roman coins can be discovered in a backyard garden. Ancient and medieval ruins are so common they are ignored by the locals.
Bulgaria is a land through which many armies have marched. Its history is written in blood. The memory of Ottoman domination is still fresh. So too is the memory of communist oppression. At the end of World War II, Roosevelt and Churchill met Stalin at Potsdam and determined the boundaries of post-war Europe. In that meeting Roosevelt and Churchill gave Eastern Europe to Stalin. They viewed this as the price of peace.
As you fly into Sophia the first thing you notice is the mass of grey, square apartment buildings. They are everywhere throughout Bulgaria. They represent the communist soul. Drab, with no aesthetic appeal, they provide basic housing for the people. But they also imprison the people in a world of dark grey. The communist had no regard for the beauty of traditional Bulgarian architecture. In fact, self-expression, even the cultural expression of a people, was anathema to the communist egalitarian ideal. So, the beauty of Bulgaria was wrapped in grey. Now, new homes are being built in a contemporary Bulgarian architecture that is reminiscent of tradition. So, as one drives through the country there are three periods that can be easily discerned; the traditional small clay brick homes of pre-communism, the drab communist apartment buildings, and a new colorful Bulgaria emerging from the grey of communism. A Bulgarian pastor explained, “The goal of communism was to make us equal… and it did. It made us equally poor.”
This is an ancient land of great beauty and culture, but also a land of corruption. The old communists bosses have become the new mafia that manage an underground economy in which drugs and human trafficking are the primary products. In fact, the old communists have become capitalist par excellence.
But the communists were not alone in oppressing the Bulgarians. After the fall of communism in Eastern Europe the West rejoiced in its cold war victory and immediately began to reinforce the Iron Curtain. Immigration was restricted. Western companies began to purchase Bulgarian companies and close them. This left entire cities and villages unemployed. So, for many Bulgarians capitalism has proved to be just as brutal as communism. The effect has been the depopulation of Bulgaria. Most young people, the educated class, are migrating to Western Europe, Australia, and the United States where they can earn a living.
The communists deeply injured the soul of the Bulgarian people. They were encouraged to spy on each other. This is especially evident in the Church, both Orthodox and Evangelical. Recently records of the communist police revealed the many priest and pastors were employed by the secret police. Today, many church leaders remain deeply suspicious of each other. I was once asked by a denominational world mission leader about the state of the Church of God in Bulgaria. I replied, “Do you remember the scene in The Godfather, when all the mafia dons are meeting to arrange a fragile peace? That’s Bulgaria!”
Bulgaria is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. This is especially true in regard to religion. Orthodox Christianity came to the Balkans through the missionary efforts of Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. However, in the late 14th century Bulgaria was conquered by the Ottoman Empire which ruled for 500 years. During the Ottoman period Islam dominated. Today, many cities have Orthodox Churches and Muslim Mosques. But during the communist period, religious expression was oppressed and atheism was enforced. The communist government even required Muslims to change their names. Communist egalitarianism could not allow the most basic self-expression. A generation of enforced atheism has injured the soul of Bulgaria. Today, most Bulgarians are agnostic. There is a great need for revival and a renewed effort of evangelism.
I remain hopeful for the future of Bulgaria, a hope that many Bulgarians don’t share. But as a Christian, I believe in the resurrection. Ezekiel envisioned Israel as a valley of dry bones raised to new life by the power of the Spirit. May the same Spirit raise Bulgaria to new life.
