Stories from and

Bulgaria's First Crowdfunding Journalism Project

  21 April 2015

Bulgaria, a member of the European Union, has a big problem with freedom of the media. The Balkan country is ranked 106 out of 180 countries in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. Against this unpleasant background, a new media project was established with the ambitious task...

Alphabets Bring Joy and Sadness to Bulgaria

[…] One of the purest and most sacred holidays in Bulgaria! It's a celebration that makes us proud to have given something to the world! It's a holiday which is not related to any rebels, battles or violence, although it fills us with patriotism and joy. […] When you walk...

Hello Spring, Goodbye Evil Eye

  18 March 2013

Μάρτης [el], мартеница [bg], мартинка [mk], mărțișor [ru]…however you call it, an ancient tradition [el] with multiple variations that takes place in the Balkans. So, weave your red-and-white threads for protection against the “evil eye” or to welcome Spring!

Bulgarian Police Attack Anti-Government Protesters

  20 February 2013

GV Author Ruslan Trad has posted a video from the Feb. 19 anti-government protest in Sofia, Bulgaria: There were provocations and police violence. Police beating everyone. They did not want to arrest provocateurs, and people shouting, “These are provocateurs,” but police beat anyone on the street. Attack of the police...

Candles Lit for Gaza in Bulgaria's Capital

  23 November 2012

About 100 people gathered in Sofia's central square to show their support for the victims of Israel's recent Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip. Facebook page “Together for Palestine” [bg] has this photo of commemorative candles lit in Bulgaria's capital; another page, “Bulgaria supports Palestinian independence in the...

Bulgaria: “Are You a Terrorist?”

  1 October 2012

Bulgarian NGO “Forum for Arab Culture” tweeted [bg] a photo of the “Are you a terrorist?” quiz that appeared in the national daily “24 chasa,” asking if it was right for a newspaper to publish materials like this. The test's answers included this one: If you have more B responses:...

Bulgaria: Sofia, “Past&Present”

  17 September 2012

To celebrate the Day of the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Sept. 17, Alexander Nikolov posted a photo project called Past&Present. Each photo in this project combines an old and a new image of selected locations in the city.

Bulgaria: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees on Hunger Strike

  18 August 2012

Bulgarian newspaper Dnevnik reports [bg] that 25 asylum seekers (21 Syrians and four Iraqis) went on hunger strike to protest the slowness of the asylum-granting procedures at the detention center for foreigners in the Bulgarian village of Lyubimets. Comments to the Dnevnik article reflect the general indifference to the plight...

Bulgaria: The Red Army Supports Pussy Riot

  17 August 2012

On the day of the verdict in the Pussy Riot trial, Russian embassies worldwide are seeing demonstrations in support of the incriminated punk band members. The Red Army Monument in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has joined in: a picture of it with some of the soldiers wearing Pussy Riot-styled...

Bulgaria: Don't Dismantle the Train Services!

  12 August 2012

Bulgarian blog “Работнически глас” (Worker's Voice) publishes [bg] a few photographs of a protest on Sofia's Central Railway Station. Held on August 9, this flashmob gathered around 100 people who chained a “human train” by standing one behind another. This “train” travelled inside the station while the protesters were calling...

Bulgaria: Thousands of Trial Records Go Open

  11 August 2012

The Bulgarian section of the Open Knowledge Foundation announced [bg] the release of 580,049 court decisions and 607,656 additional documents, including motives. Although all those are already publicly accessible in the courts and some of them are browsable in a digital format on the Ministry of Justice website, there was...

Bulgaria: How to Become a Prostitute in 1888

The blog “Живот Мой” (“My Life”) published [bg] the 1888 local legislation on how to become a prostitute in the Black Sea coastal city of Varna. The bill contains the requirements for women willing to become prostitutes; regulations on brothels; health requirements before, during and after being a prostitute; and...

Bulgaria: Budget Expenses in Open Access

On July 3, the Bulgarian government voted [bg] for a national roadmap compliant with the Open Government Partnership Initiative requirements. As an integral part of this action plan, the Ministry of Finances launched its transparency plan [bg] and started publishing budget expenses details on an everyday basis.

Bulgaria: “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia”

The Bulgarian news outlet Fakel published [bg] a review of a new book entitled, “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia.” The book is described as “a terrible, breaking, disgusting story that not only shakes up, startles and stirs our sleeping national conscience, but shifts, collapses and splits with tectonic force all...

Bulgaria: The Strongest Earthquake Since 1917

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest since 1917, shook Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the perimeter zone of around 100 km last night, followed by a number of strong aftershocks. No victims have been reported so far. The website Earthquake Reports has published live updates and social networks such as Twitter...