VAGABOND
Bulgaria’s English Magazine

DR BRANIMIR KIRILOV: COMMITTED TO PATIENTS' WELLBEING

BULGARIA'S LESSER KNOWN MONASTERIES

ODE TO BULGARIAN TOMATO

DR BRANIMIR KIRILOV: COMMITTED TO PATIENTS' WELLBEING

BULGARIA'S LESSER KNOWN MONASTERIES

ODE TO BULGARIAN TOMATO

DR BRANIMIR KIRILOV: COMMITTED TO PATIENTS' WELLBEING

Dr Branimir Kirilov has turned his dental clinic, Medical Dent, into a place you enter with pleasure and leave healthy and happy

BULGARIA'S LESSER KNOWN MONASTERIES

Where next after Rila and Bachkovo?

ODE TO BULGARIAN TOMATO

Bulgarians are proud of staple of summer cuisine

FAKE FOR REAL

Exhibition explores history of forgery, falsification and its implications today

SLOW TRAIN GOING

Narrow gauge railway not the fastest, yet most memorable way to discover western Rhodope

WHO WAS DAN KOLOFF?

Poor Bulgarian emigrant in America returns as national hero

TOO EARLY IN THE DAY TO TALK ABOUT FISTING

Says Socialist leader

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Strangely shaped rock formations of varying sizes hover over a small town: you are in a place of unique beauty

SLIDING INTO UNBRIDLED POPULISM

Bulgaria backtracks on legal reforms, human rights

TALK OF THE TOWN

HILL CLINIC OPENED AN ULTRAMODERN NEW DERMA CENTER IN SOFIA

An inspiring new space and latest generation of technology
LIVE LONGER AND BETTER WITH ZEPTER

Daniel Radulovich, General Manager of Zepter Bulgaria, on the technology that brings health and comfort
RSM BG: PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY AND HIGH STANDARDS

The company for auditing, accounting, tax and consultancy services is part of the prestigious global network RSM International
FULL SPEED AHEAD WITH TSAKI

Krassimira Hristova manages a company for quality car fluids
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THE DIGITAL WORLD WITH ACADEMY NIKOLA TESLA

Co-founder Dr Valentina Ivanova, PhD, on quality education for children from the second digital generation
LIREX BS: OUTSOURCING FOR ADVANCED

The Bulgarian company demonstrates sustainability and creativity in a dynamic industry
NEOCLINIC: MODERN CARE FOR THE HEALTH

Dr Milena Tsolova-Komarova on prevention and treatment of pelvic floor problems
ERP ACADEMY: THE EVOLUTION OF BUSINESS SOFTWARE LEARNING

ERP Academy is unique in Bulgaria: it focuses on teaching competencies in business software
АNJELA KENANSKA: INSPIRING FEMALE HAPPINESS

The popular coach helps ladies to unleash their energy and to prosper
DR ATANASOV MEDICAL CENTRE: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLEX HEALTHCARE

Dr Lyubomir Atanasov is a respected orthopedist and traumatologist
KRAYCHEV PARTNERS: RELIABLE PARTNER IN TIMES OF CHANGE

The law firm always puts clients' best interests first and does not shy away from use of modern technologies
RITZ: THE BEST CAPPUCCINO IN TOWN!...

And there is some ice cream, too
IN THE WORLD OF GRACE WITH BALLET SCHOOL MASHA ILIEVA

The legendary prima reveals the magic of ballet
KSHTA ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN: CREATING SPACES WITH VISION AND PRECISION

Studio KSHTA has gathered a team of professionals led by innovative ideas and shared principles in architecture and design
STOYAN DRENSKI: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CORPORATE TRAININGS

Insights from Stoyan Drenski, the innovator behind the success of SBC School of Business Competences
GETTING READY FOR THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE

With Sofia University's Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
ROWO BUSINESS: BULGARIA – A STARTUP MACHINE

30% increase in foreign investments in the country
SMILE AGAIN WITH DENTAL CLINIC EXPERT RUSSE

Dr Katya Kinova has created a practice based on trust, innovation and professionalism
YOU IN THE FOCUS WITH ST PETKA EYE CLINIC

Prof. Tosho Mitov, MD, opened St Petka Eye Clinic in Varna, in 2000
DR MARIN BENKIN: THE JOY OF FREE MOVEMENT

The respected orthopedist explains why timely treatment and rehabilitation are crucial

Vibrant Communities

BULGARIA'S LESSER KNOWN MONASTERIES

EXPLORE OUR BOOKS

Quote-unquote

If Euro-Atlanticism will make me a woman, then I denounce it.

GERB leader Boyko Borisov

FEATURES

IN THE ICY WATERS OF THE SUBANTARCTIC

Elka "Nunio" Vasileva becomes first Bulgarian woman to helm boat in Antarctica
BULGARIA IN ANTARCTICA?

Whereas not too many people in the world know where Bulgaria is and sometimes not even what it is, even fewer would imagine that this country has a more or less permanent presence in... Antarctica
THE VELCHOVA ZAVERA HIKE

Following the footsteps of freedom from Veliko Tarnovo to Velchevo village
LES FRANÇAIS EN BULGARIE

French travellers, diplomats and writers have visited Bulgaria for centuries
BULGARIA'S NEW 'PATRIOTISM'

Sure way to generate media coverage, make some money and win some votes
WHAT WAS THE SEPTEMBER UPRISING?

In 1923, Bulgaria experienced an undeclared, but brutal civil war. Today it is largely forgotten
WHO WAS RENÉ CHARRON?

How a French Jew helped thousands of immigrant Bulgarians in the direst years of the 20th century
REARVIEW MIRROR OF BULGARIA AND AMERICA

State Archives looks at 120 years of diplomatic relations
200 VAGABONDS

Bulgaria's only English language magazine marks 17 years in business
LAPSE OF TIME

Have Bulgarians found new meanings for their Communist-era monuments?
WHY DOES 'SORRY' SEEM TO BE THE HARDEST WORD?

Official Bulgaria continues to eschew responsibility for Holocaust
BULGARIA'S LAST MONARCH

Was King Boris III a man of the people or just a Balkan quisling?
WHO WAS ALEKO KONSTANTINOV?

Creator of 'stock' Bulgarian inspires exploration of national psyche
RUSSIA BRINGS ON... VANGA

Long-dead Bulgarian clairvoyant gets turned into weapon of Kremlin propaganda
FINDING ANTIP KOEV OBUSHTAROV

Early 20th century photographer unveils poignant picture of a lost Bulgaria
MONUMENTAL WOES

Why Sofia's Red Army monument will likely remain standing for long time to come
PREFAB SOCIETY

Will Bulgaria's Communist-era panelki buildings survive into future?
WHO WERE THE BOGOMILS?

Medieval Bulgarian heresy rebels against earthly powers, creating spiritual movement that almost won over Europe
WHO WAS HRISTO BOTEV?

While he was alive, he was considered a troublemaker. Soon after his death, he became a national hero
DAY OF ST GEORGE BULGARIAN STYLE

Bulgarians celebrate on 6 May because of... ideology

JOKE OF THE MONTH

TOO EARLY IN THE DAY TO TALK ABOUT FISTING
Says Socialist leader
GRANDEUR DISINTEGRATES
No pollster had the slightest idea this would (or could) happen
WOULD YOU BUY AN USED CAR FROM ANY OF THESE PEOPLE?
In an ill-thoughtover replay of the 1960 ad for JFK targeted at Richard Nixon
'SMART & BEAUTIFUL' PARKING WOES GRIP CENTRAL SOFIA
What can in equal measure be seen as both absurd and funny is the thorough lack of competence in urbanisation and traffic matters
NEED A CONSPIRACY THEORY?
General has bucketfuls

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Strangely shaped rock formations of varying sizes hover over a small town: you are in a place of unique beauty
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Deep in a stunning gorge cutting through the Stara Planina mountain range this Orthodox monastery was supposedly founded in the 14th century
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Situated in the eastern parts of the Stara Planina mountain range, this village is a perfect picture postcard if you want to know what 19th century Bulgaria looked like
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Water reservoirs are not typically on tourist bucket lists, but wait till you are well into this mountain range in southern Bulgaria
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Expats in and visitors to Sofia will have noticed the unusual commotion around the huge Red Army monument in the centre of the capital
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Like most oddly-shaped rocks all over the world, this one has a story attached to it
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

It is believed that lions used to roam the forests of this part of Europe many centuries ago
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

In the late 1940s, when the Communist regime was in the process of establishing itself in Bulgaria, the government made a thrust towards heavy industrialisation, collectivised farming and building new infrastructure, including new cities
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

In the 19th century it was a thriving town in one of the most progressive regions of the Bulgarian lands
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

One of the telltale sights of the Bulgarian northern Black Sea coast, a lighthouse, is known to everyone who has set foot in the environs
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

It is one of the symbols of this Bulgarian city

POLITICS

SLIDING INTO UNBRIDLED POPULISM

Bulgaria backtracks on legal reforms, human rights
NEW SNAP ELECTION LOOMS ON HORIZON

Constitutional Court decides whether recent changes to basic law were legal
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM GENERAL ELECTION 2024.0

Voting becomes act of emotion rather than reason
BETWEEN THE FRYING PAN AND THE FIRE

Will Bulgaria become more pro-Russian after general election?
WHY DO SO MANY BULGARIANS LOVE RUSSIA?

Truth, lies, manipulated history and conspiracy theories confound citizens
LIARS OR BEING LIED TO?

Changes Continued may have but limited political future
WITH BOTH EUROS IN THE PAST

Bulgaria's choice of coin design tells of unsolved historical traumas
WHO IS AFRAID OF VASIL 'SKULL' BOZHKOV?

Gambling boss loses bid to sue Former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov over alleged bribes
RUMOURS OF GERB'S DEMISE TURN OUT TO BE PREMATURE

Key takeaways from local elections 2023
CHURCH OF DISCONTENT

One of Sofia's best-known landmarks gets closed over... an alleged spy affair
PP-DB'S FALSE STARTS

Ruling 'fixture' quickly becomes laughing stock
UPS & DOWNS OF BULGARIAN ANTISEMITISM

Failure to face recent past, unbridled hate speech feed continued prejudice
IT'S THE HISTORY, STUPID!

Sofia enters local elections contest on one sole issue: the past
BYE-BYE, IVAN GESHEV

A tale of the skin of a Bulgarian general prosecutor
END OF 'MAFIA STATE'?

Nope. Whitewashing of Boyko Borisov instead
WILL THE DISGUSTED EMBRACE THE DISGUSTING?

Yet another Bulgarian snap election results in yet another Bulgarian stalemate
LONG LIVE RED ARMY MONUMENT!

Stalinist structure in Sofia emerges as central theme in general election campaign
WHO IS WHO AND WHO WANTS WHAT IN THE UPCOMING BULGARIAN GENERAL ELECTION?

The next general election, scheduled for 2 April, will be the fifth in about two years' time
BYE-BYE, SCHENGEN

Bulgaria fails to live up to its EU obligations, gets barred from passport-less travel
WHAT ABOUT ROMANIA?

Bulgaria has had an uneasy relationship with its bigger and richer northern neighbour

INTERVIEWS

DR BRANIMIR KIRILOV: COMMITTED TO PATIENTS' WELLBEING

Dr Branimir Kirilov has turned his dental clinic, Medical Dent, into a place you enter with pleasure and leave healthy and happy
MARTIN VASSILEV: CLEAN, CLEANER, KÄRCHER

The Managing Director of Kärcher Bulgaria, on growth and responsibility towards nature and clients
IRENE MARIA PLANK

German Ambassador on Bulgarian wine, the Roman ruins of Serdica and the importance of the Digital Services Act
HOPING FOR HISTORY IN FUTURE

German psychoanalyst Andreas Hamburger develops strong bond to Bulgaria
TATYANA DIMITROVA: THE TRIP(S) OF YOUR LIFETIME

The manager of Randevu Travel, has created a travel agency that knows how to organise an enjoyable vacation in Bulgaria and all over the world
GEORGES FERREIRA: THE ART OF BUILDING INDUSTRIES

The General Manager of GFS Engineering, on modern construction of industrial facilities
IS THE ENERGY CRISIS OVER FOR BULGARIA?

Milena Videnova, CEO of Axpo Bulgaria, contemplates the answer
CHRISTINA LUCAS: EMPOWERING WOMEN PIONEERS IN TECH AND INNOVATION

Christina Lucas has been known to Vagabond readers since we introduced her back in 2018
ANELIYA PARICHKOVA'S FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

The new star of Bulgarian interior design on the importance of perseverance and childhood dreams
GERGANA ATANASOVA: BEING A PART OF THE CHANGE

The manager of G-Energy, on the future of renewable sources of energy
FRENCH AMBASSADOR JOËL MEYER

On why Bulgarians are fond on their history, traditions, food and wine
NATALIA PETROVA: LET'S TALK ABOUT MODERN INVESTMENT

The CEO of Concord Asset Management knows the ins and outs of the capital markets
KATYA MACHUGANOVA: THE GAMES AI PLAYS

The iGaming and digital media professional on the presence and future of games and why does it concern everyone
KENNETH MERTEN

US Ambassador on Bulgarian walks, wine and the need to raise awareness about it
DR VALENTINA IVANOVA: INSPIRING CHILDREN FOR A BETTER FUTURE

The co-founder of Academy Nikola Tesla, is on а mission to prepare kids' for the challenges of tomorrow
KRASIMIRA HRISTOVA: FEMALE ENERGY IN THE CAR INDUSTRY

The manager of TSAKI Ltd, is on a mission for a greener world
NANCY SCHILLER, AMERICA FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION

The America for Bulgaria Foundation marks its 15th anniversary this year
GENERATION DATA

A partnership between EPAM Bulgaria and the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics (FMI) at Sofia University
MARGARITA STANCHEVA: RECRUITING PASSION

The founder of Sofia Tech Recruitment and her team are happy to go far and beyond for IT talents and companies
TEODOR DOBREV: SEEKING NEW CHALLENGES EVERY DAY

The Senior Director Infrastructure Solutions at Telelink Business Services on IT as a way of life

BULGARIA'S MONTHLY QUIZ

BULGARIA SOCIETY

OPEN BUZLUDZHA 2024

Contemporary festival brings light to Communist ruin
IS RACISM IN BULGARIA ON THE RISE?

Xenophobic rhetoric intensifies ahead of general, European elections
TRAINING BULGARIA'S YOUTH HOW TO DEBATE

BEST Foundation's tournament takes place in Burgas
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM AND ITS BULGARIAN CONNECTION

Oscar nomination for domestically unknown actress ignites culture wars
ANGRY SOFIANITES

Sofianites are an angry lot, eagerly expressing their frustration at queues, while driving and especially on social media
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

I met Dimitrina on 19 October 2018. A woman with bright fuchsia sneakers the sort teenage girls wear and two blood-red scars on her nose.
ARRIVAL CITY

The neighbourhood is a perpetual building site
ABF CELEBRATES BULGARIAN SUPERHEROES

Over 500 representatives people attended the annual meeting of the ABF in Sofia
TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE

In contrast to the touristy restaurants, folk festivals are a good way to discover some genuine Bulgarian music
WHEN A ROSE IS NOT EXACTLY A ROSE

Attar-bearing roses and beautiful girls in traditional attire picking them dominate the images that Bulgaria uses to sell itself to both Bulgarian and international tourists
DECIPHERING BISHOP'S BASILICA OF PHILIPPOPOLIS

Even the most fascinating archaeological site is just a pile of stones if its history and contexts remain unknown
VERY SUPERSTITIOUS

In 21st century Bulgaria, old superstitions thrive, mixed with beliefs in the supernatural, the extraterrestrial and everything mysterious or conspiratorial
FOR A COUPLE OF LIONS' HIDES

The plight of the duo grabbed the attention of the nation in an unprecedented outpour of sympathy and even cash donations
REMEMBERING 11/11/18

Fighting either with or against the Bulgarians, a number of foreign nationals died in this country and were buried here.
LITTLE HEROES OF PIROGOV

America for Bulgaria Foundation initiates complete transformation of emergency hospital's children's ward
GOING, GOING, (ALMOST) GONE!

The Sofia City Council made a decision to knock down the 1,300 Years of Bulgaria back in the early 2000s, but no one bothered to implement it
EUROPE DAY VS. DAY OF VICTORY

If you think that 14 February is the high point of the Bulgarians' ability to squeeze culturally different feasts into a single day, think again.
BERSERK BELLES OF GRADUATION BALLS

If you are visiting Bulgaria in the second half of May, do not be alarmed by the excited hoards of heavily made-up, eccentrically-dressed teenagers roaming the streets
SWEET POWER OF NOSTALGIA

For a significant number of Bulgarians, Communism was a golden era of prosperity and security
YEAR OF HOLIDAYS

One of Bulgaria's oddest quirks, the Council of Ministers passing decrees every year to "combine" holidays, is about to change.

VAGABOND FICTION

ZOYA

‘You’re so sour-tempered, Gergana’ asserted baba Zoya and kept knitting. ‘As if a lemon wedge is stuck to your tongue.’
WHERE I BELONG

The gulp of winter air fills my lungs with chills, then retreats with a sigh
VANISHING POINT

“I hate her.”
WAR DRUMS

There is a pedestrian tunnel beneath Fourteenth Street, connecting the subway trains at Sixth Avenue with those at Seventh
ISLINGTON

So will things be different, do you think, for us now? She asked this from the bathtub. Her voice was surprising because it was so light.
THE ALPHABET OF SUPPOSITION, an excerpt

When my aunt Fani called me in Chicago from Bulgaria to tell me she had found her brother, my father, dead, lying back across his bed with his right hand over the heart, she chose the inferential mood to relay the news
AN EXCERPT FROM A NOVEL IN PROGRESS

Above my writing desk I had a line from Le temps retrouvé
REMEMBERING NOT FORGETTING, an excerpt

“That was really not necessary,” the doctor tells Nadezda as he takes the box of assorted chocolates and places them on the side.
A WINTER WALK IN SOFIA

A young man, with an apron, stained from a just filleted fresh fish, storms out of the back entrance of a small restaurant to a crossing of Stamboliyski boulevard, sits in front and lights a cigarette
THE EXAM, an excerpt from a short story

This text was created during the online creative writing workshop Character + Setting lead by Josip Novakovic and organised by the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation on 8-14 November 2021
IN SEARCH OF EMPTIED TIME

An excerpt from Memory Hotel, a novel
BEAR BOY

The text was workshopped during Travis Holland's workshop What You Know: Writing Our Way Into the World
REGIME CHANGE, An excerpt

This text has been workshopped during Travis Holland's What You Know: Writing Our Way Into the World course, organized by the virtual Writing Center of Elizabeth Kostova Foundation
THE WRITER AS SPY

An excerpt from The Radical Thinker's Companion, Ciela, 2018. This text was translated during Elizabeth Kostova Foundation's Translation Workshop in March 2021
RAKIYA, a short story

Vasil has been making rakiya ever since he was a teenager, when he learned the craft from his father...
RED TIDE

A text from the The Alone Together series, an initiative of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation. Josip Novakovich (Canada) is a Sozopol Fiction Seminars fellow 2009
ALONE TOGETHER

A text from the The Alone Together series, an initiative of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation
THE SHAPES WE TWIST INTO

A text from the The Alone Together series, an initiative of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation
DESCENDING EVEREST, An excerpt from a novel

This current issue presents a text by the 2019 Sozopol Fiction Seminars fellow and CapitaLiterature participant Karen Outen
BEING HAPPY

A text by the 2019 Sozopol Fiction Seminars fellow and CapitaLiterature participant Maria Makedonska

VAGABOND VIDEO

In early March 2023 commemoration events took place in cities across North Eastern Greece to honour the 80th anniversary from the arrest and deportation of the region’s Jewish communities by the Bulgarian occupation forces in 1943.Р
For the first time Greek dignitaries, foreign diplomats and local Jewish organisations were joined in the city of Kavala by a few dozen visitors from Bulgaria, who came to pay tribute to the victims of their own government in March 1943.
In collaboration with MyCentury.tv

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