Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that make Bulgarians so special.
Bulgarians overrun a Turkish position at bayonet-point during
the First Balkan War of 1912-1913
BulgariaThe Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. (facts courtesy of CIA World Fact Book)
Bulgarians nominate Peter II Delyan as Emperor of Bulgaria.
Submit your Cleveland Bulgarian cultural items.
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