Technically, absolutely anyone with a border could actually claim Macedonia, as on eve of the Berlin Congress, there wasn't exactly a totally dominating culture there.
So, what's Bulgaria's national animal symbol? Sort of like how Russia is a bear, America is an eagle, China is a dragon/panda.
Also, how does public education in Bulgaria work? That is, how is it organized?
It would be a lion, if we're talking in strictly nationalist nonsense that for some reason, even the Commies picked up with their
coat-of-arms.
In truth, however, it would be a horse tail, as, supposedly, the flag of the ancient proto-Bulgarians. Of course, just like the yurt-living Bulgarians who went from one place to another, until they settled in for a century or so in Crimea, and then having to find a new place. Fortunately for them, and kind of unfortunate for us, currently, they crossed the Danube, and the rest is history.
Elementary (1-4). At Class 4, you hold a matura, and if you pass it, you go into Middle (5-8). In first grade, you study only until 24 May, the celebration of the Slavic script and culture. The rest of Elementary study (2-4) study until May 30. Once you reach Class 7, you hold another matura, which is for pretty much everything stressful and hard we've studied during the year (Physics, Bulgarian, Chemistry, Biology, History and Geography) (weirdly, our dear governments have decided to pick seventh instead of eight grade), with which results you could move out to another school. You study until 15th June. To be fair, they'd be better off if they move 8th grade to the High, because there's no real difference, but hey. Then, the last phase, High (9-12) begins. On a side note, our wonderful educators have decided that we should experience the stress of lacking the proper textbooks from 8th grade, because from then on, we have no more free textbooks. What can I say, we're good at teaching our children. Anyway, in 12th grade, you go to the last and final matura (where you can pick one, but the other is mandatory - it's always Bulgarian) subject, which actually truly matters, as you gotta remember stupid things that you learnt in 5th grade. The fact during 9-11 grades (ha-ha, you can make your joke here) we're not learning anything important for the matura in Bulgarian.
And we're using numbers and words for our marks in the markbooks, unlike you barbarians.
Ugh. This came off as an unreadable wall of text.
I don't believe Bulgaria went through the same phase of economic and social restructuring that much of Central and Eastern Europe did after the end of the Warsaw Pact. There was never any real outpouring of anti-communist sentiment in Bulgaria like there was in Romania or elsewhere, they just sort of went along with the flow of things because that's where the rest of the bloc was going, so why not? So I don't believe they dismantled much of their public programs, however mediocre they were before.
Which brings me to another question: what is your opinion, and what are some popular opinions, about Dimitrov, Zhivkov, et al, and the communist period?
Dimitrov is kind of buried. Not by the following post-1989 governments (although, they do have some participation, too), but probably by Zhivkov and Co, who wanted only the Comrade Zhivkov to be in the minds and thought of our dear population. Unfortunately, the only things I know about him is a pamphlet released for the 45th (more or less) anniversary of his death. I am unsure on it's objectivity, but the Leizpig court presented him as a hero, and I enjoyed that part. How much of it is true, remains to the future historians.
Zhivkov, eh. He's complicated. Or maybe not. He was the leader of the partisan squads that started popping out as everyone saw this whole World War II affair was about to end about as good as the previous World War did for Bulgaria. Once the glorious Red Army crossed Danube, and everyone suddenly hailed our liberators with flowers in the ruins of a once great country, he of course was the first candidate (as appointing a Russian would backfire hilariously) for that post. After Dimitrov, that is. Fortunately for Comrade Zhivkov, he died in 1949, and after some clean-up, he came up to the power. Afterwards, it's quite clear - our country, the most loyal Russian satellite.
And for a while, things did seem nice. Heavy industry (at the expense of debts, but hey, if you're Communist, would that bother you once you reach utopia?) flourished, the city of Dimitrovgrad, by the labour of brigadiers, appeared in Southern Bulgaria, in honour of Georgi Dimitrov. Of course, that also came with a darker side. Everyone stole. It was the custom. Steal from the government, it's giving it out all for free. Lands, machines, anything that from owner G, went into owner X, where owner X could be literally anyone.
These times, however slowly started to end. Clouds, in the end of the 70s started to appear. People were hearing rumours about things not working. Something was slipping.
As the war in Afghanistan, fought by the Soviets, went nowhere, and the perestroika that was also running at that time, Gorbachev realised, that he can't actually run the entire Russia, alongside the Eastern Bloc, and so, he slowly started cutting down the support for everyone, including us. Energy regimes began. TV could be watched only on a 3-hour shifts. Lines grew, and the products certainly weren't first grade.
Things accelerated, and in 1987, in Ruse, mothers decided that they want their clean air. Romanians, unlike Bulgarians, who built a factory so far away from the sea or major routes, were a bit more savvy in building factories. They built one near the Danube, which is coincidentally the country border, and smog eventually flew into our country. This was the first peaceful protest, and many others (but perhaps less civil and certainly more violent) followed. The Party, in 9th November, following the news coming from Northwest Europe about a wall collapsing which separated a nation, decided it was best that Zhivkov has to go, and they decided they could perhaps take the power. Alas, for these conspirators, it was too late. The right (which was basically, anyone not communist) showed that they'll either have elections, or there'll be blood. And so, on 10th June 1990, the first democratic elections followed(ironically, the renamed Communist party won these). Democracy triumphed!
Right?
Well, that's how I'd resume the years 1944-1989. Possible that it's wrong, so take it with a bit of salt.
I need the recipe
must control myself
