2 February is called Petlyovden, or the Day of the Rooster, and is celebrated a

THE DAY OF THE COCK

2 February is called Petlyovden, or the Day of the Rooster, and is celebrated as the day of masculinity and manhood. In the villages of eastern Bulgaria teenage boys slaughter the birds on the threshold of the house
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Political pressure remains the main impediment to free speech in

FREEDOM OF SPEECH? NO, THANKS

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Political pressure remains the main impediment to free speech in Bulgaria, a survey among journalists shows    
Origins of the promenade, how a police chief saved some musicians and other litt

HIDDEN SALONIKA

Origins of the promenade, how a police chief saved some musicians and other little-known stories  Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012  
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BOYANA CHURCH

Medieval murals, Renaissance hype and a forgotten grave inhabit this UNESCO World Heritage site together

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012

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STEFANO BENAZZO MODELING TOLLERANCE

Italian ambassador, art enthusiast and model maker, recreates ethnic and religious ambiance

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012

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DAY IN, DAY OUT

Consolidating days off is a peculiar Bulgarian phenomenon that exists nowhere else in Europe. The government claims that, in this way, it enables citizens to "relax more comprehensively." They probably do.

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012  

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ARMY OF TROUBLES

Secrecy, exploding munitions and dead souls haunt the Bulgarian Army

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012  

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IN FOR A RIDE

In many towns and smaller cities it is normal for taxi drivers to negotiate the rate without even turning on their taximeter, but Sofia is where truly ingenious scams are rampant. They are concentrated especially around Sofia Airport and the Central Railway Station, where crooked drivers ensnare clients off almost all arrivals.

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012  

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A MONTH'S RENT

I checked the guests in, checked them out and took care of their entertainment. The place was a miserable dump and the entertainment began and ended with whores. All kinds of riffraff showed up – balding perverts with sweaty foreheads, horny foreigners, small-time businessmen with their homely mistresses, who didn't want to give me their IDs so they wouldn't be found out. And of course, the whores. 

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012

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HIDDEN SALONIKA

Origins of the promenade, how a police chief saved some musicians and other little-known stories  

Issue 63-64, December 2011 - January 2012  

Read more... Add new comment
 
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RANDOM ARTICLES

PLOVDIV PLEASURES
A motley collection of Bulgarians, Greeks, Turks, Armenians and Jews have always made up the population,...
THE TIME OF THE KUKERI
Although the kukeri may not be politically correct, they can be politically topical. Do not be surprised...
ANTISEMITISM IN BULGARIA
An excerpt from A Guide to Jewish Bulgaria, published by Vagabond MediaIssue 55-56, April-May 2011  

VAGABOND VIDEO

On 2 February 1945, only months after the Communist takeover in Bulgaria, more than 90 people were executed and buried in an unmarked mass grave at Sofia's cemetery. Among them were public officials, three regents, all members of the last National Assembly, scientists, distinguished army officers. One of them was General Mihov. His niece Milka Doychinova remembers.

This video was produced by www.mycentury.tv

POLL

Are the Bulgarian police doing anything meaningful?




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VAGABOND FEATURES

SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS
Why is sport, professional and amateur, riddled with superstition?Issue 2, November 2006   
LOOK WHO'S BUILDING
It took three days for the builders to pour many tons of concrete into what appears to be the foundations...
BULGARIAN MEN
The 1989 Democratic Transition changed all that. After a decade in which most Bulgarian men were either...
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