Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Yablanovo and Filaretovo honour victims of communist assimilation campaign

Photo: desehistory.com

The villages of Yablanovo and Filaretovo will today hold a memorial ceremony for the victims of the forced renaming of Bulgarian Turks during the so-called "revival process" a campaign of forced assimilation under communism, in which people of Turkish origin were ordered to change their names to Bulgarian.

On 17, 18 and 19 January 1985, riots broke out in Yablanovo, with local people blocking the roads to the village. The riots were put down after the intervention of armoured troops from the Third Bulgarian Army. Eight people died, including a baby, hundreds were beaten and arrested, and 517 residents were sent to the Belene concentration camp.
Four decades after the crimes against the Bulgarian Turks, there have been no convictions.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

National Statistical Institute reports stable GDP growth of 3.1 percent

In the first quarter of 2025, GDP grew by 3.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024 and by 0.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the National Statistical Institute announced. Converted into euros, GDP is 23.324 billion..

published on 6/6/25 2:18 PM
Rosen Zhelyazkov

Prime Minister says Bulgaria has no unresolved bilateral issue with Skopje

The position of the Republic of Bulgaria is clear. We have no bilateral issue with the Republic of North Macedonia. This was what Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in parliament and recalled that last week the National Assembly..

published on 6/6/25 1:23 PM
Tomislav Donchev

Bulgaria hopes to receive half of the funds under NRRP by the end of the year

Bulgaria will send a new request for a second payment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan in July, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev announced during parliamentary control...

published on 6/6/25 1:01 PM