Page 14 - PGA Community News - September '22

Page 14, PGA C.A.N.! September 2022 September 2022
Bulgaria: Birthplace Of Spartacus

By Don Kiselewski, MCC,
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens
Travel Leaders
Long before Bulgaria
received its name, this land
area bordering the Black Sea
between Turkey, Romania,
Serbia, Macedonia and
Greece was known as Thrace.
Its people were the Thracians
and they started recording
history around 3500 B.C.
The artwork – especially that which was produced in gold –
is considered by archeologists to be the oldest in the world,
dating back some 6,500 years.
Not only does Bulgaria have some of the oldest pieces Bulgarian town of Sozopol
of gold artwork, it also ranks third in the world for the
number of cultural sites after Greece and Italy. Bulgaria Twice in their history, the Bulgars conquered the majority (1878) broke up the area, carving out a small principality
is said to have fostered the world’s first writing system. of the Balkan Peninsula between 836 and 1260. However, for Bulgaria, which was ruled by Alexander of Battenburg,
This claim is based on the engraved stones known as the they were defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1396, becoming a nephew of the Russian czar.
Gradeshnitsa tablets based on the location where they are a Turkish province until 1876. It was the Russians that forced Bulgaria fought several Balkan wars against the Turks
kept. Gradeshnitsa Monastery, also known as St. Ioan, is Turkey to release its hold on Bulgaria, giving them back their and their allies. The second war cost Bulgaria all that it
located in the northwest corner of the country. These tablets independence. This came about as a result of Turkey’s loss in had achieved in area from the first war, surrendering to the
were found in 1969 and are examples of late Neolithic the Russo-Turkish War (1877 to 1878). This move by Russia Turks. Again Bulgaria came up on the wrong side in a war,
proto-writing known as “Old European Script.” The tablets worried the countries of Europe, fearing the total dominance siding with Germany in World War I. They had hoped to
were dated to around 500 B.C. Stephen Guide, a Bulgarian- of the Balkans by the two nations. The Congress of Berlin gain Macedonia as a conquest, but when the effort failed,
American of the Institute of Transcendental Analysis, King Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris III in
claimed that he had deciphered the tablets. However, I along 1918. Boris III squandered the assets of the country and
with many others haven’t heard or read the transcript. assumed dictatorial powers in 1934 to 1935. Bulgaria sure
The Thracian civilization, forerunner to Bulgaria, was didn’t know how to pick them, because they became an ally
jointly founded by the Greeks and Romans. Romans had of Germany again in WWII. This time the Russians, once
the command by the end of the first century A.D. At the their ally, took over and imposed a communist coalition
decline of the empire, the Goths, Avars, Huns and Bulgars that took control of the country in September 1944.
invaded. In 679 A.D., the Bulgars crossed the Danube from To make sure that they pleased their new dominating
the north and took control of the area. government, Bulgaria became unquestionably loyal to the
Although the country was named after the Bulgars, whims of Moscow. Todor Zhivkov ruled the country for 35
the language and culture of the people died out. It was years, ruling with strict communist guidelines. In 1989, Petar
supplanted by the Slavic language, religion and writing. Mladenov kicked out the communist, ending their monopoly,
Boris the First adopted Orthodox Christianity for the and held free elections. Various parties within Bulgaria had
country in 865. Bulgaria is the birthplace of the Cyrillic control of the nation during the 1990s and there became a
alphabet, the second most widely used alphabet in the growing concern over the spread of organized crime.
world. The language was developed in the 10 century. Two children in a traditional Bulgarian costumes at the
th
Surva fair, which is held annually in Pernik, Bulgaria Bulgaria: Birthplace Of Spartacus on page 15
HANDY-MAN Ibis Friends Of Veterans

HOME SERVICES
Has Another Record Year

NO JOB TOO SMALL
The strong support for our
veterans was on full display in
u Water Stains u Screen Repair April when a full field of golfers
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Rita enjoyed her tour outside of London to Warwick Castle.
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