People's Republic of Bulgaria

The **People's Republic of Bulgaria**  was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990.

## Background

It was ruled by the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) together with  the Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union. Bulgaria was closely allied with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, being part of Comecon and member of the Warsaw Pact. The Bulgarian resistance movement during World War II deposed the Kingdom of Bulgaria administration in the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944 which ended the country's alliance with the Axis powers and led to the People's Republic in 1946.

## Society

The BCP modelled its policies after those of the Soviet Union. They transformed the country over the course of a decade from an agrarian peasant society into an industrialized socialist society.

### In the 1950s

In the mid-1950s after the death of Stalin, the party's hardliners lost influence and a period of social liberalization and stability followed under Todor Zhivkov.

### Since 1960s

After a new energy and transportation infrastructure was made, by 1960 manufacturing became the dominant sector of the economy and Bulgaria became a major exporter of household goods and later of computer technologies. It earned the nickname of "Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc". The country's high productivity levels and high scores for social development made it a model for other socialist countries' policies.

## Disestablishment

In 1989, political reforms were started. Todor Zhivkov, who had served as head of the party since 1954, was removed from office in a BCP congress. In 1990, under the leadership of Aleksandar Lilov, the BCP changed its name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and adopted social democracy and democratic socialism in place of Marxism–Leninism. Following the BSP victory in the 1990 election, which was the first openly contested multi-party election since 1931, the name of the state was changed to the Republic of Bulgaria. Geographically, the People's Republic of Bulgaria had the same borders as present-day Bulgaria. It bordered the Black Sea to the east; Romania to the north; Yugoslavia (via SRs Serbia and Macedonia) to the west and Greece and Turkey to the south.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: People's Republic of Bulgaria
- **native name**:

- **common name**: Bulgaria
- **life span**: 1946–1990
- **status**: Satellite state of the Soviet Union<sup>#inforefa, [a]</sup>
- **p1**: Kingdom of Bulgaria
- **flag p1**: Flag of Bulgaria.svg
- **flag type**: Flag
(1971–1990)
- **flag**: Flag of Bulgaria
- **s1**: BulgariaRepublic of Bulgaria
- **flag s1**: Flag of Bulgaria.svg
- **image flag**: Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg
- **image coat**: Coat of arms of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg
- **symbol type**: Emblem of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, Coat of arms
(1971–1990)
- **image map**: Bulgaria 1956-1990.svg
- **image map caption**: The People's Republic of Bulgaria until 1989
- **national anthem**: <div style="padding-bottom:0.4em;">_Shumi Maritsa, Maritsa Rushes_<small>(1946–1947)</small>
_Шуми Марица_<small>(Bulgarian)</small>
_Shumi Maritsa_<small>(transliteration)</small></div>
<div style="padding-bottom:0.4em;">_Our Republic, Hail!_<small>(1947–1951)</small>
_Републико наша, здравей!_<small>(Bulgarian)</small>
_Republiko nasha, zdravey!_<small>(transliteration)</small></div>
<div style="padding-bottom:0.4em;">_Balgariyo mila, Dear Bulgaria, Land of Heroes_<small>(1951–1964)</small>
_Българийо мила, земя на герои_<small>(Bulgarian)</small>
_Bulgariyo mila, zemya na geroi_<small>(transliteration)</small></div>_Mila Rodino, Dear Motherland_<small>(from 1964)</small>
_Мила Родино_<small>(Bulgarian)</small>
_Mila Rodino_<small>(transliteration)</small>
<div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">__</div>
- **official languages**: Bulgarian language, Bulgarian
- **languages type**: Official script
- **languages sub**: no
- **languages**: Cyrillic script, Cyrillic
- **religion**: Secular state (de jure)
State atheism (de facto)
Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bulgarian Orthodoxy (majority dominant)
- **government type**: Unitary state, Unitary parliamentary republic (1946–1947)
Unitary state, Unitary Socialist state, socialist republic (1947–1950)
Unitary state, Unitary Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one–party Socialist state, socialist republic (1950–1989)
Unitary state, Unitary Parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional republic (1989–1990)
- **capital**: Sofia
- **largest city**: capital
- **demonym**: Bulgarians, Bulgarian
- **title leader**: General Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party, General Secretary
- **leader1**: Georgi Dimitrov
- **year leader1**: 1946–1949
- **leader2**: Vulko Chervenkov
- **year leader2**: 1949–1954
- **leader3**: Todor Zhivkov
- **year leader3**: 1954–1989
- **leader4**: Petar Mladenov
- **year leader4**: 1989–1990
- **title representative**: List of Presidents of Bulgaria, Head of state
- **representative1**: Vasil Kolarov
- **year representative1**: 1946–1947 (first)
- **representative2**: Petar Mladenov
- **year representative2**: 1989–1990 (last)
- **title deputy**: List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Head of government
- **deputy1**: Georgi Dimitrov
- **year deputy1**: 1946–1949 (first)
- **deputy2**: Andrey Lukanov
- **year deputy2**: 1990 (last)
- **legislature**: National Assembly
State Council (1971–1990)
- **era**: Cold War
- **event start**: Kingdom of Bulgaria#Communist coup, Monarchy abolished
- **event1**: United Nations Security Council Resolution 109, Admitted to the United Nations, UN
- **event2**: Zhivkov Constitution
- **date event2**: 18 May 1971
- **date end**: 15 November 1990
- **event post**: Constitution of Bulgaria, 1991 Constitution
- **date post**: 12 July 1991
- **area km2**: 110994
- **percent water**: 0.3
- **stat pop1**: 7,029,349
- **stat year1**: 1946
- **stat pop2**: 8,987,000
- **stat year2**: 1989
- **currency**: Bulgarian lev
- **time zone**: Eastern European Time, EET
- **utc offset**: +2
- **time zone dst**: Eastern European Summer Time, EEST
- **utc offset dst**: +3
- **calling code**: +359
- **drives on**: right
- **hdi**: 0.918
- **hdi year**: 1989