T HE COLD WAR FROM THE MARGINS T HE COLD WAR FROM THE MARGINS A Small Socialist State on the Global Cultural Scene Theodora K. Dragostinova C ORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS Ithaca and London C opyright © 2021 by Theodora Dragostinova This book is freely available in an open access edition thanks to TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem)—a collaboration of the Association of American Universities, the Association of University Presses, and the Association of Research Libraries—and the generous support of The Ohio State University Libraries. Learn more at the TOME website, available at: openmonographs.org. T he text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license (the “Open Access Version”): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/legalcode. To use this book, or parts of this book, in any way not covered by the license, please contact Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress. cornell.edu. F irst published 2021 by Cornell University Press P rinted in the United States of America L ibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Dragostinova, Theodora, 1972– author. T itle: The Cold War from the margins : a small socialist state on the g lobal cultural scene / Theodora K. Dragostinova. D escription: Ithaca [New York] : Cornell University Press, 2021. | Includes b ibliographical references and index. I dentifiers: LCCN 2020034764 (print) | LCCN 2020034765 (ebook) | ISBN 9 781501755552 (paperback) | ISBN 9781501755569 (epub) | ISBN 9 781501755576 (pdf) S ubjects: LCSH: Cultural diplomacy—Bulgaria—History— 20th century. | Cold War—Social aspects. | Politics and culture—Bulgaria—History—20th c entury. | Bulgaria— Cultural policy—20th century. C lassification: LCC DR92 .D73 2021 (print) | LCC DR92 (ebook) | DDC 9 49.903/1—dc23 L C record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034764 L C ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034765 To my parents Contents List of Illustrations ix Preface xi List of Abbreviations xix Note on Terminology xxi Introduction: Bulgaria on the Global Cultural Scene of the 1970s 1 1 . The Contradictions of Developed Socialism 22 2 . Goodwill between Neighbors 62 3 . Culture as a Way of Life 96 4 . Forging a Diaspora 131 5 . Like a Grand World Civilization 162 6 . Culture under Special Conditions 195 E pilogue: The Socialist Past Today 222 Notes 233 Bibliography 279 Index 295 Illustrations 1. The author at a celebration, 1982 xiii 2 . The author’s family in Nigeria, 1979 xiv 3 . The author at archaeological excavations, 1989 xv 4 . 1300 Years Bulgaria poster, 1981 4 5 . Bulgarian exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria, 1980 10 6 . Children visiting The Bells monument in Sofia, 1981 11 7 . Tina Turner giving an interview on Bulgarian television, 1981 13 8 . Participants in the International Children’s Assembly, 1979 39 9 . The People’s Palace of Culture, 1981 42 1 0. The 1300 Years Bulgaria Monument, 1981 44 1 1. The Rozhen Folk Fair, 1981 45 1 2. 1300th anniversary logo for foreign audiences 47 1 3. Todor Zhivkov during an exhibition in Sofia 50 14. Todor Zhivkov and Greek prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis 90 15. Nikolai Todorov and former Greek prime minister Panaiotis Kanelopoulos 92 1 6. Thracian Treasures from Bulgaria, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, 1977 112 1 7. 1000 Years of Bulgarian Icons, Vienna, 1977 115 1 8. Invitation to T hracian Treasures from Bulgaria, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977 117 1 9. The exhibition Leonardo da Vinci and His School, Sofia, 1979 125 20. Federal Republic of Germany Cultural Week in Bulgaria, November 1980 126 2 1. Bulgarian émigrés visiting the city of Bansko, 1981 136 2 2. Émigré magazine Borba featuring an anticommunist cover, 1981 138 2 3. A folk ensemble performance in Ohio, 1978 145 24. The centennial of Januarius MacGahan’s death in New Lexington, Ohio, 1978 150 ix