Video scenes from the 1989 and 1997 protests in Bulgaria :http://vbox7.com/play:ea9d719a
I’m a kid of the revolution. I know that for sure, because every time I watch or read for any revolution that is happening or happened any place in the world, I always feel that strange feeling in my heart and my skin bristles. The revolution as an idea to express the people’s will for freedom and human rights is somehow undividable part of my point of view on life and my modus vivendi. I really feel this magic moment of a glory night for which Scorpions sing in their “Wind of change”.
- The empty stores
After the fall of the communism, of course almost the whole system that Bulgaria as a state had, completely felt apart as a result of the extremely bad government during the last communist years. The years to follow after 1989, were years of great neediness. We had those big stores now called malls, but for food only. Imagine a store of the size of the mall near you with almost nothing on its shelves. Almost completely empty… scary empty. Only two-three things- one package of butter, one bottle of oil, three breads… for the whole neighborhood. There were enormous queues in front of each store from the very early morning. There were lists for everything – you have to put yourself on the list and wait for one, two, three days, even a week. if you want to take meat, butter, bread. We also had coupons. My grandmother was waking up each morning at 5 in order to stand on the queue to take me milk. We were visiting strongly suspicious places where strongly suspicious people were selling us meat on triple prices, because there was no meat or other goods in the markets. The same was with the gas- endless lines of people with cans waiting for gas outside in the snow in January or February. Few years ago, when the system somehow went more stable and lots of new foreign trade marks entered our market, we were overwhelmed and amazed of the variety of food and colors those new goods have.
- The songs:
There is no revolution, even a peaceful one, without a song, they say. Well, the Bulgarian 1989 revolution had several, the movement for change somehow opened the floodgates of all musicians that were more or less oppressed by the communist rule for playing rock or playing against the government. The then popular rock bands and singers were competing who will create the most symbolic song of the times. However among all of them, there are several I will always relate with the period of 1989-1990. They all were non-stop broadcasted by the national radio and sang on the streets during the protests.
Ø “Give me divorce” – the song literally describes a funny and cynic story of a man wanting divorce from his wife. It is actually metaphor for the people want a divorce from the party-mother, the communist one. The song also includes lots of the symbols of the communism, for example in the line: “take our pane apartment, even take the Trabant, but leave me my breath”.
Ø “Last waltz” – my personal favorite, literally speaking for the last waltz with a cheating love, which was beautiful and shy when being younger and how a man believed in woman’s deceived love. This woman, the cheating lover is of course the communist party.
Ø “Rise your eyes” – Among the other mainly mock songs, this one is serious, speaking for the end of the fake illusion, and the lost dreams, the world that goes ahead and the things we can achieve now if we rise our eyes and start living our real new life.
Ø “I’m just a man” – the song of denying. The singer sings for all the things he’s not, for all the things he never wished to be, for the simple truth that he’s just a human being.
Of course, among the Bulgarian songs made specially to mark the new time, there were as well foreign ones, that were the symbol of the change. Two of them for me are the most substantial - “Wind of change” by Scorpions, this fantastic song for the change in Eastern Europe and the revolutions of 1989; and “Let it be” by the Beatles, a group that was almost forbidden during the communist rule in Bulgaria but in 1989-1990 freely played everywhere – every evening on the national television.
Few years after all those significant moments Bulgaria went through when asking on the streets for its freedom, lots of people lost almost everything they ever had. The inflation that happened in the 90s literally left all with no funds. During his time, almost all national banks have bankrupted and Bulgaria’s international debt was no longer covered. This led the country to a hyperinflation in which most of the people lost their savings and their salaries were equal to 3 US dollars. The Bulgarian money were devaluated (for the record for years including during the hyperinflation, the Bulgarian lev had golden cover and its currency with the euro now is 2 leva to 1 euro). Many people saving for all their lives in banks were left with nothing, only to the mercy of the faith. All children funds opened by parents, money saved for the better future of the kids (on average, nearly 50 000 leva per person) were now close to zero. Lots of people lost their homes and once again there was this time of great need of food and basic goods for living.
In this same period and just couple of years after the communism was remarkably kicked off the national political scene, the so called democrats showed their real faces and started robbing the people. Logically the trust in the politicians slump to zero. Because of that and its despair, in 1994, Bulgaria once again put on the prime-minister’s place a person, belonging to the former communist party, now called socialist party.
The public trust has once again been challenged and the people were once again on the streets. Those protests I remember much better – all happened in the cold winter, between December and February, the people this time were mainly in front of the parliament and blocked the MPs inside, not allowing them to leave before any descent decision is taken. Later the remonstrants seized the parliament. I was 12 years old in my final year in the elementary school, just before applying for a high-school, but it was extremely difficult for me to go to school as the school was often closed because of the political situation. But once again, a revolution, a small one, merely peaceful took place and showed willingness for change… for a last time, at least till now.
Since then a lot has changed, but a lot remained the same.
I was part of the revolution in my country (whether peaceful or not), and I feel proud of that as it marked my point of view on the world, learned me to value everything I have but to be generous, and to follow my dreams by all means. They say one of the strongest curses is “I wish you to live in interesting times” but I don’t think so. I’m a kid of the revolution born in interesting times when everything was changing- from the political system to the school system, nothing was certain and we were living on an electricity and water regime (this will means that for a 24 hours, you have 2 hours with electricity/water and two without). But I don’t regret it, I will regret much more if the system is still the same. I think the late 80s and early 90s are remarkably significant for Europe, a period that rapidly changed the course of the history… and I’m glad I was part of it. I now can travel all over the world, while just some 10 years ago, the people were standing on endless lines for days and days in front of embassies for visas. My generation was the very first one that went to first grade without the blue tie – a mark of the so called “pioneers”, the youngsters in the communist educational structure. And we’re all proud of that. I have seen during one of the most important for me years what is both to have and not to have, to be and not to be. And I’m happy about it because this is a life lesson very few people have the chance to learn. That made me a children of tomorrow. Because if you have been through it, it is a lot easier and logical for you to stand for your rights and know where you’re going, to make the difference in a society that is violent to its people, to bring the wind of change… any place on Earth as if you’re a kid of the revolution, you always hear the drums calling you for the glory nights : )
I’m a kid of the revolution. I know that for sure, because every time I watch or read for any revolution that is happening or happened any place in the world, I always feel that strange feeling in my heart and my skin bristles. The revolution as an idea to express the people’s will for freedom and human rights is somehow undividable part of my point of view on life and my modus vivendi. I really feel this magic moment of a glory night for which Scorpions sing in their “Wind of change”.
When I was a student, we led few protests against the new prices of the student cards for traveling- during those protests, I was among the noisiest cheers, I even organized my colleagues to close one of the biggest boulevards of Sofia by sitting on it right in front of the cars. I have also made several small, personal revolutions by never agree with the opinion of people that were on higher post, but were not right or were treating the others bad. And because of all those small and big revolutions I have made so far, I have asked myself several times why do I act like that and why do I always hear the drums calling me whenever there is an injustice or there is no freedom. I think the answer lies back in those days when I was just 6 or 7 years old and I was just forming my point of view. One of the things that have influenced be undoubtedly was the fall of the communism and the democratic processes taking place in my country – November 10th, 1989 and the following years of change.
In the days when the world celebrates 20 years from the fall of the Berlin wall and my homeland Bulgaria celebrates 20 years of the fall of the communism, I somehow turned back to my memories of 1989. Of course, they’re not many, I was 6 then. But there are couple of things standing firmly in my memory.
Even though the communism in Bulgaria left the scene peacefully with no civil war or bloody revolution, still the people back in 1989 were hungry for revolution. They were also extremely tired of communism, they also had the numerous examples of other revolutions taking place in Eastern Europe. I happened to be in the center of the Bulgarian revolution because my family has always had firm beliefs in the freedom of people. And because back in 1989 -1990, my parents were both 28 years old, therefore active participants in the protests against the communist rule.
So what I remember from 1989 – 1990
- The street protests
There were lots of them, almost every day. People just standing on the streets,, people shouting… One of those protests is now called “The one million protest” when on one of the biggest boulevards of Sofia (the same I closed 13 years later by sitting on it) one million people (out of 8 million Bulgarian population) gathered there and formed almost 10 km of protest line, waving blue flags (the symbol of the opposition) … People everywhere, on the street, hanging on the windows, families standing together in human chain to express their disagreement… One million people at one voice.
Another of the protests I remember very well was taking place on one of the main Sofia’s main squares close to the so called Party House (the building of the communist party)- when the night came, some of the people on the protest have fired the building.
The third one that probably left me the most remarkable memory was one I actually took part in. Back then, and as strange as this sounds to you, the people were so frustrated of 45 years communism and all its repressing actions and lies, that they were protesting with all their hearts as their only aim was the simple human freedom, which they were ready to achieve by all means. On this third protest, young parents taking active participation in the revolutionary actions, took their children. They knew the police won’t touch the kids. The protest was again on this big boulevard I mentioned above : ) The people gathered and closed the traffic. The parents put their kids sitting on the frontline. I was sitting there as well and I was six years old. I can only presume how this sounds to you and how now almost nobody will do that. But believe me, when you have nothing, you’re ready to do whatever it takes to have your freedom. However this doesn’t mean you will sacrifice your kid, the idea was exactly the opposite- the police won’t reach and beat the crowd closing the traffic, because they will never touch the children. By the way, I’m not sure can you have this certainty now. However then the government once again proved as the biggest lair – the police promised they won’t touch the crowd and will allow them to protest. The parents took their kids and the police attacked the men (as usually the mothers were holding the kids) pushing and beating. I remember very clearly my father being pushed by a police officer.
- The first democratic elections
After the leader of the communist rule, Todor Zhivkov was deposed , there had to be elections in the brand new, democratic Bulgaria. My parents were part of those elections as members of the first then NGO organization for elections, “Bulgarian movement for fair elections and civil rights” – an organization which work was to follow the elections (very similar to the work of OSCE), providing prognosis and results, ensuring the fairness of the elections. The very first elections after 1989 resulted in a victory by the same old communist party, which once again led to numerous protests on the streets that the results were fake. Those protests proved the need of such organization as the “Bulgarian movement for fair elections and civil rights” and it started to be indivisible part of the numerous other elections that followed. My parents were active part of it. I grew up there among election results, election protocols and the excitement of the results. Back then there were no modern electronic systems as now so the election protocols of each election section any place in Bulgaria had to travel to Sofia followed by a person, responsible for the docs. People were extremely disappointed by the lie made on the first democratic elections (when the communists won again!) and to be sure nobody will take their protocols and falsify them, they were traveling with those documents from all parts of Bulgaria to Sofia, keeping them better then themselves (even sleeping on the folders while waiting to submit them to be sure nobody will steal them!). Then there was no candidate or party that has the biggest chance to win according to sociological researches as there were no sociological agencies. Back then each vote counted and we all were excited by every result . The people making the elections were running to the TV studios to announce the latest results.
I still feel this excitement on elections I used to feel when I was 6 or 7 years old. Even though now there are like 100000 sociological agencies to tell me who will win: ) And I always vote, because I already have the right to do it under my discretion.
In the days when the world celebrates 20 years from the fall of the Berlin wall and my homeland Bulgaria celebrates 20 years of the fall of the communism, I somehow turned back to my memories of 1989. Of course, they’re not many, I was 6 then. But there are couple of things standing firmly in my memory.
Even though the communism in Bulgaria left the scene peacefully with no civil war or bloody revolution, still the people back in 1989 were hungry for revolution. They were also extremely tired of communism, they also had the numerous examples of other revolutions taking place in Eastern Europe. I happened to be in the center of the Bulgarian revolution because my family has always had firm beliefs in the freedom of people. And because back in 1989 -1990, my parents were both 28 years old, therefore active participants in the protests against the communist rule.
So what I remember from 1989 – 1990
- The street protests
There were lots of them, almost every day. People just standing on the streets,, people shouting… One of those protests is now called “The one million protest” when on one of the biggest boulevards of Sofia (the same I closed 13 years later by sitting on it) one million people (out of 8 million Bulgarian population) gathered there and formed almost 10 km of protest line, waving blue flags (the symbol of the opposition) … People everywhere, on the street, hanging on the windows, families standing together in human chain to express their disagreement… One million people at one voice.
Another of the protests I remember very well was taking place on one of the main Sofia’s main squares close to the so called Party House (the building of the communist party)- when the night came, some of the people on the protest have fired the building.
The third one that probably left me the most remarkable memory was one I actually took part in. Back then, and as strange as this sounds to you, the people were so frustrated of 45 years communism and all its repressing actions and lies, that they were protesting with all their hearts as their only aim was the simple human freedom, which they were ready to achieve by all means. On this third protest, young parents taking active participation in the revolutionary actions, took their children. They knew the police won’t touch the kids. The protest was again on this big boulevard I mentioned above : ) The people gathered and closed the traffic. The parents put their kids sitting on the frontline. I was sitting there as well and I was six years old. I can only presume how this sounds to you and how now almost nobody will do that. But believe me, when you have nothing, you’re ready to do whatever it takes to have your freedom. However this doesn’t mean you will sacrifice your kid, the idea was exactly the opposite- the police won’t reach and beat the crowd closing the traffic, because they will never touch the children. By the way, I’m not sure can you have this certainty now. However then the government once again proved as the biggest lair – the police promised they won’t touch the crowd and will allow them to protest. The parents took their kids and the police attacked the men (as usually the mothers were holding the kids) pushing and beating. I remember very clearly my father being pushed by a police officer.
- The first democratic elections
After the leader of the communist rule, Todor Zhivkov was deposed , there had to be elections in the brand new, democratic Bulgaria. My parents were part of those elections as members of the first then NGO organization for elections, “Bulgarian movement for fair elections and civil rights” – an organization which work was to follow the elections (very similar to the work of OSCE), providing prognosis and results, ensuring the fairness of the elections. The very first elections after 1989 resulted in a victory by the same old communist party, which once again led to numerous protests on the streets that the results were fake. Those protests proved the need of such organization as the “Bulgarian movement for fair elections and civil rights” and it started to be indivisible part of the numerous other elections that followed. My parents were active part of it. I grew up there among election results, election protocols and the excitement of the results. Back then there were no modern electronic systems as now so the election protocols of each election section any place in Bulgaria had to travel to Sofia followed by a person, responsible for the docs. People were extremely disappointed by the lie made on the first democratic elections (when the communists won again!) and to be sure nobody will take their protocols and falsify them, they were traveling with those documents from all parts of Bulgaria to Sofia, keeping them better then themselves (even sleeping on the folders while waiting to submit them to be sure nobody will steal them!). Then there was no candidate or party that has the biggest chance to win according to sociological researches as there were no sociological agencies. Back then each vote counted and we all were excited by every result . The people making the elections were running to the TV studios to announce the latest results.
I still feel this excitement on elections I used to feel when I was 6 or 7 years old. Even though now there are like 100000 sociological agencies to tell me who will win: ) And I always vote, because I already have the right to do it under my discretion.
- The empty stores
After the fall of the communism, of course almost the whole system that Bulgaria as a state had, completely felt apart as a result of the extremely bad government during the last communist years. The years to follow after 1989, were years of great neediness. We had those big stores now called malls, but for food only. Imagine a store of the size of the mall near you with almost nothing on its shelves. Almost completely empty… scary empty. Only two-three things- one package of butter, one bottle of oil, three breads… for the whole neighborhood. There were enormous queues in front of each store from the very early morning. There were lists for everything – you have to put yourself on the list and wait for one, two, three days, even a week. if you want to take meat, butter, bread. We also had coupons. My grandmother was waking up each morning at 5 in order to stand on the queue to take me milk. We were visiting strongly suspicious places where strongly suspicious people were selling us meat on triple prices, because there was no meat or other goods in the markets. The same was with the gas- endless lines of people with cans waiting for gas outside in the snow in January or February. Few years ago, when the system somehow went more stable and lots of new foreign trade marks entered our market, we were overwhelmed and amazed of the variety of food and colors those new goods have.
- The songs:
There is no revolution, even a peaceful one, without a song, they say. Well, the Bulgarian 1989 revolution had several, the movement for change somehow opened the floodgates of all musicians that were more or less oppressed by the communist rule for playing rock or playing against the government. The then popular rock bands and singers were competing who will create the most symbolic song of the times. However among all of them, there are several I will always relate with the period of 1989-1990. They all were non-stop broadcasted by the national radio and sang on the streets during the protests.
Ø “Give me divorce” – the song literally describes a funny and cynic story of a man wanting divorce from his wife. It is actually metaphor for the people want a divorce from the party-mother, the communist one. The song also includes lots of the symbols of the communism, for example in the line: “take our pane apartment, even take the Trabant, but leave me my breath”.
Ø “Last waltz” – my personal favorite, literally speaking for the last waltz with a cheating love, which was beautiful and shy when being younger and how a man believed in woman’s deceived love. This woman, the cheating lover is of course the communist party.
Ø “Rise your eyes” – Among the other mainly mock songs, this one is serious, speaking for the end of the fake illusion, and the lost dreams, the world that goes ahead and the things we can achieve now if we rise our eyes and start living our real new life.
Ø “I’m just a man” – the song of denying. The singer sings for all the things he’s not, for all the things he never wished to be, for the simple truth that he’s just a human being.
Of course, among the Bulgarian songs made specially to mark the new time, there were as well foreign ones, that were the symbol of the change. Two of them for me are the most substantial - “Wind of change” by Scorpions, this fantastic song for the change in Eastern Europe and the revolutions of 1989; and “Let it be” by the Beatles, a group that was almost forbidden during the communist rule in Bulgaria but in 1989-1990 freely played everywhere – every evening on the national television.
Few years after all those significant moments Bulgaria went through when asking on the streets for its freedom, lots of people lost almost everything they ever had. The inflation that happened in the 90s literally left all with no funds. During his time, almost all national banks have bankrupted and Bulgaria’s international debt was no longer covered. This led the country to a hyperinflation in which most of the people lost their savings and their salaries were equal to 3 US dollars. The Bulgarian money were devaluated (for the record for years including during the hyperinflation, the Bulgarian lev had golden cover and its currency with the euro now is 2 leva to 1 euro). Many people saving for all their lives in banks were left with nothing, only to the mercy of the faith. All children funds opened by parents, money saved for the better future of the kids (on average, nearly 50 000 leva per person) were now close to zero. Lots of people lost their homes and once again there was this time of great need of food and basic goods for living.
In this same period and just couple of years after the communism was remarkably kicked off the national political scene, the so called democrats showed their real faces and started robbing the people. Logically the trust in the politicians slump to zero. Because of that and its despair, in 1994, Bulgaria once again put on the prime-minister’s place a person, belonging to the former communist party, now called socialist party.
The public trust has once again been challenged and the people were once again on the streets. Those protests I remember much better – all happened in the cold winter, between December and February, the people this time were mainly in front of the parliament and blocked the MPs inside, not allowing them to leave before any descent decision is taken. Later the remonstrants seized the parliament. I was 12 years old in my final year in the elementary school, just before applying for a high-school, but it was extremely difficult for me to go to school as the school was often closed because of the political situation. But once again, a revolution, a small one, merely peaceful took place and showed willingness for change… for a last time, at least till now.
Since then a lot has changed, but a lot remained the same.
I was part of the revolution in my country (whether peaceful or not), and I feel proud of that as it marked my point of view on the world, learned me to value everything I have but to be generous, and to follow my dreams by all means. They say one of the strongest curses is “I wish you to live in interesting times” but I don’t think so. I’m a kid of the revolution born in interesting times when everything was changing- from the political system to the school system, nothing was certain and we were living on an electricity and water regime (this will means that for a 24 hours, you have 2 hours with electricity/water and two without). But I don’t regret it, I will regret much more if the system is still the same. I think the late 80s and early 90s are remarkably significant for Europe, a period that rapidly changed the course of the history… and I’m glad I was part of it. I now can travel all over the world, while just some 10 years ago, the people were standing on endless lines for days and days in front of embassies for visas. My generation was the very first one that went to first grade without the blue tie – a mark of the so called “pioneers”, the youngsters in the communist educational structure. And we’re all proud of that. I have seen during one of the most important for me years what is both to have and not to have, to be and not to be. And I’m happy about it because this is a life lesson very few people have the chance to learn. That made me a children of tomorrow. Because if you have been through it, it is a lot easier and logical for you to stand for your rights and know where you’re going, to make the difference in a society that is violent to its people, to bring the wind of change… any place on Earth as if you’re a kid of the revolution, you always hear the drums calling you for the glory nights : )
“Last waltz” – English translation
Today I dance the last waltz, let us say goodbye, my love
I will remember you until the end of life, we were dancing whole year.
You promised me prosperity and because you were young and shy,
I trusted your lies, they made you look so beautiful.
Ref.
Last waltz, goodbye my love,
I will remember you even with your new name*.
You were talking about changes,
but because what you say never lasts,
you found the way to Europe through East.
You predicted success that never came – I forgive you even this.
100 lies or 101, we’re parting, let us forget the bad moments.
Ref.
Last waltz, goodbye my love,
I will remember you even with your new name.
Let us all play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life how we danced for whole year.
Let us all play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life how we danced for whole year
Let us play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life that …. a change can never happened.
* a mockery with the change of the name of the Communist party into Socialist party.
Today I dance the last waltz, let us say goodbye, my love
I will remember you until the end of life, we were dancing whole year.
You promised me prosperity and because you were young and shy,
I trusted your lies, they made you look so beautiful.
Ref.
Last waltz, goodbye my love,
I will remember you even with your new name*.
You were talking about changes,
but because what you say never lasts,
you found the way to Europe through East.
You predicted success that never came – I forgive you even this.
100 lies or 101, we’re parting, let us forget the bad moments.
Ref.
Last waltz, goodbye my love,
I will remember you even with your new name.
Let us all play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life how we danced for whole year.
Let us all play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life how we danced for whole year
Let us play the last waltz for my cheating lover
and let us remember for life that …. a change can never happened.
* a mockery with the change of the name of the Communist party into Socialist party.
