UKRAINE AND BULGARIA WITHIN THE GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE SOVIET UNION

Mariia Georgieva,

Ph.D. (History), Associate Professor

Institute of Historical Research

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2026.34.3

 

Abstract.

The relevance of the study is driven by the need to deconstruct simplified, centric models of the history of the socialist camp. Amidst the contemporary transformation of international relations, rethinking the horizontal ties between former Soviet republics and Eastern Bloc countries allows for the identification of hidden mechanisms of regional integration that were not always determined solely by directives from a single union center. Investigating the experience of the USSR and the Republic of Bulgaria is crucial for understanding the genesis of the modern geopolitical architecture of Eastern Europe.

The purpose of the work is a comprehensive reconstruction and theoretical conceptualization of the system of multi-vector ties between the USSR and the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. The main task is to analyze how, within a rigid socialist hierarchy, autonomous communication channels – ranging from inter-party dialogue to everyday contacts between citizens – were formed and functioned.

The methodological basis. The article is based on an interdisciplinary approach. The author relies on the principles of historicism and consistency, employing the tools of world-systems analysis and the «center-periphery» concept. The application of the micro-historical method allowed for a detailed examination of «grassroots» interaction practices, while comparative-typological analysis was used to contrast official political discourse with the actual practice of economic and cultural exchange.

Scientific Novelty. For the first time in domestic historiography, the article systematically applies the concept of «double peripherality» regarding the status of Ukraine in its relations with Bulgaria. The author proves that the UkrSSR, while being a periphery in relation to Moscow, acted as a specific «sub-center» and a key transmitter of Soviet influence for the PRB. New data on forms of «people’s diplomacy» and industrial cooperation, previously considered only as auxiliary elements of «big politics», are introduced into scholarly discourse.

The conclusions demonstrate that the ties between the USSR and the Republic of Bulgaria constituted a complex multi-level system. The transition from formal state protocol to regional interaction (sister-city relationships, direct ties between enterprises) fostered the creation of a stable cross-border space. The author concludes that «people’s diplomacy» and everyday communication not only cemented the socialist community but also formed a unique experience of horizontal integration that transcended ideological dogmas and exerted a long-term influence on the socio-cultural landscape of both countries.

Keywords: Ukraine, Bulgaria, USSR, totalitarian systems, international relations, geopolitics.

 

Submitted 17.11.2025

Download

References:

  1. Baeva, I. (2011). Balgariya i Iztochna Evropa. [In Bulgarian].
  2. Vachkov, D. (2009). Ikonomikata na sotsialisticheska Balgariya (1944–1989). Institut za izsledvane na blizkoto minalo. [In Bulgarian].
  3. Vidnyanskyi, S.V. (2013). Ukraina v systemi mizhnarodnykh vidnosyn: istorychna retrospektyva ta suchasnyi stan. Instytut istorii Ukrainy NANU. [In Ukrainian].
  4. Kalinova, E., & Baeva, I. (2010). Balgarskite prekhodi 1939–2010. [In Bulgarian].
  5. Leshchenko, L.O. (1982). Ekonomichne spivrobitnytstvo URSR z krainamy sotsialistychnoi spivdruzhnosti (1950–1980-ti rr.). Naukova dumka. [In Ukrainian].
  6. Matiash, I.B. (2021). Ukrainsko-bolharski vidnosyny: ofitsiina i kulturna dyplomatiia (1918–1944). Instytut istorii Ukrainy NANU. [In Ukrainian].
  7. Sydorenko, T.O. (2015). Pidhotovka inozemnykh fakhivtsiv u zakladakh vyshchoi osvity Ukrainy (1945–1991 rr.): istorychnyi dosvid ta uroky. KNEU. [In Ukrainian].
  8. Stanchev, M.H. (2018). Bolharystyka v Ukraini: istoriia, stan ta perspektyvy. Drinovskyi zbirnyk, 11, 15–32. [In Ukrainian].
  9. Strashniuk, S.Yu. (2015). Ukrainsko-bolharski zv’iazky v konteksti yevropeiskykh transformatsii. Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu imeni V. N. Karazina. Seriia: Istoriia, 1145, 88–95. [In Ukrainian].
  10. Terentieva, N.O. (2005). Ukrainsko-bolharski kulturni ta naukovi zv’iazky (druha polovyna ХХ). Instytut istorii Ukrainy NANU. [In Ukrainian].