The history of the Bulgarian navy is a brief moment in time compared to the 13-century experience of the Bulgarian statehood. It will also appear brief in comparison to the history of the navy of countries with traditions in navigation. The beginnings however were laid as part of the national defence system soon after the Liberation from Ottoman domination in 1878. And yet that happened not in the Black Sea port of Varna, as every Bulgarian might think, but in the port of Ruse, on the River Danube, and it was not until 1897 that the headquarters were transferred to Varna. The first steps were largely assisted by Russian officers and the first commander was a Russian – Alexander Konkevich. The majority of the future Bulgarian naval officers studied in Russia, but there were also graduates of West European naval academies. These are the basic facts that we learn from Mariana Krusteva, PhD, director of the Bulgarian Navy Museum in Varna. She is among the co-authors of the study “The role of the Bulgarian and French navy in bilateral relations in the period 1878-2010” published recently. The other co-authors are reserve officers: Junior Captain Atanas Panayotov, PhD, Commander Alexandre Cheldon-Duplais, PhD, and Vice Admiral François Lafargue. As Ms. Krusteva argued, the development of the Bulgarian and French navy was studied parallel to the evolution of the political and bilateral relations. But why in the late 19th century, when Bulgaria undertook steps to better organize its military structure and for state-of-the-art armament of all types of troops, the navy in particular sought the cooperation of France?
“We should not forget however that it was a time when Bulgaria-Russia relations became rather distant. So, the French influence is only logical, because Bulgaria’s economy was tied to a great extent to that of France, and a number of loans were borrowed from Paris, and deals were struck for supply of French arms. But we must not think that the French presence in the history of Bulgarian navy was only due to the fact that it was a major sea power. France has left traces in the history of our region in previous centuries, as well. French merchants and sea faring companies have been interested in Bulgaria long before the Liberation in 1878. Coastal cities like Varna had French consuls even back then. And it is no wonder that the first Bulgarian navy vessel, built specifically to that purpose, came from France. So, in 1896, when the first French specialist Paul Moron was dispatched to prepare the conditions for the build-up of Bulgaria’s navy on the Black Sea, he came upon a considerable number of learned Bulgarians, who were not only familiar with French culture, but also with the achievements of the French technical genius. However, his task was made somewhat easier because he had very clear duties: to prepare a longer lasting French naval mission, to order new French ships and supplies, and to train staff for the restructuring of the navy so that it matched the needs of a true sea navy.”
The French navy mission was operational in Bulgaria from 1897 to 1908. It was led by Paul Pichon, who was awarded a Senior Captain rank with the Bulgarian navy and was its commander. During World War I, however, France and Bulgaria fought on different sides and were enemy states. Bulgaria had shifted alliances to Germany and adopted a great many of its military achievements, and that is why many Bulgarian officers were trained in the German army. The first Bulgarian hydroplanes were manufactured in Germany, and the first Bulgarian navy pilots were trained there. The first Bulgarian submarine was also manufactured in Germany. At the end of the Great War Bulgaria was among the defeated countries. The Allies did not miss to impose the sanctions as provided by the peace treaties, which led to the collapse of the Bulgarian navy. And then France, which was one of the active sides on the Allied Commission, monitored strictly the observance of the sanctions, and this is how Bulgaria lost some of its naval ships and the only submarine it had. Its whereabouts had remained unknown until recently when it was discovered lying on the bottom of the Black Sea, not far from Varna. However, the state relations might have been distant but interpersonal relations have been kept.
“There were many Bulgarian officers trained in France, who did not neglect their warm feelings for the country that gave them their education,” Mariana Krusteva maintains. “There were even Bulgarian naval officers who had been awarded the Legion of Honour, and wore it proudly. The French state found a way to distinguish their merits. For example, the Bulgarian officer Ivan Variklechkov reached a Rear Admiral rank, and managed to secure the safe passage of a French vessel on the River Danube during World War I. And that happened in the last days of the war when the ship was threatened by attacks on the part of the two warring camps. Another Bulgarian officer, who was awarded the Legion of Honour, was Senior Captain Boris Rogev, who was a Sorbonne graduate. He was one of the pioneers of Bulgarian hydrology and ocean studies. He studied in France in the 1930s, where he was sent by the command of the Bulgarian navy.”
According to Ms. Krusteva, he was awarded the prestigious distinction for his scientific achievements and for his role in bilateral cooperation. In the 1930s relations between Bulgaria and France warmed up a bit, and several French ministers and navy commanders visited Varna on board French ships. The book contains also interesting details about World War II and episodes from the time of the Cold War. It traces also the evolution of the good bilateral relations to new forms of cooperation. “Bulgarian cadets are being sent to French military academies, and the crews of the French navy vessels mark the unusually friendly attitude of the residents of Varna, Burgas and other coastal towns. That is why it is not surprising that after the democratic changes in 1989 bilateral relations developed spontaneously on a political level. Bulgaria and France have struck arms deals, and often exchange visits of navy staff. One example of this cooperation is the current book,” Ms. Mariana Krusteva says in conclusion.
English version by Radostin Zhelev
